The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-02-28
WASHINGTON.
The Apnortionnert Ri,

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-The committee of
conference on the apportionment question this
morning discussed various propositions but
failed to agree or effect a compromise.
The Democrats and the Next Senate.
The Democratic members of the Senate held
private conference to-day for the purpose of
exchanging views on the order of business and
discussing several matters relative to the Or
ganization of the next Senate. The fact that
the Senatorial term of the President of the
Senate pro tempore (Thurman) will expire at
noon on the 4th of March was considered, and
as it is the duty of the President pro tenapore
to swear in new Senators, etc., when the Sem
ate reconvenes Immediately after that hour, at
tention was called to the need of electing some
one for the position whose term will continue
into the next session. 1t was agreed to hold a
caucus before the 4th Of March to select can
didate, and also to elect successor to Senator
Wallace, the present chairman of the caucus.
The sense of the caucus was decidedly in favor
of maintaining the present organization and
officers il the Democrats control the next Sem
ate
Condition of the Appropriation Bills.
The committees of conference on the post
office, legislative executive and judicial and
District of Columbia appropriation bills re-
spectively have all reached final agreements,
which will be presented to both Houses and
doubtless ratified Monday or Tuesday next
The amount in controversy on the post Office
bill (namely the additions proposed by the
Senate to the House items for star service,
steamboat service and special facilities on
trunk lines of railroads) have in each case
been compromised at one half the Senate in
crease. The principal contested portions of
the legislative bill are the provision made by
the Senate for large increase of clerical force
in the Interior and War Departments to facil-
itate the settlement of pension claims. These
provisions are all agreed to by the House con-
ferees and will therefore undoubtedly remain
il the bill.
The Refunding Bill.
The Ways and Means Committee of the
House to-day instructed Mr.. Tucker to call up
from the Speakers table the funding bill and
to move concurrence in the Senate amend
ments together with amendments agreed to by
the committee at their last meeting with one
exceptlon) and the amendment adopted by
them to-day. The latter is the amendment
proposed by Mr.. Mckinley, to add the follow
ing at the end of section of the bill PRO
vided that nothing in this act shall be con-
strued to repeal, affect qualify sections 500,
1922, 1928 and 5224 of the Revised Statutes of
the United States.'
The amendment adopted at the last meeting
extending the date mentioned in the fifth
section from July LIST to September LIST was
stricken out
out of section five the words "and provided
further that section of the act of June 90
1874, entitled an act fixing the amount of
United States notes, providing for redistribu-
tion of national bank currency and for other
purposes, be and is hereby repealed" The
mendment was not agreed to, but Mr.. Conger
was authorized by the committee to offer his
amendment in the House before calling the
previous question.
Mr.. Mills was authorized to offer as amend
mendment to the bill before the previous ques-
ton is called the amendment in regard to the
date which has been stricken out by the com
mittee to-day
Mr.. Tucker was instructed to go to the
Speakers desk.
The question of consideration upon the
funding bill will be raised as soon as the sun
dry civil bill is disposed.
A careful canvass of the opinions of the
prominent members of the House, both Re-
publican and Democratic, indicates that grave
doubts are entertained of the passage of the
will not support it unless the entire fifth sec
ton is stricken out.
The National Bank Circulation.
The Treasury now holds $3.50, 450,050 in
United States bonds to secure bank circulation.
These bonds are divided as s:-Currency
6s. S3,S 900; six per cents, $4S, $50; five
per cents, 1874, IA ,050; four per cents, $1O3,-
043,800. United States bonds deposited for cir
culation during the week ending to-day,
! $1,679,500; United States bonds held for circu-
lation Withdrawn during the week ending to-
day, $10,033,500. United St ates bonds held by
the Treasurer to secure public moneys in ma
| tional bank repositories are as f0llows:-Cur-
rency skies, $1,000; six per cents, 81 ,765, 900;
five per cents, 5000, 800; four and a half per
| cents, 1897 500; four per cents 81 ,295 800.
| The internal revenue receipts to-day were
$46l $3.50, and the customs receipts $536.47S
! The receipts of national bank notes for re-
demption for the week ending to-day, as com
pared with the corresponding period of last
f111