Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 December 1890 — THE SENATE AND HOUSE. [ARTICLE]

THE SENATE AND HOUSE.

WORK OF OUR NATIONAL LAWMAKERS. Proceedings of the Senate r t d House of Representatives losportaat Measures Discussed and Acted Upon—Gist of theBusiness. Xhe election bill was taken up in thd Senate on the 4th and Mr. Pugh spoke In opposition to it. He said the country could not fall to understand the true character and nature of the proposed legislation. It was never intended to be put in operation in Republican districts. Under its operation there would not be a single district in the United States from which Democrats were elected to Congress that would not be subject to supervision by partisan Republicans. The whole conception of the bill was a transparent and audacious scheme, having no other end or purpose than the capture of Democratic districts. In the House the bill for the punishment of every guardian, conservator. curator, committee, tutor, or other judiciary agent for the embezzlement of the pensions of a ward was passed. On motion of Mr. Morrow, of California, the Housewent into committee of the whole on the. pension appropriation bill. Mr. Morrow said that the bill appropriated for the payment of pengipps the sqm of 8133,173,000. It. vtas estimated that this sum of money would be distributed among 654,715 pensioners. This was tbe largest number d (’Beneficiaries ever provided for „ lit any single item Ip the statutes of thfe United States. It Was estimated that the gross cost to the United States of these pensions for the year 1892 would average $203 each. He believed there would be no deficiency next year—that there would prove to be a slight Access, of appropriation. The election bill was taken up In the Senate on the sth, and Mr. Gray spoke against, it. The bill, he said, was menacing to the peace, happiness, and freedom of the several States. Notwithstanding the sneer uttered by the President of the United States as to the objections of those who opposed the bill, there were many who believed the measure one that threatened the integrity of American Institutions, State and national. Senatoi Stanford Introduced a bill to provide, the Government with means sufficient to supply the national want of a sound circulating medium, and asked that it ITe on the table, stating that he would hereafter submit some remarks on it. The bill Is thesame as that Introduced by him last May. It authorizes the issue of $100,000,000 in. Treasury notes to be loaned at 2 per cent, upon application by citizens owning unincumbered agricultural lands, the loans not to exceed one-half the assessed value of the land nor to extend for more than twenty years. In the House the joint resolution authorizing the Secretary of Wai to issue one thousand stand of arms to each of the States of North and South. Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska was passed.. The politicians had a lively fight over the annual pension appropriation 4 bijl,<' The Democrats charged that the total appropriation proposed was many millions short of the amount that will be required during the next fiscal year to pay claims that will be granted under the pension legislation of, this Congress, and that the object was tc throw on the next Congress the necessity of. providing for a heavy deficiency. The bill,, which appropriates somethingover $135,000,500. was finally passed. In the Senate, on the 6th, Mr. Paddock p^epted,the latest of the Farmers’ Alliance in convention at Ocalai Fla, against the passage of the Conger lard bill. Mr. Sherman introduced three bills and one. amendment to a bill, all of which were referred to the Finance Committee. The new bills are as follows: To amend the law relating to the refining and parting of bullion, to amend the act authorizing the receipt of gold, coin in exchange for gold bars, and a bill authorizing the recolnage of subsidiary coins of the United States. The amendment is one to the Senate bill to reduce the amount of United States bonds required, of national banks. The provisions of the amendment are as follows: Section 1 limits the compulsory requirements of deposits of United States bonds with the Treasurer of the United State, by national banks to the amount of §5,000 of bonds for each and every national . bank, provided that the voluntary withdrawal of bonds for the retirement of national bank notesshall notexceed $3,000,000 In any month. Section 2 provides that upon United States bonds deposited or which may be deposited, bearing interest, any national banking Vawscieiation making the depcslt shall be entitled to receive from the Controtlei of the Currency circulating notes of different denominations, not exceeding in the whole amount the par value of the bofldt deposited. Section 3 authorizes the Secretary to issue United States notes equal tc retirement of national bank notes below ; circulation of 8180,000,000. Section 4 authorizes the issue of United States bonds tc an amount not to exceed $100,000,000, to lx redeemed at the pleasure of the Government and to bear 2 per cent, interest. They are to te sold for lawful money or coin certificates, and the proceeds are to be applied to the redemption or purchase of United States bonds. In the Senate, the election bill was again, taken up on the Bth, and Mr. Hoar of Massachusetts moved to terminate the debate on Friday. Mr. Gormon of Maryland opposed the motion, and said: “Westand today, Mr. President, on a volcano. We have heard the discussion as to the starving Indians, but we take no note, it appears, of the fhet th At the farinfefs of the -land' hrt meeting and resolving that there is- danger and trouble, If not starvation, among them. The labor of the country appeals tc the administration and to Congress to stay this awful wreck. The faces of thi bankers and merchants are blanched with fear. No man can tell whether to-morrow or next day every bank in the great centen of commerce will not be closed by the suspension of payment. And now in'the midst of such a state of affairs, we who came here flushed with victory had the hope . that the majority party in, i. the Senate would give us an opportunity to join with it in preventing the wreck , which is now impending. But the Senator from Massachusetts, since the second day of the session, has continued to keep this bill before the body day by day and hour by hour, refusing even the usual time of adjournment from Friday untili Monday. He asked that the Republicans lay aside this partisan measure and join with the Democrats in some measure of. financial relief. In the House, Mr. McKinley reported from the Ways and Means Committee and the House passed’ the bill providing for a rebate on tobacco in stock equal to the reduction made in th( internal revenue tax by the last tariff bill. (Sec. 30), which had been omitted in the enrolling of that measure, and on the declaration by Mr. Mills, of Texas, that it was “all right” no opposition was made to its passage.

Wardens and keepers say that, as a rule, twenty-year prisoners don’t survive their terms, and that as a rule, also, they are the best behaved men in their charge. There are glaciers in the Himalayas which are from thirty to sixty miles in length, an% there is one thirty-three miles long which is flanked on either side by two giant peaks over 27,000 feet high. - A colony of about twenty-five Northern farmers have purchased 3,000 acresof land in Cullanan County, Ala , and will begin co-operative farming. Workmen digging in preparation for the foundation of a building near Argentine, Kan., found an iron pot com taining $5,000 in gold coin.