Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1885-12-22
CONGRESSIONAL.
Both Houses Adjourn for
the HOLIDAY.
BILLS READ AND REFERRED.
Beck Makes a Splendid Defense
of silver Coinage In the
Senate.


specioi to the Herald bv The Associated Press.
SENATE.
WAsHIseTos, December 8. = botn
branches Of Congress adjourned to-day
until January 9th.
The Chair laid before the Senate com
muuicatiou from the Secretary OF War
transmitting reports relating to bridges
In course Of construction which may in
terisrs with the free navigation oil the
nayigabls waters Of the United States.
Maxey presented memorial oil the
Mexican Veterans Association praying
for the passage Of a bill pensioning veter-
ans Of the Mexican War. Referred.
Among the bills favorably reported
and placed on the calendar we're the fol
lowing:
By Edmunds, from the. Committee on
the Judiciary, in reference to bigamy
and polygamy in Utah. Edmunds said
he would ask the Senate to take up this
bill Immediately after the holiday recess.
By Hoar, from the same committee,
the original bill for uniform system Of
bankruptcy throughout the United
States. Hoer said he would ask the
Senate to take up the bill as soon as pos
sible after the holiday recess.
Gallon introduced postal telegraph
bill. 1t provides for the purchase Of any
existing lines under the provisions OF the
act of 1866, at it's appraised valuation,
70 be ascer tanned by commission of i've
disinterestsd persons. Referred to the
Clmmittee on Post Offices and Post
Roads. to be considered in connection
with bill ON the same subject recently
introduced by Edmunds,
Vest offered q resolution strongly com
mending the course of Secretary Bayard
in the Kelly matter and moved reference
of the resolution to the Committee on
Foreign Relations.
Plumb thought the incident showed
how utterly useless the whole diplomat
10 service was. He hoped the Commit
tee would report that that service could
be dispensed with altogether.
Vest then proceeded TO address the
Senate in regard to his resolution. At
the conclusion Of his remarks ths reso-
luton was referred 10 the Committee on
Foreign Relations.
Harrison offered resolution directing
the Committee on Expenditures OF Pub
lie Moneys TO inquire into the statement
Of the Commissioner OF Pensions that.
under the preceding administration,
political tests were applied to sppliea-
tons for pensions. The resolution sm-
powered the COMMITTEES to send for per-
sons and papers aud 10 employ steno
qraphsr. Harrison asked immediate
Consideration. 90 objection Of CockrelI
the resolution went over under the
rules.
Beck called up the resolution hereto
fore offered by him, directing the Com
mittee on Finance 10 inquire whether
/. coin paid for import duties had been set
apart as special fund and applied to
the payment Of interest on United States
bonds, ETC.. as required by law.
Beck spoke at considerable length on
his resolution. The laws Of the land, he
said, were equally binding on the high
est executive officer and the humbiest
citizen. vet the laws TO which his resolu-
ton referred had not for many years
been complied with by the treasury Of
fictsIs. No more statesmanlike message
has ever emanated from the Executive
Mansion, in MIR. Beck's opinion, than
President ClsveIand's first message, but
he (Beckl did not agree with his position
regarding silver. Three-fourths Of our
business troubles are from the fact that
the laws Of the United States were not
carried out by our executive officers.
<.f H.. h. nd n.
srs and their well paid press were OPP
posed to silver, and the present crusade
against that metal was another evidence
Of the audacity of the organizations of
wealth, organizations which had always
secured whatever they had demanded.
Beck expressed the opinion that there
was not an obligation existing in this
country, national or municipal, that
could not legally be paid in gold or sill
yer of the United States. The bond
holders of the United States, he said, CON
troIled enormous amounts of money and
the best talent Of the press and having
now captured the executive branches of
the government they were clamoring for
gold and gold alone in settlement of
thsir claims. How was the surplus sil-
yer TO get out of the treasury II the Sec
retary Of the Treasury would not call in
bonds that were ont to be called in
and nav out the silvor. The people
and their representatives,. however, sup
ported silver. No executive officer
should be allowed to disregard law. He
would II be could take from the banks
their political power and their and their
influence on currency as shown when
they received President Hayes veto on
q memorial occasion.
Morrill, remarked that Beck's speech
seemed TO be a very elaborate assault on
the Secretary of the Treasury and the
President and il the resolution in sup
mort OF which il was delivered should
pass the Senate 1t would be equivalent
10 4 vote OF want OF confidence in the
President and his administration. He
regretted that the Senator from
Kentucky should have represented the
Secretary Of the Treasury as little better
than q common thief and the President
aud Secretary Of the Treasury as having
been bought by bondholders. but as
probably no Senator "on he LETT was
at present prepared to enter into the de-
tense Of the present administration, he
would move reference OF the resolution
to the Committee on Finance. 1t was
90 referred.
Senator Butler's recent resolution re.
iating to Dakota was referred to the
Committee on Territories.
The Senate passed the House concur
rent resolution providing for the holiday
recess, and after an executive session,
adjourned until January 9th.
HoEsE
WASHINGTON, December 2l.-On mo.
ton Of Morrison the resolu tion offered
on Monday last by Burleieh calling on
the Secretary Of the Treasury for In
formation relative to the importation
from Bohemia in July last byL. Lehman
Of New York Of certain glassware, and
to the appraisementa and e.appraisement
Of the same, was taken up aud passed.
The regular order being demanded, the
Speaker proceeded 10 call the States for
bills and resolutions for reference. By
Henley, OF California, declaring forfeited
certain lands granted to aid in the CON
struction of the Northern Pacific Rail
way; also to declare forfeited certain
lands granted to aid 10 the construction
Of the Southern Pacific Railway; also
declaring forfeited certain lands granted
TO aid In the construction OF railroad
from Portland, Oregon, to the Central
Pacific Railroad in California; also grant
ing to the State OF California tive per
cent. of the profits from the sale of pub
lie lands; also for the erection OF a
branch Soldiers Home in California.
BY Morrow, Of California, to amend
the Chinese Restriction Act, to provide
q system OF procedure In cases arising
under this act and to provide for the
expenses incurred in enforcing 1t.
BY FELTON,, of California, TO forfeit
unearned lands 10 California granted to
the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad Com.
pany; also to increase duty on plums,
prunes and raisins.