The Press., 1884-05-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, D. O., April, 26 1884


 Money for the navy, pension appropri- ations, bureau of labor. Statistics, tenure of office, privileges of the senate floor, bankruptcy, pleuro-pneumon1a, and the tariff are some of the questions that con- gress has met, fought, favored and killed during the week. The house of represen- tatives assemblies now at eleven &. m. in- stead of twelve, and another hour per day is devoted to talk. This change wns nec- essary in view of the tariff spteches that are demanding utterance, and, in order to expedite the debate still more, night ses- sions are held for tariff talk. It might have been as well if few speeches by rep resentative men on either side had made up the issue, and the superHuous oratory had been confined to the pages of the Con- gressional Record, but every member thinks his tariff speech too good to be lost, in that way, and each has equal rights.
 The veteran Pennsylvania protectionist, Representative Kelly, made some remarks in tariff speech that called forth prolong- ed applause. He was speaking of having spent three months last year in s'prosper- ous, merry, free trade England" and of having visited the manufacturing towns around London, where he found women making nails, trace-chains, fire bricks, and galvanizing hollow ware. He said he ob- served among those who did him the hon. or to be present. his friend from Kentucky Mi. Turner, who comes to each succeed ing congress on the doctrine of free trace- chains 8 bill to transfer which article to the free list he never fails to introduce. MT. Turner replied, 'sYes, never weary in we'll doing, and after a while I hope you will grant us that reasonable request" ''You ought to have free trace chains, con- tinued MT. Kelly, for we learned that the women who make them, if they are quick, can earn twenty five cents day. Free e-chains exclaimed the orator, God forbid that any Kentucky girl or woman shall ever work at such starvation wages. and unwomanly employment, even though 1t be to furnish cheap trace chains to my friend and his constituents"
 While the house was discussing the sen. ate amendments to the naval appropria- tion the other day. question of veracity was sprung between two democratic breth- ren, Messrs. Randall and Dorsheimer. over time yielded by the former to the latter. MT. Dorsheimer said he understood it to be ten or fifteen minutes instead of five. MT. Randall replied "you did not so un- derstand it" MT. Dorsheimer rejoined. 'If 1t comes to that I say I did, and I put my words against yours in the presence of this house." At this point representative Henly verified MT. Randall's statement and the danger was averted. During the same debate MT. Randall let drop the hint that he was steering the house to an early adjournment by rushing the appropria- tion bills through. His wishes in this re- spect are well known, but if they are car- rled out, the serious matters which only have chance for attention during long session of congress would be neglected.
 Congressman Reed of Maine, was mak- ing 8 speech over the deadlock between the two houses on the naval and post office appropriation bills. Alluding to the par alysis of the navy and the determination of the house to do nothing liberal for it, he said the democratic party intend to 90 before the country simply disclaiming re- sponslbility as to the past, hoping thereby to shirk it's responsibility as to the pres ent. He thought the position of hiding itself everlastingly behind what had al- ready taken place was not the best policy for great party enlisted in the interest of general reform" He addressed his re- marks to Chairman Randall, because, ' he said, Gin that gentlemans pocket is the whole of this situation
 Considerable eloquence was expended in behalf of the laboring men, before the bill for collecting labor statistics passed the house. Representative Blount of Georgia objected to the measure on the ground that the information acquired under it's provisions might not be reliable. To this MT. Hopkins replied, that information gathered by experienced, thorough, and methodical means would be more accurate than information caught on the wing.