The Portland daily press., 1886-02-04
the compensation to railroad companies. Re.

statute when pfOnlDltS all dppTOpTldIlOl lOI
one object being used for another. Adopted.
Mr.. Bland, having prepared short report.
again submitted his preamble and resolution
which. as amended by the committee, reads
as follows;
Whereas, at a convention of the American
Bankers, Association, held at Chicago IN the
month Of September, 1885, George ), Coe, mem
Der of the executive council OF said assoclatlon,
and president Of the American Exchange Nation
delivered before said conyention, the following
statements, viz, "under these peculiar clrcun-
stances, (referring to the assumed dangers result
ing from a continued coinage of silyer) when the
new government came into power 1t was at once
confronted by peculiar dlttieulties surrounding
the Treasury Department. Like his predecessor,
the President clearly appreciated the magnitude
and imminence of the danger, and in the interim
before the meeting OF CongreIss ne + ~ tg S
law to save the nation from being preclplLated IN
to an abyss of financial deterioration. This tenn
porary expedient is both simple and SAFE Inc
law requires the treasurer to purchase not less
than Sc 900 worth Of silver bullion per month
and coin it into dollars, but he IS required TO pay
them out only when necessary. To avoid tnlS ne
cessity the treasurer now confines his dlsDurse-
ment to strictly legal demands, and refrains from
monthly paymentS,l as hitherto, OF the refunded
debt. The surplus revenue supplies the requisite
means not only to purchase the monthly sums OF
silver bullion required by law Du1 as9 10 Win
sued upon previous purchases to overcome the
excessive accumulation which so perplexed the
prior administration. This will safely hold the
Situation until Congress shall convene. The tenn
porary danger which existed until the income of
this overlook the expenditures, was satisfactorily
arranged by concert with the clearing house COM
mittee in New York, whose earnest efforts at that
critical moment to preserve the gold standard
were enlisted in behalf of the commercial COM
munity which it is their function to specially rep
resent; and
Whereas, near the close Of the second session
of the Forty-eighth Congress, this house refused
by a decided vote to consider the then pending
proposition looking to suspension OF the coinage
of silver dollars: therefore, be II
Resolved RV this house. that the secretary OF
the Treasury be and he Is hereby requested to IN
form this House whether or not any sucn agree
ment or arrangement was effected by the manage
ment of the Treasury Department with the clear
ing house committee in New York or with any
other association or person as alleged IN Sald ad
dress of Mr. Coe and if so by what authority of
law such arrangement was made and carried OUT
and further, to inform this House what amount OF
silver dollars were in the treasury on the fourth
day of March last unrepresented by outstanding
certificates and what amount OF silver certlicates
was in circulation, and what amount OF such dol
lars are now in the treasury unrepresented by out
standing certificates, and what amount OF sucn
certificates is now in clrculatlon; also What
amount of silver dollars were in the treasury on
the fourth of March last that could be applied In
payment of the interest-bearing debt and other
such dollars now held in the treasury could be so
applied; what amount OF silver certlncaIes are
held in the treasury that could be relssued also
what amount of the interest bearing debt is now
subject to CALL and will the same policy be pur
sued in the payment of silver coin on other public
dues in the future as in the past
Alter some discussion as 10 JIG pIoPIlety
of questioning the future policy of the ad-
ministration the resolution was adopted by
vote of 168 yeas to So nays.
Mr. Brady of Virginia, rising to ques-
tion of personal privilege, referred to the
difficulty which a new member experienced
in misunderstanding the rules of the House
and he therefore wished to ask parliament
ary question believing that his reputation
and conduct individually and his representa-
tive capacity had been affected by state
l. 1os hxyn Ofi re m
bers (Mr. Wise) concerning1the senator from
Virginia and himself. and as the name of
the senior senator of his State had been
twice called by this member and an effort
made to cast reproval upon him, ana as ms
(Mr. Brady's) name had not only been called
ON the floor but threat made against him
and as his name had been called and threats
made against him before one of the commit
tees by one of its members, and as 1t had
been stated that a Union soldier promoted
for gallantry, had been removed by the SEN
ator from Virginia, and another dismissed
for beastly intoXication, he wished to be In
formed whether he could show to the House
as he proposed to do by communications OF
high officials, and by public records, that
each and all of the statements made by the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wise were
not true.
The Speaker The gentleman's inquiry is
a very comprehensive one. The Chalr can
only state in response to the gentleman,s
question what the rule is as he understands
it. But the gentleman has not informed the
Chair what the statement is that was made
on the floor of the House, or what is the
supposed threat. Underth these circumstances
ilege is presented.
Mr. Brady-Can ask unanimous consent
to make the statement?
The Speaker-Certainly
Mr.. Herbert (Of Alabama)-I object.s
Mr.. Reed-Oh gentlemen, you cannot stl-
fie facts.
loquy now going on is not in order.
Mr.. Morrison of Illinois, from the commit
tee on ways and means, reported resolu-
tion calling on the Secretary of the Treasury
to report to the House the total amount APP
piled to the sinking fund between June 80
1884, and July l, 1885, and under what dates
and what several amounts the same was ap-
piled. Adopted.
The following committee reports were sub
mitted:
By Mr.. Cobb of Indiana from the committee on
public land, to forfeit the Atlantic and Pacific land
grant To the House calendar.
By Mr.. Hatch of Missouri, from the committee
on agriculture, to enlarge the powers and duties
of the Department of Agriculture. Committee OF
BY Mr. MeRae of Arkansas, from the committee
on public lands, to protect homestead settlers
within railway limits. House calendar.
In the morning hour the House resumed
in committee of the whole, consideration OF
the bill to abolish certain fees for official SER
vices to American vessels, and Mr.. Dingley
of Maine, who has charge of the bill, con-
cluded his brief explanation OF its provis--
ions, taking up the sections seriatim. and
pointing out wherein they were an improve
ment on the existing law.
In reply to question by Mr.. Anderson OF
Kansas, Mr.. Dingley stated that the fees
which it was proposed to abolish amounted
to about $350,O00 year.
Mr. Hewitt of New York, said that many
of his constituents were large owners OF yes
sels They were interested in being relieved
from as many charges as possible, and he
ought not, if he had in view simply the in
terest of that portion of his constituents, to
call the attention of the House to what he
thought was stretch of legislation. Some
of the fees mentioned in the first section
were for services purely governmental; these
were for the benefit OF the government and
not of the shipowner, and the charges should
not be imposed on the owners. But there
were other services which were purely for
the benefit of the owner, such as recording
bill of sale, mortgage, hypothecatiOn or con-
of health, and these were proper charges on
a ship. 1t was true that the shipping trade
was in distress and relief should be granted,
but the House ought not to proceed without
knowing exactly what it was doing.
On motion of Mr. Hewitt an amendment
was adopted, providing that only one consul
lar certificate be required of any one owner
of canal boats or barges trading between
any port OF the united states ana any port
of Canada.
Mr. Holman of Indiana offered an amend
ment providing that no collector or other
officer of the customs, inspector or shipping
commissioner shall receive any compensa-
tion greater than $4,000, except the collector
of the port of New York, whose compensa-
tion shall not exceed $4,000.
Pending action, the committee arose, and
at $50 p. N. the House again resolved itself
into committee on the bill relating to the tax
alton of the fractional parts of a gallon of
distilled spirits.
Mr. Mills of Texas, offered an amendment
providing that all taxes imposed by this act
shall be paid in standard silver coin, and us
ing this amendment as a text he addressed
the committee upon the entire silver ques-
tion.
Without action the committee rose, and
the House at 5.15 adjourned.
mn nAktE@