The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1885-02-12
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS-.

to the Reagan bill The chances Of an
! agreement between the two houses are not
| by any means encouraging. The Heagan
! bill was passed by more than two thirds vote,
but many members voted for 1t because they
preferred to take that to getting nothing. The
| principal point of difference between the two
measures is that the senate bill provides for
nine commissioners, to whom IS gwen full
power to regulate all matters provided for,
while the Reagan bill refers all contro-
, yerted points to the courts, and i'm
poses heavy penalties for the violation of its
provisions. Whether majority of the house
will insist upon this feature Of the Reagan bin
I is an open question; but there are reasons to
Justify the belief that this feature will be in
/ sisted upon. The prospects, therefore, for an
agreement IN conference are far more encour-
aging ,.u.s -
: the coinage Of standard silver dollars was de-
| bated
| HoUsE-There was an extended discussion
! of the river and harbor bill but no notes were
! taken.
Mr. Van wyok offered tho following resolution,
which was agreed to:
inform the senate what amounts were due the
United States on Dec. 81, 1882. from the Union
Pacific railroad, also what amounts have become
ing to the rule laid down in the decision lately
made between the United States and said road
in the court Of claims: also whether the annual
settlement was made Feb l, 1855. rs provided
In the Thurman act.
| Mr. Sherman offered the following resolution
which was agreed to:
| Resolved, That the committee on judiciary be
directed to inquire and report to the senate as to
whether legislation is required, and If 30. In
VIII It regard to the appointment of courts mar
tial and the regulation, proceedings and prac-
tice in trials before such courts in time of peace
and whether under existing laws an officer may
be tried before court martial appointed by the
president in cases where the commander of the
accused officer to be tried Is not the accuser.
The bill passed authorizing the construction
Of q bridge across the Mississippi at Memphis
The senate then took up the bill to quite the
title of settlers ON Des Moines river lands, but
at o'clock it was displaced by the bill tor the
redemption Of trade dollars and suspension of
standard dollar coinage.
Mr. Bayard strongly opposed the REDEMPTION
Of The trade dollar at its face value. Indeed. he
objected to the word redemption" in connection
with it. Trade dollars were in the same category
as silver bars. 1t to him a paradox how
men could ask, in the name Of justice. to re-
ceive less for more yet we were told the honor
Of the country was stake. This so-called
redemption" would be a departure from the
landmarks OF government, passing from the
real and tested to the unreal and imaginary
The great question was, can congress create
values? Which of you, by taking thought, can
add cubit to his stature? Which of you, which
majority OF you, by passing laws from now till
doomsday. can create value! Could we create
values bv congressional fiat? Could congress
say Leu value De- anu value WOuiu ne! Lpu-
gre-s had already tried It, With 1000, 900 men
in the field congress had issued notes bearing
their value stamped upon them, vet it had been
unable to keep those notes at half their face
value. This was
NOT A PARTY QUESTION.
He advocated the suspension Of the silver
coinage act. The laws of business should be
recognized. Those who would suffer most by
silver mono metalism were laborers, these who
could not bide their time. An apprehension ex-
listed in the business community of evils stated
by Secretary McCulloch as likely to follow any
approach to mono-metalism on the basis Of sill
yer. There were laws of commerce that could
not be set aside at the behest of legislators. To
/ be sure, the supreme court had said congress
could destroy every pecuniary obligation ex-
pressed in lawful money Of the United States
Mr. Bayard did not wish to comment further
upon that most remarkable and startling decis-
ion, but there was one thing congress and the
supreme court and all the armies that could be
raised could not do and that was to create or
maintain a value against the belief of the person
to whom rendered Bayard believed that all
currency necessary for the United States at the
present time was here
The house made very little headway'to-d day
with the enormous mass of business that is
being crowded into its last days. An hour
was spent in wrangling over the rules Itisre-
corded that the house actually passed three
bills The latter part of the session was oc-
cupied in discussing the interminable river
and harbor bill The warmest personal tilt
day between Reed of Maine and Hiscock of
New York on the one side, and Breckenridge
of Arkansas and Hunt of Louisiana on the
other
In the House the 9Th the legislative, execu-
tive and judicial appropriation bill reported to
the house to-day recommends an appropriation
Of $21 213, 7O1, which is 81, O8S, 468 less than
the estimates and 1912, 902 less than the appro-
priation for the present fiscal year. The bill re-
duces the salaries of $50 special examiners in
IoIf1 49,
sion, from 81 900 to 81. 400 annually. on recon-
mendation of the interior department. 1t also
provides that the president shall discontinue
the appointment and services OF officers at ports
of entry where for two successive years last past
the revenues collected were less than the sal
aries and expenses Of the office. The president
may, however, appoint deputy collectors for
such ports, who shall be compensated by fees
not exceeding 81, 500. The Office OF superintend-
ent OF foreign mails Is abolished and super
the second assistant postmaster general The
compensation special agents In the internal
revenue service is limited to Sc day, except the
chfcf, who is to receive So dav Judges of the
court of claims shall prescribe a system OF fees
similar to that in the United S ates circuit
courts, and shall enforce their collections against
itigants unsuccessful in causes of action in the
court The governor of Dakota is also author
ized in conjunction with the presiding officers
of the last legislature, to reapportion the terri
tory. first Monday in September 1873, 5or within
ten days thereafter.
SENATE-After considerable time spent in un
important business, Mr. Palmer spoke In favor
of the proposed woman suffrage amendment to
the constitution The bill to regulate the fees of
pension agents and attorneys passed The bill
provides: No fee greater than $40 shall be re
ceived by pension claim agents, except that,
under special circumstances subject to revision
by the commissioner of pension, contract IN
writing may be made between applicants and
claim agents for a fee not exceeding 80. The
n&os,, 01o ioily ding h0
collection by claim agents of moro than $40 on
claims filed between June 20, 1878, and July 4,
1884, and prohibiting. government pension
agents from paying claim agents more than
$40 on such claims, even in cases of new con-
tracts
In executive session, the following appoint
ments were confirmed: Joshua A. Smith,
Mississippi, United States consul at Asuncion,
Paraguay; Robert Woodbridge, Ohio, agent
for the Indians at Lemhi agency, Idaho. Post
ington; John T. Voc, Dillon, Mont Miss Elite
L. Peet, Upton, Iowa; Daniel B. Johns, Groton,
Oak. G. K. Ingham, Alton, Iowa; Sylvester
w. Osborne, DARLINGTON, Wis; Charles A.
Spencer sheboygan Falls, Wis ,
consul of the United States at St Helena Ed
ward H. Thompson, Massachusetts,, consul Of
the United States at Merida Postmasters-
Newton W. Simmons, Boone, Iowa
HousE.-The river and harbor bill was dis
cussed at great length without result The
house evening session passed twenty-six pen
sion bills, including one granting pension of
$40 each to the minor children of the late
Lieut. Klslingbury and one increasing to $50
the pension Of the widow of Commodore File
brown and adjourned
sENArE-A joint passed accepting
from Mrs. u s. Grant her husbands's swords
medals and other articles. The bill creating an
army retired list tor privates and ron commits
stoned officers passe l. Several private pension
bills were passed, upon one Of which was On
grated several provisions of the Mexican pen
sion bill, one increasing % pensions to $l2
ton bill passed.
The chair named Meesrs Hoar and Pendle-
ton as teilers on the part of the senate IN the
count of the electoral vote.
Senator Miller Of New York. from the COM