Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1888 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

Mr. McKinley, of* Ohio, one of the leading Republican mentkbers of the House committee on ways and means, is making a quiet canvass of Republicans in Congress for the purpose of gathering information to be used in the compilation of a Republican tariff bill. A conference is to be held between the Republicans of the.committee on ways and means and those of the Senate committee on finance, with a view to arriving at a general understanding as to what kind of a bill they will propose in opposition to the one a majority of the members of the ways and means committee will soon introduce. Mr. McKinley carries around in his mind a skeleton bill, and states its points to those with whom he talks. It reduces taxes on tobacco, $30,000,000; on brandy and whisky distillations, $13,000,000; and makes reductions on wool and woolens amounting to about $6,000,000, by accepting the bill recently recommended by the convention of wool growers and wool dealers. In round figures the bill Mr. McKinley has in mind makes reductions amounting to $50,000,000. A number of Republican members from the central and Western States, some from Indiana, told him, Wednesday, that they could not support the bill, as $43,000,000 reductions from internal taxes and $6,000,00$ from customs dues was in ill proportion. One member suggested that Mr. Randall be consulted, and a compromise made between the Republican and Democratic protectionists, but Mr. McKinley said he wanted a Republican measure, pure and simple, and that it was better to fail with that kind of a bill than win with one made by Democratic suggestions. Most Republicans want a reduction of the duty on sugar which Mr. McKinley opposes. John P. Rea, Commander-in-Chief of the G. A. R., was asked, Friday, about the probable passage of the Grand Army pension bill and its approval by the President. He said: “I had a conversation with Mr. Cleveland about, Jan. 19, regarding pension matters. I told him why I thought our bill ought to pass. His views on pension matters satisfied me entirely, and I have the impression that when our bill is laid before him he will approve it. You understand, though,that he made no promises whatever. I think that the majority of the soldiers who will be benefitted by this bill are men who fought throughout the war; men who had the sand to stand up under every hardship, and who, if they did feel sick ana worn out, were kept at their posts by a strong sense of duty. They were men whose constitutions were broken while they were discounting the future. Such men are now suffering disabilities directly traceable to the war, and, though they have no hospital record, they eught to be helped.” The judiciary committee of the House have derided to report favorably the bill to refund the direct war taxes to the States. The bill is amended so that the money will be paid to the Governors and by them to the persons who paid the tax, without the intervention of agents or lawyers. Several members of the committee were desirous that the committee should include in the bill a provision to refund the cotton tax. This desire finally took the form of a motion, which was voted down by a decided majority, but Mr. Oates will, in all probability, present a minority report on the subject. A decision was rendered in the United States Supreme Court Monday upon the application for a rehearing of the case of Wm. D. Andrews and others against George Hovey, which is widely known as the “drive-well case.” This court held that the patent issued to Nelson W. Green, in 1871, for an improvement in the method of constructing artesian wells, was invalid, because the invention covered by it was in public use more than two years before Green applied for the patent. The court, after an exhaustive review of the whole case, adheres to its decision and denies the application for a rehearing. Opinion by Justice Blatchford. Senator Biair has introduced a bill declaring that any person convicted of carnally and unlawfully knowing any female under the age of eighteen years shall be punished by imprisonment for from five to ten years, and for the second offense during his natural life. A punishment of from ten to thirty years is provided for persons forcibly ravishing any female, and for the period of his natural life for any person who carries out his ends by means of potions or drugs. The provisions of the bill are made applicable to all places within the jurisdiction of the United States. The President has sent the following nominations to the Senate: Wm. H, Steele, of Colorado, to be register of the land office at Montrose (formerly Lake City), Col; Henry Charles Fink, of iColorado, to receiver of public moneys at Montrose (formerh Lake City), Col; Enos G. Heen, of lowa, to be agent for the Indians of the Sac and Fox agency in!ows; E. P. Briscoe, of Mississippi, to be agent for the Indians of the Crow agency in Montana; Leonard B. Cornell, of New York, to be receiver of public moneys at Spokane Falls, W. T. . The House Committee or Commerce, Tuesday,decided to report favorably the bill to ch ar ter the Ni caragua Canal Company. The committee inserted two amendments in the original bill, the first requiring a majority of the direct-

ors of the company to be American citizens and the second providing that the Dreeident of the company shall be a citizen and a resident of the United States. Mr. Mills had a conference with Mr. Rindall in regard to tariff legislation. Randall stated emphatically that he wonld oppose placing wool on the free list, but seemed willing to have Borne reduction made in the steel-rail and metal schedules. The Senate committee on privileges and elections Friday considered the Tdrpiecase, ordered the papers printed and referred the subject for further consideration to a sub-committee consisting of Senators Hoar Spooner and Eustis. Far Western members say there will be a rush into the Indian Territory upon the passage of the Oklahoma bill, such as never was experienced in the opening of any country. It is stated by good authority that President Cleveland is preparing a message on the silver question, taking strong grounds against the continued coinage of standard dollars.