Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 January 1886 — THE NEWS CONDENSED. [ARTICLE]

THE NEWS CONDENSED.

FORTY-NINTBCONGRESS. Thk Senate, after considerable debate, adopted a resolution on the 19th inst. extending the privileges of the floor to Mr. Moody, of Dakota. A joint resolution was passed to appoint Gen. John F. Hartranft A .manager of the National Soldiers’ Home in place of Gen. McClellan. A resolution was agreed to directing the Secretary of the Treasury to state the details of each Surchase of silver bullion for coinage since last uly. Mr. Teller argued against a gold standard, and Mr. Morrill gave notice of his intention to speak on the subject of silver. Speaker Carlisle laid before the House of Representatives a letter from the Chief of Engineers, asking for an appropriation of $50,000 for surveys on the Mississippi River. Bills were reported back for the purchase of the old Produce Exchange Building in New York, to Slace Fitz John Porter on the retired list as a olonel, and to increase the pensions of widows from $8 to sl2 per month.' A resolution was adopted accepting the statue of James A. Garfield presented by the State of Ohio. A bill was passed appropriating $12,000 for the relief of the Northern Cheyennes in Montana. A BESonvnoN directing the Secretary of the Treasury to forward all papers relating to the contract to out an additional story on the Postoffice at Peoria. 111., including a protest against the work being performed by convict labor, was agreed to by the Senate on the 20th. The discussion of Mr. Beck’s silver resolution was then resumed. Mr. Morrill declared that the only hostility to silver arose from what seemed to be a fixed and passionate purpose of some of its advocates to promote such an excess of silver coinage as will drive - gold out'Of the country and leave our vast trade and commerce based upon silver only. He stated that no man proposed to demonetize the white metal; but the public seemed to forget that out of a coinage of 215,000,000 silver dollars we had onlv pushed 50,000,000 into circulation. Mr. Morrill denied that there had been any failure on the part of the Treasury officials to comply with the laws regarding the application of the money received from customs duties. He contended that the public faith was pledged to the payment of the bonds, both principal and interest, in gold, and that our credit would be dishonored by paying them off in silver worth 79 cents on the dollar; that a continuance of the coinage of silver meant the banishment of > gold, a monetary crisis, and an indefinite issue of greenbacks or the revival of wildcat banks. Mr. Beck said that to stop coining silver money in order to make silver money more,valuable was like stopping the grinding of wheat into flour in order to make wheat more valuable. The pur-

pose was to suspend it now and never to resume coinage, lie gave notice that in due time he would reply to Mr. Morrill's speech. Mr. ’ McPherson ' (It J.) expressed himself in favor of as much silver coin as would keep it on a par with gold. Mr. Beck said the people of the West had shown their confidence in silver. They had sent East 66,000,000 of gold dollars and took silver certificates for it, sustained by silver alone.until the Treasur.v stopped it. Mr. Teller, in whose time most of the debate had taken place, declined to yield any longer, and continued his remarks. He repudiated the idea implied by the gold advocates that the people whom he represented meant to scale the debt. Mr. Maxey said the bankers had been doing all thev could to bring about their own predictions. ’ and a little ring of them had been formed for the purpose of shipping a little gold. President Cleveland sent to the Senate the name of Charles J. Canda to be Assistant Treasurer at New York. The House of Representatives passed the Senate bill for the purchase of the old produce exchange building in New York. Bills were rejxirtcd to retire Lieutenant W. B. Randall as a Lieutenant Commander, and to authorize the voluntary retirement of naval officers who have served for thirty years or who have been comspicuous for heroism. A lively debate took place on the bill to increase the ipensipns of widows from $8 to sl2 per month. Bills were introduced in the Senate on the 21st to enable the people of Dakota to form a State Government, and to prevent the demonetization of American coin by making contracts for gold payments void. Mr. Edmunds’ electoral count bill was discussed. The House spent the day in discussing the bill to increase the pensions of soldiers' widows. The two political parties came to a deadlock in the House soon after the reading of the journal [on Jan. 22, when Chairman Herbert, of the Naval Committee, asked the passage without debate“of the Boutelle resolution calling on the Secretary of the Navy for information regarding the erasure of inscriptions and the discharge of Union soldiers at Norfolk Navy Yard. The Republicans insisted upon having an hour and a half or two hours’ debate on either side. Mr. Herbert took the position that as the resolution was simply one of inquiry of the Secretary of the Navy in regard to the removal of inscriptions and discharge of Union soldiers, about which the House had no knowledge, any del ate that might take place before the information was sent to the House by the Sec: eairy of the Navy would be premature. Reed, of Maine came to the assistance of his colleague, and Hewitt, of New York, restated the position of the Chairman, and the contest began. The Democrats did not have a quorum present, and the dilatory methods of Mr. Boutelle, intended to prevent a vote’ on ordering the previous question, operated also to give the Democrats time to send for absentees, Mr, Herbert also demanded a call of the House so as to waste more time, and while that was going on Democrats who had supposed that the day would bo devoted to private bills, and had gone to the departments on business or to call on the President, were notified that their votes were needed, and repaired at once to the Representatives' Hall. It was nearly two hours and a half before Mr. Herbert found a sufficient number of Democrats present and not paired to move that further proceedings under the call be dispensed with. Meanwhile, Riggs, of Illinois, and Sowden, of Pennsylvania, were brought to the bar by the Sergeant-at-Arnis to explain their absence. After the members had some fun with the two prisoners, their excuses were accepted. The previous question was ordered by a party vote—ls 2to 91—and the half hour allowed for debate under such circumstances was divided equally between Mr. Boutelle, of Maine, and Mr. George Wise, of Virginia. After a sharp partisan debate, the resolution was passed, with an amendment inserted by the Democrats extending tlißTnquiry to dismissals made at the navy-yard and light-house district at Norfolk, during the terms of the immediate predecessors of the present Secretary’ of the Navy. The Senate was not in session on the 23d. '