Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 March 1894 — FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS.

The session of the House, Monday, was replete with sensational incidents. Mr. Boutelle presented a resolution providing for the recall of Minister Willis from Honolulu, which was referred. The contest over the Bland seigniorage bill -was resumed, and a motion to go into committee of the whole disclosed no quorum. A roll call showed the presence in the House of 273 members. The debate was resnmed. Mr. Pence resumed his speech begun two weeks ago. He accused the Democrats and Republicans of complicity on the money question, and said that with four honorable exceptions the Republican members of the House had been whipped In to do “the bidding of Senator Sherman, who was the chief lieutenant of a Democratic President. Continuing, Mr. Pence said:

“Mr, Chairman, I have never engaged in the role of a prophet, but I am going to do so now. The next President of the United States will be elected by the vote of the Fifty-fourth House of Representatives. If there is any one man here especially interested in knowing what will be the answer on the roll call of States nt that time, probably it is the gentleman from Maine, who to-day and upon every occasion is standing up here and elsewhere to be measured against Major McKinley as a candidate for President in 1896. (Laughter.) When the vote comes before this House the vote of Idaho will be as big as the vote from Pennsylvania. The vote of Montana will be as big as the vote from New York, each State having one vote. Isay to him now that when that roll call comes by States he will rue this day and the last fifteen days.” Mr. Patterson followed Mr. Pence. He denied that he had offered a resolution in the Democratic caucus to count a quorum. Nevertheless he favored It, He was not one of those who would go back on the Lord’s prayer because it was indorsed by the gentleman from Maine. (Republican applause.) Proceeding, he said that while he favored this bill he thought that the discussion in the House was having and had had a disastrous effect upon the business of the country. Mr. Fithian scored the Democrats who filibustered. Mr. Bland then made a vigorous appeal to the Democrats opposing his bill to cease filibustering. He announced that tomorrow morning ho would move to close debate, and every day thereafter until the bill was brought to a vote. A Democratic caucus had decreed that it should be kept before the House until it was voted up or down, and it would be. The filiousterers must take the responsibility for such delay as ft caused. A running debate followed. Mr. Pence again secured recognition, and said if his course did not satisfy the dignity of the House it satisfied himJelf. Continuing, Mr. Pence said: “I am ready now to proceed with what I was saying when tho geqtleman from Nebraska (who Is fuller of whiskers than Ideas) interrupted me.” He paused. There was a good deal of Indignation among the Republicans at Mr. Pence’s defiance, which was shared to some extent on the Democratic side, as on tho motion to allow him to proceed a score of Democrats voted against the motion, which was defeated -30 to 60. Mr. Pence sat down and the House adjourned. The session of the Senate, Tuesday, was brief. A large number of petitions were presented. Mr. Teller offered a resolution requesting the President to suspend action in the consolidation of land offices provided for in tho sundry civil bill for the fiscal year ending June 30,1894. Mr. Hawley Introduced a resolution that tho Secretary of the Interior send to the Senate the most advanced copy of the Census Office returns relative to manufactures. Mr. Kyle introduced a bill for the establishment of a national university. It was referred to a select committee. Then, on motion of Senator Gorman, ihe Senate went into executive session, and at 1:20 adjourned. In the House, Tuesday, Mr. Pence rose to a personal explanation and apologized for his intemperate language in his speech, Monday. Mr. Cooper rose to a question of privilege to call Mr. Pence to account for the reflection alleged to have been cast upon him. Mr. Pence came to his own defense in a characteristic speech, charging Cooper with having deserted tho cause of free silver at the dictation of the White House, mr. Geissenhainer then' asked unanimous consent to consider a bill to save the armament of tho recently wrecked Kearsarge. Mr. Cummings, Chairman of the naval committee, stated that he had today received a letter from the Secretary of the Navy saying that if the wreck of the Kearsarge was to be saved, prompt action by Congress was necessary. Mr. Bland objected and moved that tho House go Into committee of the whole to consider the seigniorage bill. Pending that motion he moved to close general debate, Wednesday, at 3 o'clock, and on that demand the previous question. The vote was taken and resulted 159 to 0, fourteen short of a quorum. He moved a call of the House. The call developed the presence of 280 members. Mr. Bland moved to dispense with further proceedings under the call. Mr. Reed showed a disposition to filibuster, whereupon Mr. Bland demanded the yeas and nays. Further proceedings under the call were dispensed with—l 63 to 9—and Mr. Bland, seeing that it was probable that a quorum could not bo secured, his motion to limit debate and moved to go into committee of the whole for further debate, without limit. This was agreed to and the debate became general and continued till 4:40, when the committee rose and the House adjourned. The Senate was in session two hours, Wednesday. Senator Frye discussed the President’s Hawaiian policy, which he strongly condemned. At 1:55 p. m. Mr. Frye Indicated a willingness to defer the remainder of his remarks until Thursday In order that he might not Interfere with the Democratic caucus, because, as he said, he wanted more Democrats to hear him, and on motion of Mr: Morgan the Senate went Into executive session. After fifteen minutes spent in the consideration of executive business the doors were reopened and after the transaction of some minor business the Senate at 2:20 adjourned. In the House. Wednesday, tho dead lock on the seigniorage bill was broken. Mr. Bjand moved that the House go into committee of the whole and that the debate on bis bill close at 3 o’clock Thursday. A roll call resulted 16 to s—no quorum. Mr. Bland shouted out that a quorum would have voted on that call had all the friends of the measure been where they should have been. In their seats—he then moved a call of the House. Mr. Reed Insisted on the yeas and nays. Tho call of the House was ordered, 189 to 4. The call developed the presence of

265 members. Mr. Bland moved to dispense with further proceedings under the call and on further mot ten Mr. Reed forced the yeas and nays. The vote then recurred to Mi*. Bland’s demand for the previous question, which was sustained, 177 to 7. Loud cheers T? greeted the announcement of the breaking of the deadlock. A quorum having been secured, the regular order of proceeding was observed. Several technical questions of a parliamentary nature was settled. The House was again blocked just as the last barrier was being removed, . and Mr. Outhwaite, stating that this question wonld come up as soon os the House convened, Thursday, moved an adjournment. It was carried, and then, at 4 o’clock, the House adjourned. In the Senate, Thursday, Mr. Frye concluded his speech on the Hawaiian matter. Conslderatian of the bill for a new government printing office degenerated Into a tariff debate. Resolution by Mr. Mandersonto authorize the Secretary of War to Investigate the feasibility of using tho water power at Grand Falls, D. C., to generate electricity for lighting tho streets and public buildings of Washington v» Introduced and agreed to. After a half hour’s executive session the Senate adjourned till Monday. At the opening of the House, Thursday, Mr. Curaming3 asked unanimous consent for consideration of a bill appropriating $45,000 to reclaim the Kearsarge. Mr, Kilgore remarked that it was impudence for members who blocked legislation by filibustering to ask for legislation by unanimous consent and demanded the regular order. The regular order was the voto on the adoption of the special order to limit the debate on the seigniorage bill to two hours, on which the quorum had failed last night, and the clerk called tho roll. Exactly a quorum voted and the special order was adopted—lo 6to 13. Immediately upon the announcement of the . vote the Speaker declared that, in accordance with the provisions of tlje order just adopted, the bill would be open for debate and amendment for two hours. Mr. Bland was recognized and offered a partial substitute or rather an amendment to the original b ill, as follows: “After the coinage provided for in tho first section (the seigniorage) the remainder of the silver bullion purchased In pursuance of the act of July 14,1890, shall be coined Into legal-tender silver dollars as fast as practicable, and the coin shal 1 be held for redemption of the treasury notes issued against such bullion. As fast as the bullion shall be coined for the redemption of said notes the notes shall not be reissued, but shall be canceled in amounts equal to the coin held derived from coinage herein provided for, and silver certificates shall be Issued op such coin provided for by law, providing that the act shall not be construed to change the existing law relating to legal-tender, character or mode of redemption of existing treasury notes under the act of 1890.” A sufficient sum of money is appropriated to carry Into ef* feet the provislonsof the act. Numerous amendments to the substitute were offered, all of which were lost. The vote was then taken on the Bland substitute amendment and It was adopted—l7l to 96, . The vote was then taken on the final passage of the bill and It was passed —167 to 130. Loud cheers greeted the announcement of the victory. Mr. Cummings then asked and obtained unanimous consent for the bill for the reclamation of the United States steamer Kearsarge, and It was passed. “Don’t give up the ship.” shouted General Sickles. The Speaker then announced the appointment of Mr. Haines, of New York, on the committee on invalid pensions in place of Mr. Gresham. At 5:20 p. m. the House adjourned. In the House, Friday, Mr. Bankhead offered a resolution to appoint a committee to go to Chicago to Investigate the condition of the postoffice building, which was passed. Mr. McCrea called up from the committee on public lands the bill which has been before several previous Congresses to provide for the opening of certain abandoned military reservations. Mr. Sayers, chairman of the appropriation committee, raised the question of consideration against it, but theHonse decided to go on with the bill. Ms. McCrea explained the provisions of the hill. There were eighty of such reservations. The act only applied to reservations of 5,000 acres area, and they were to be opened only to bona fide settlers, to be paid for at not less than their appraised value. After some debate the bill was passed. On motion of Mr. Holman, ex-Speaker Grow, the newly-elected Congressman at large from Pennsylvania, was then sworn in. A burst of applause greeted Mr. Grow as he stepped down the aisle to take his place at the bar of the House. The House went back to committee of the whole for consideration of the pension appropriation bill. Mr. O’Neil, of Massachusetts, in charge of the measure, explained its provisions The bill carried for the fiscal year ending June 30,1895, $14,519,350 less than the bill last year. The original estimate for the coming fiscal year was $162,000,000, but it had been revised and cutdown later by Commissioner Lochren. In reply to inquiries he said that he believed the amount carried by the bill would meet the demands for all just pensions. Mr. Grout, of Vermount, followed with an assault on Commissioner Lochren’s action In his wholesale suspension of pensioners. He'concluded with a glowing tribute to the valor, bravery and patriotism of the Union veterans. Mr. Meredith made rather a sensational speech. He said that he protested against making thh pension rolls a roll of dishonor, in the name of a State that had paid three times as much for pertsions as Vermont Toward the end of Mr. Meredith’s speech a most exciting scene occurred, which almost eventuated in a personal collision between him and Mr. Funk. Mr. Meredith was still talking about fraudulent pensions and was having an animated altercation with Baker, of New Hampshire, over a case which had come under his (Meredith’s) personal observation, where a Union soldier was obtaining a pension for disability which he (Meredith) claimed he did not hare. .Great excitement followed, and a personal encounter between Messrs. Meredith and Funk was only averted by the prompt action of the ser-geant-at-arms. After otider had been restored Mr. Meredith arose and protested, amid laughter, that he was not excited, but that gentlemen could hardly do "here what they might do elsewhere. With this parting shot he closed his speech and immediately the House, which was at high tension, on motion of Mr. Sayres, took a recess until 8 o’clock, the evening session to be devoted to pension legislation. The evening session was devoted to private pension bills of which a number were passed, and at a late hour the House adjourned.