The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-04-16
F0RTY.EIGHTH CONGRESS-.
senate Proceedings Yesterday.

WASHINGTON. April 10. 1884.
The chairman laid before the Senate Q
communication from the Attorney Gene.
raj, in reply to the recent resolution Of the
Senate, relating TO the office OF marshal o!
the middle and southern districts OF Ala.
bama. The Acknowledgement states that
the question whether there now exists q
vacancy In that Office is a question OF law,
which has been decided by the United
States District Court in the negative.
Mr.. Morgan offered O resolution, which
he asked TO have printed and laid over, di.
recting the Committee on the Judiciary to
inquire and report whether Paul Stro-
bach. whose confirmation as United States
marshal in Alabama has been rejected by
the Senate, is now discharging the duties
Of the office, and whether be is entitled to
do so.
The bankruptcy bill was taken up as I'M
finished business.
The consideration OF the bankruptcy bill
was proceeded with by sections and much
progress made, the debate being confined
strictly to the legal aspects of the provi-
sions read. Amendments of details were
proposed by Messrs. George. Bayard, Hoar,
Wilson, Salisbury, and Slater, the most OF
participated in by the senator's named and
by Messrs. Harrison, Aldrich. Garland,
Cameron Of Wisconsin. and others. The
sections agreed to to-day provide, among
other things. that any person owing
provable debts exceeding $500 may
voluntarily petition TO he adjudIcated
q bankrupt; any trader owing debts in ex-
cess of $1,000 who leaves his State to avoid
hiS arnnifnrG ar onnaonlc ht,nuatf 70 aupiA
arrest, the service of a legal process, or
makes fraudulent transfer OF his property
or conceals or removes the same to avoid
a process or with intent to defraud his
creditors, pTocuTes or suffers judgment
10 be procured against HIM, or who being
actually insolvcnt suffers his property to
be seized on execution and fails within
twenty days to redeem it, or has suspended
the payment of his accounts for Il period
OF thirty days after they were due and
payable, shall be deemed to have commit
ted an act OF bankruptcy and may be adj
Judged bankrupt or a petition filed by
three or more OF his creditors.
Adjourned.
House of Representatives.
In expectation that the initial fight over
the Morrison tariff bill would take place
To-Day the members on the Republican and
Democratic sides. who have the duty Of
securing pairs for absentees, were kept
busy this morning seeing that the vote OF
no man should be wasted, and that all pairs
should contain the names of the advocate
and opponent Of the measure.
On motion OF Mr.. Oates, OF Alabama, the
Senate bill was passed to increase the en-
dowment of. the University OF Alabama
from the public lands in that State.
Mr. Morrison, of Illinois. at 1865 moved
that the House 60 into Committee OF the
Whole for the consideration OF the tariff
bin. There was no division, and the mo-
ton was agreed to-Mr. Cox, Of New
York. being called to the chair.
Immediately upon the committees as
semblng MIR. Eaton, of Connecticut, OBJ
iected to the consideration Of the bill, and
the objection was reported 10 the House.
Bya vote Of 140 yeas and 13S nays the
committee decided to consider the meas
ure.
There was intense interest manifested in
the roll-call. At the conclusion Of the first
call there appeared majority OF one in ia
vor Of the measure; then went on the sec
ond call, and members crowded around
any one OF their colleagues who was keeping
tally, earnestly listening for each response.
The result was so close that until the final
announcement nobody was quite sure how
the vote stood; but upon the announce.
ment there was a round OF applause from
the Democratic side.
The committee then resumed its sitting
Mr.. Morrison opened the debate in sup
port OF the bill. He described the financial
condition OF the country, and stated the
estimated surplus OF revenues over expen-
ditures, and dwelt upon the necessity Of
reducing taxation. To fail to reduce tax
alton and to relieve the people would be q
fragrant disregard Of the public duty. The
pending bill might not be all that was re-
quired, but it was an advance towards q
promise OF more complete tariff reform.
Such reform and adjustment OF the tarif was
not believed to be attainable at the present
session. 1t would create no surprise that
in the opinion OF minority OF the ways
and Means Committee the measure was not
sufficiently harmonious to secure their APP
proval. They found in it no merit, because
il proposed to reduce all duties alike. Ho-
riZontal reduction might not be best, but
none other was now practicable. The pro-
tectionsts opposed il, not because it was
horizontal reduction, but because it was
reduction at all.
Mr.. Kelley, OF Pennsylvania, made the
opening speech in opposition to the bill.
He did not believe that any cheapening OF
goods could relieve any of the American
industries. The evil was not that the goods
were not cheap enough or that America
could produce them. The truth to be con-
sidered Of all men was that power OF pro-
duction the world over bad Outrun the
power OF consumption, and that all mar
kets were oyerstocked, and in every land
skilled and industrious people had been
idle for large portion OF all recent years.
Nlhilism in Russia, Socialism in Germany,
Socialism and Nihilism in the border re-
gions OF Austria, Communism in France,
socialism which would present almost
every question that the British Parliament
would consider during the present session,
told the story in those great countries.
Idleness, want, and misery in every indus
trial centre. He then proceeded to give
cbapters from the terrible lives OF the in
d,Istrial classes OF England, as learned
NV HIM during three months visit
TO :. merry England "-"prosperous free
trade England lin order to show the
fearful condition Of the laboring people In
that country. and said that the proposition
now made was that the United States
should enter the race with the world Tor
cheapness, which had led to such terrible
results in England. There was nothing OF
so little value in England as working
man or woman with reasonable appetite.
In one town he had seen women making
and yet the gentleman rom
Kentucky (Mr. Turner returned to Con,
press every year because he advocated
placing trace-chains on the free list.
Mr.. Turner said that that was good
which he hoped would DC
. oo,,d
MIR. Kelley replied that women could
.iio EE mr. (;1 cents a week for making