Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1894 — FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS.

The Senate, Monday, spent eight hours discussing the question of free lumber. Not a vote was taken, The House, Monday, discussed District of Columbia affairs exclusively. In the Senate. Tuesday, after the reading of the report of the bribery investigxting committee, Mr? Hill said thatrthe question of speculation of Senators in sugar stock was only one of propriety and not an offense against law. Senator Lodge differed. Vice-President Stevenson ruled that the report was privileged. Mr. Hill appealed from the decision of the chair. Mr. Allen Interrupted Mr. Hill to say that it was not the truthfulness of the correspondents that the committee was charged to investigate; it, was whether attempts haehbeen made to bribe Senators; whether the trust had made large political contributions for the purpose of influencing legislation, and whether Senators had been speculating in sugar stocks. He asked Mr. Hill if he contended that the Senate had no right to investigate the charge that Senators had speculated in sugar stocks. “Not exactly,” replied Mr Hill, “but I have a grave doubt if a Senator should come before a committee and refuse to answer questions relating to his private business whether the committee could compel him to do so. The decisions of the courts are against it.” Mr. Gray, chairman of the committee, here interrupted to compare the investigation to a coroner's inquest and wanted to know of Mr. Hill if a witness having made a statement that ho had heard that one man had been killed by another could refuse to give his authority. After some wrangling between Mr. Harris and Mr. HUI, during which the interchange of courtesies was quite acrimonious, and after an ineffectual effort on Mr. Hill’s part to introduce a resolution declaring that the question asked the newspaper men for which they were to be held in contempt was not pertinent and that the facts should not be certified to the district attorney, Mr. Harris moved to table the appeal and it was carried without division. The Senate then resumed the consideration of the lumber schedule of the tariff bill but soon adjourned without action until Thursday. In the Senate, Thursday, Senator Turpie presented resolutions from the Ohio Legislature protesting against Russian extradition treaty. Mr. Hill presented a resolution directing that the bribery investigation be conducted in public. -It went over. Mr. Turpie presented the following resolution, which passed unanimously: “Resolved, By the Senate of tho United States, that of right it belongs wholly to the people of Hawaii to establish and maintain their own form of government and domestic policy; that the United States ought not in any way to interfere therewith, and that interference In the political affairs of these islands by any other government will be regarded as an act unfriendly to tho United States.” The tariff bill was then taken up. Senator Allen moved to strike out paragraph 17. as follows: “Lumber of any sort, planed or finished, on each side so planed or finished, 50 cents per thousand feet, board measure, and if plated on one side ai.d tongued and grooved, SI per thousand, and if planed on two sides and tongued and grooved, 81.50 per thousand, and in estimating board measure under the schedule no deduction shall be made on account —of planing, grooving or tongueing.” Agreed to, 35 to 24. This will place all lumber on the free list. Mr. Sherman then delivered a carefully prepared speech on the general subject of the tariff and was listened to with marked attention. He alluded to the differences in the Democratic rahks on the tariff questions and contrasted Mr. Cleveland’s letter of acceptance with the Democratic platform of 1892. Mr. Sherman charged that the sugar schedule ha 1 been drawn by the refiners. He contradicted the statement made by Senator Gorman that the protection offered tho sugar trust had been reduced and asserted that the statement was a palpable misrepresentation. He denounced the protection given the sugar trust and declared it was fiveeighths of 1 cent, or equal to the entire cost of refining sugar, including wear and tear of machinery. He characterized free wool as the “culminating atrocity of the bill.” Before closing Mr. Sherman devoted some time to the discussion of tho income tax. An income tax, he said, was indefensible, unless it was levied against all incomes alike. To single out a class was communism. If legislation in this spirit was to obtain the foundation of the republic would disappear. Mr. Sherman finished at 2:45, after having spoken three hours. Gen. Sickles introduced and the House, Thursday, passed a resolution Instructing the Secretary of War to do what is necessary under tho act of March 3, 1893, for the preservation of the Gettysburg battlefield. No business of importance was transacted.

In tne Senate, Friday, the “compromise” amendment of the sugar schedule came up. Mr. Manderson took the floor. The sugar schedule, he said, was the interesting schedule of the bill. It contained both sweetness and light. It seemed to pervade the whole bill. The bill could not be touched without laying hands on sugar. The Senate had even departed from the consideration of the bill to make explorations in sugar, not in the cane Holds of Nebraska, but in the committee room. The saccharine principle as it impregnated all nature invaded every feature of this bill. Mr. Manderson then pro ceeded to argue in favor of protection for the sugar growing industry of the country. Almost 5,1X0,(00,000 pounds of Yaw sugar had been consumed last year, representing, if grown and refined abroad, a total of 1182,000,00) to be paid to foreignFree sugar would mean the immediate destruction of the beet sugar industry and the gradual extinction of cane sugar production in the Southern States. Mr. Manderson gave notice that at tho proper tljgae he would offer as a a substitute for tho sugar schedule the bounty provision of the McKinley bill, continuing it in force until July 1,1005. Ho argued at length in support of the constitutionality of bounties. “If Congress were to give a bounty,” Mr. Caffery, “to a farmer or manufacturer, do you contend that the courts have no right to inquire whether bounty Is given for a public or private use?” “I do,” replied Mr. Manderson. “Tho decision of Mr. Miller Is conclusive on that poln|2’ Mr. .Peffer also spoke at length in favor of a bounty Instead of a duty on sugar. Mr. Harris

moved that the Senate proceed to executive businets. Before he mafle the motioa he declared, with his wonted emphasis, that the country was impatient, and had a right to be .impatient over the slow progress made with this bill, and that business interests everywhere were suffering from the inexensable delay. He gave notice th a"i after Monday he would if he were able, compel the Senate to endure longer hours tin til the bil 1 was disposed of. The Senate, at 5:47, went into executive session and at 5:35 p. m. adjourned. The House, Vriday. went into committee of the whole on the State Bank bilk Numerous speeches for and against the measure were made. No action waa taken. . ,