The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-12-11
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Meeting of Congress--The Presidents
Message-Views on the Civil
Service, &c, sc.
w.su,NcroN. d. q December stb

WASHINGTON, D. c., December Sth, 1886.
Editors Union congress assembled on last
Monday, the House and Senate being promptly
called to order at IL o'clock noon by their respec-
tive presiding officers, Senator Sherman as Presi-
dent of the Senate and Hon. John G.. Carlisle as
Speaker of the House. There was o full quorum
of members in each House. Senator Sherman
seems to have made mistake in commencing the
Senate by announcing its readiness to proceed to
the regular business before announcing the com-
mittee selected to inform the House and the Pres
ident that the Senate was in session, and also be-
fore the roll was called. Senator Edmunds quick
ly called the presiding officers attention to the
omission and then this formula was proceeded
with. The Joint committee of the House and Sem
ate waited upon the President and returned with
his reply to the effect that he would communicate
with each branch of Congress in writing, and soon
afterwards the Presidents message was announced
and read in each. After the reading of the mes
sage in the Senate that body adjourned in respect
to the death of Senator Pike, and the House did
likewise out of respect to the death of several
members of that body since the last session, among
whom was DR.. Cole, representative from the Third
district of Maryland. new Senator was sworn
into the place of Senator Pike from New Hamp-
shire the next day, and also new members in the
places of the deceased ones of the House, among
whom was Mr.. Harry w. Rusk, from Maryland,
in the place of DIR. Cole
As this is the second last session of the Forty
ninth Congress and the Fiftieth Congress comes
in the 4th of next March, although it will not as
semble until next December, unless an extra ses-
sion should be Called for which it is said the labor
organizations intend petitioning for the purpose
of egisating upon certain questions of interest to
them, q new organization of neither branch was
required nor the appointment of any new commit
tees. Under these favorable circumstances Con-
gress was prepared more readily to proceed with
its work. yet as the session is what is called
Oh hat 10 hv nv IN
next March, and tho Christmas holidays inter-
vene when nearly all the Congressman desire to
go home to spend the time with their families,
which generally calls for two weeks recess, it Is
not probable that much legislation will be accom-
pshed during the session.
The Presidents message touched on many sub
jects of interest, principal among which were the
tariff, the silver coinage the Cutting case in Mex
leo, and the civil service reform question. On the
tariff question the general verdict was that it is
"straddle," and Mr. Morrison is not at all satisfied
with it, and Mr.. Randall probably not more so.-
The former is said to have been seen to smile sar
castcally while that portion ofthe message relating
to the tariff subject being read, and that he
and Mr.. Carlisle are preparing to push through
their revision measures this session if possible
Of course Mr.. Randall and his adherents will be
heard from when the subject comes up. Any pro-
tracted discussion on this subject in either the
House or Senate will largely prevent very much
his previous message in favor of just and equits-
BILE revision of the tariff that twill not interfere
with any of our industries that have grown up
under its auspices" but yet wants the tariff re-
duced on "raw materials" that enter into clothing
and other necessares of the people, which would
include wool in Ohio, which Mr. Seney and other
| Ohio Democratic Congressman bitterly oppose
To prevent the tariff question arising in the Senate
"to disturb business" Senator Morrill, has intro
duced a resolution against its discussion in that
| body. st.s-,
The President advocates the abolition of the
| compulsory silver cOinage-another element OF
| disagreement between the Western and Eastern
Congressman stands squarely up for civil SER
vice reform as he has heretofore done and depores
that the law and its purposes are so little under
| stood; and says that our disagreement on the
fishery question will be amicably settled, although
| the claim Of the Mexican government in the mat
ter of extra territorial jurisdiction as announced
| in the Cutting case cannot be recognized by this
| government.
Mr.. Seney, of Ohio, expresses himself as OPP
posed to the Presidents civil service views, and
says he will be satisfied only with the turning out
of all Republicans, and will under no circumstan-
ces vote to increase the salaries of the Civil Ser
vice Commissioners The same views on this SUBJ
ject prevail with many of the Congressman of the
| Democratic party, and it is no wonder that the
| President deplores that the civil service reform
subject is $50 little understood. Oome DemOcraIs
| I have talked with say they determined not to
understand it, and so the President will probably
meet with some opposition on the subject, al
though the opposition is not likely to materialize
to any great extent, ending in vaporings.
The number of new bills being introduced is
comparatively small as relates to the food Of them
that is generally introduced at the beginning of a
session. This is owing probably to the fact of SC
many being introduced last session and 80 little
| prosnecfs of Oettinp anv acted uDOn.
Washington has had two tragedies this week
already. One was the shooting of woman in 3
disreputable part of the n.. h. ia -.
the other just occurred to-day on F street north
west. man named Miller was shot by another
named Walker (brother of the late Chief Of Police
twice in the abdomen, and has been conveyed to
Providence Hospital. Both were respectable bus
mess men and their disagreement seemed to grow
out of alleged family ISLANDERS. ANON.