The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-12-11
SENATOR'S In CAUCUS
Republican Senators Rearrange the
Membership of the Committees.
Edmunds Resigns the Presidency Of
the BOdy---BilIs introduced in
the House, Capital City
News Items

WASHINGTON CITY, Dec. 1.-THE caucus
of Republican senators was well attended,
Senator Malone being present The report
Of the caucus committee upon membership
of senate committee was adopted. The fol
lowing are changes in chairmanships Of a
majority of the cQREnittees
On foreign relations Senator Miller OF
California vice Window; manufactures,
Senator Ridi berger, vice CoDger; agricnl-
ture Senator Miller, of New York, vice
Malone; postoffices and postroads, Senator
Hill, vice Ferry; pensions, Senator
Wilson, vice Hill; revision of laws,
Senator Conger, vice Miller of
California; improvement of Mississippi
river, Senator Van Wycke, vice Mitchell;
transportation routes to the seaboard, Sena
tor Aldrich, vice Harrison; to examine
branches of the civil service Senator Cullum,
vice Sawyer; Nicaragua claims Senator
Maxey, vice Davis, of West Virginia; public
building and grounds Senator Malone, vice
Rollins; revolutionary claims, Senator Jones,
Of Florida, vice Johnston.
Senators Sherman and Wilson were placed
on the committee of foreign relations Sena-
tor Miller, of New York fills the vacancy on
finance, and Senator Frye holds the fourth
place on the commerce committee. The re-
manning changes were unimportant,
Senator Edmunds, who was not present,
sent the following letter, which was read:
To My Republican Brethren OF the Senate
GENTLEMEN: At the close of the last session,
when a large number of Republican senator's
elect had no voice in the selection of presi-
dent pro tenn, and when none of those then
in office reelected could be chosen for the
place, you did me the great honor to place
me in that Office. | felt that had your
range Of choice been Is great as it now is,
another senator would have been your
choice as he would mine. The difficulties
then existing are now removed. | gladly
hasten to return to your hands the unembar
raised disposition of the trust the senate i'm
posed on me, and invite you to proceed to
elect another president pro tempOre Of the
senate With grateful thanks for the IN
sought proof Of confidence shown in me, and
of which | wish to be relieved, | am faith
fully, yours, GEORGE f. EDMUNDs.
The caucus postponed action on the letter
for the reason that Senator Anthony has
not been sworn in for the present. term, but
informally determined when the time of
action was reached Senator Anthony should
receive the nomination of the caucus for the
presidency of the senate. A motive was
lActt 70 tpLSitlCl bIt tlutobiOh VI ClttlluS
officers of the senate caucus on Thursday
At the caucus of the Democratic senators
the minority chairmanships were fixed as fol
lows: Private land claims Bayard; en-
crossed bills, salisbury; epidemic diseases,
Harris; revolutionary claims Jones, of
Florida; Nicaragua claims Maxey
Additional accommodations for the library,
Voorhees, Jones takes the place of Barrow on
elections; Vance and Brown succeed johnson
and Call on foreign affairs; and Call takes the
place Of Davis, of West Virginia, on finance
The other changes are unimportant.
Amongst the bills introduced in the house
was one by Mr.. Oates, repeating the pre-
emption laws and amending the homestead
laws and another by Dunn, declaring the
forfeited lands granted to the following com
panies and to the states in aid
Of such companies; The Gulf & Ship
Island, Alabama q Florida, COOsa e.
Tennessee, Mobile, Alabama, Girard, Coosa
x Chattanooga, Alabama & Chattanooga,
Pensacola & Georgia, North Louisiana &
Texas, New Orleans, Baton Rouge & Vicks-
burg, st. Louis & Iron Mountain, Hougton
& OntongOn, North Wisconsin, Wisconsin
Central, St Paul & Pacific tSt. Vincent ex-
tension and Brainerd branch,, Hastings &
Dakota, Oregon Central and Texas Pacific.
Senator zones on silver Coinage.
WASHINGTON CITY, Dec lido look
for any step in congress toward restricting
the coinage of the silver dollar said Sena
tor Jones, of Nevada, yesterday at the Grand
Pacific mo / should say not They will
not make any such move, because it would
be futile 1t could not even pass the
senate Here we are, evidently vergine
towards hard times with declining values
everywhere, and yet these people talk about
contracting the circulation of silver Weart
to do with less money, when cuisines;
now requires all the money it can get
hold of. If the coinage of silver is
stopped what is to take its place' The ra
pidity with which bonds are being recalle,
forbids the idea that the increasing demand
for money can be met by bank issues. VIVA
remains to supply the want, unless it be tn
coinage of the silver dollar, which insuTes tn
supply of money being equal TO the demand
of our increasing populations They tell u
that great part of the JOG, 600, 600 silver do
lars now in circulation is really locked UP in tn
government vaults, but these alarmists for
get that these dollars are represented by silve
certificates, which amount to the same thing
II this coinage is stopped we would be exactl,
where we we're when it was commenced, onl
that prices and values are now everywher
going down. in spite of the enforced coinage
No, you may rest assured that congress Wi
not be affected by any sush shortsighte
clamOr.n