The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-02-16
HOUSE.

FEB. 7.-Extra0rtllnary interest was man
Tested on the floor and in the galleries OF
the house in the discussion of the metal
schedule to-day. In the galleries the man.
had given place to the representatives OF
the wealthy and powerful iron and steel in
terest. The contest opened briskly, and
continued for four hours before the six lines
OF the first paragraph were disposed OF. The
committee of ways and means had origin
ally proposed that the duty OH iron ore and
the residuum from burnt pyrites be fixed
at so cents per ton, and on pyrites or sulph-
ate of iron In its natural state, containing
less than per cent OF silica. SO cents ton,
besides ~ cents pound OH the copper
contained in it. This was precisely what
the tariff commission recommended in place
of the present rate of 20 per cent. ad ValOr-
EN-. The committee moved to increase the
duty to IS cents ton, but this morning they
Withdrew this and moved tn make 1t sixty
cents. After a vigorous discussion the re-
suit was to leave the duty at SO cents ton
where the senate left il. Mr.. Bingham in
troduced bill for commission of seven
members to report upon the condition and
value of the plant of the various telegraph
companies and what can be done to reduce
the cost Of communication.
FEB. S.-The iron men in congress and in
the Hobbies made the air blue with curses at
the action of the house upon the iron sched-
ule and they did not conceal their determi-
nation to do their best to defeat the passage
OF the bill, unless, when the bill comes out
OF the committee of the whole, the duties
on iron shall be increased at least to the
rates recommended by the tariff commits
sion. The committee of ways and means
themselves are disguised with the action of
the house yesterday and to-day, and pri-
yately confess the prospect of getting o tar
III bill through Is very shadowy,. which
means that Messrs. Kelley and Mckinley do
not care to have the tariff revised If iron Is
to be reduced. The first important break
on the republican side to-day was upon a
proposition to reduce the duty on steel rails
to $l5 from $l7.0 ton, as proposed by the
committee of ways and means, the senate
rate being Sl5.GS. The reduction of SIS was
adopted by vote of ITO to 30. When L
rails weighing not over twenty-five pounds
to the yard were reached the committee
saved themselves from reduction to Sl5
by prudently offering to compromise on $40,
which was accepted by the reformers. The
committee, being now almost on the run,
volunteered a slight reduction Oh bar or
shapes OF rolled iron not specially provided
for, and reluctantly consented to the elimi-
nation of paragraph which imposed duty
of S56 a ton Oh armOr plates and other thick
plates of iron and steel
FEB. 0.-In the house, Mr.. Belford re-
ported resolutions against disseminating the
silver coinage, and in favor Of additional
vault-room at some point In the Mississippi
grantee to Se Widow Of Per SHa
Hawk, OF Illinois, and eight bronze cannon
were donated for monument to Gen.Lyt
at Cincinnati.
FEB. 10.-The pending amendment to the
tariff bill In the house was that offered by
Mr.. Mackey, fixing the duty on cotton ties
at IS per cent. ad valorem. twas lost af-
motion of Mr.. Carlisle the duty on railway
fish plates, was reduced from TX to ~
cents per pound. Mr.. Dingley offered an
amendment, which was adopted, imposing
a duty OF cents per pound on anchors or
parts thereof, mill iron and mi cranks of
wrought iron, wrought iron ard fOrgings of
iron and steel for vessels, steam engines,
and locomotives and parts thereof weighing
each twenty-five pounds or more. Mr.. Dun
nell moved to reduce the duty OF horseshoe
aails, hob nails, and wire nails from TO 8
cents per pound. Mr.. Hewitt, of Alabama,
opposed the motion and had read memoir
iaI from the iron manufacturers in Alabama
protesting against a reduction of the duty
on iron ore. He was arragned by Mr.. Mills
for abandoning the principles of the demo-
the insertion of the word ''Only'' in the tar
III plank of the party its defeat in the last
presidential election.
FEB. 12.-The house refused to pass a
bill for the retirement Of Alfred Pleason-
ton with the rank of major general. Mr..
Robertson introduced bill to prohibit the
transmission OF lottery advertisements
pension of $50 per month to the grand
daughter of Thomas Jefferson.
FEB. 13.-The house passed senate bills
to settle all business of the Freedmen's
Trust company and to grant right of way
through the Fort Smith reservation to the
Page reported the river and harbor bill,
which apprOpriates 81 937 600 The natal