The National tribune., 1886-03-04

| ten of each, the same TO be legal tender III COM
mercial transactions between citizens OF all the
1 American Nations The bill provides that the
| invited delegates shall be the guests of the
United States, and that the President, before
the adjournment Of Congress, shall appoint "A
delegates TO the said congress, selected equally
| from the two political parties.
TRICKS OF LEGISLATION.
Congressman often exercise good deal OF
! ingenuity in devising little tricks to evade the
strict parliamentary rules that govern their de-
| alterations. There are various ways to do this
| if one only knows what they are. Some OF
! these tricks are SO sanctioned by long usage
/ that they are recognized as perfectly ieSti-
mate. A Member who can secure an advan-
l tage by little sharp practice is regarded with
a feeling of admiration. A victim of one oil
! these schemes doesn't make any fuss about IT.
! He just remembers how it was done and
! watches his opportunity-which always comes
| to him who waits-to get even. very COM
mon device to get in speech, that would other
/ wise be lost to the world, is the pro torma
amendment. A bill is under consideration and
| the time for debate has been limited IN ad-
vance. Unless such means were adopted to
/ shat of the speech making there would be no
end to the talking. The time is exhausted and
| there are perhaps half dozen Members who
! feel that their duty To their constituents re-
| quires them to say something. Under the rules
a person offering an amendment is allowed to
! speak on ii for 4 certain number OF minutes.
A Member arises and gravely moves to amend
the bill by striking out the last word. Of
course, this means nothing, but it gives him
chance to disburden himself. Then he with
! draws tho amendment, and sits down with an
! approving conscience. Another Member who
! is loaded then moves TO strike ont next to the
last word or the last line, and goes through the
J same performance. In some cases hours are
consumed in this way. The silver men have a
hnE
| 1t has been worked three or four times this
session. An example will Illustrate. On the
| last private calendar day bill WAS before the
| House 10 pay some claim Of triflng amount
! Nr. Scott. of Pennsylvania. moved to amend
| by providing that the amount be paid I" in
! standard silver dollars On this he lanched
out and spoke for an hour on the silver ques-
tion, which had not the slightest relevancy TO
the matter under consideration. When a
Member wants 10 make speech he can gen.
orally find way to do it, if it is nothing more
than " leave to print"
TALKING CONGRESS.
Judging from the indications up to date this
Congress is going to be famous for its "ehin
music" The number of set speeches made thus
far is greatly in excess of the usual number,
and the members seem 10 be Just fairly getting
their wind. This is alike true of Senate and
House. The variety OF subjects that have been
brought to the front is so great that the hum
! blest Member has no excuse for not hnding
something TO make speech about that shall
eiectriIy his constituents through the turgid
and thrilling pages Of the Congressional Record.
Silver has the lead up TO this time as speech
provokor. Many other subjects are the hob
bies of particular Members, bnt this one ap-
pears to strike them all There have been al
ready many days of solid talk OH silver, and
they have hardly begun on it yet. The debate
On this prolific theme bids fair to " flow as a
| river" for an indefinite time to come. Then
there are the tariff, and Fitz-John Porter, and
| pensions for the soldiers, and education, and
| the electoral count. and the Presidential pre-
! rogatiye, and the admission of Dakota, ard in
| ter-state c0mmerce-all OF which promise an
| abundant oraiorical harvest. All this is not
without It's conpensating features, for it makes
! plenty OF work for the type-setters at the Gov
! ernment Printing Office at good prices, and
! furnishes q vast amount of literature for cam
paign use among the dear people No doubt
public business will suffer, but nothing else can
| be expected in a body OF men three-f0urths of
whom are lawyers. Were it not for the ad
| tournament that brings Congress to an end once
! in two years, the talk of these men would, like
! Tennyson's brook, " flow on forever"
PATIENCE AS 4 PRESIDENTIAL VIRTUE.
| 1t is sometimes necessary for President, as
| well as for people who are not Presidents, to
! cultivate the virtue of patience. The other
day, when the Boston Lanciers were here every
! thing was ready for their reception at the
White House at 2 o'clock. 1t had been an
nounced that they would arrive at 1:30, and
proceed drectly, like good citizens, to pay their
1 respects to the Chief Magistrate. But il was
800 when the blare of horns announced their
march up Pennsylvania avenue from the depot.
! Expecting them every moment and not wish
ing TO break his engagement to beStow upon
| them the Executive benediction, the President
could do little except wait for the tardy Bos-
| tonians. When at last they did come, instead
| of going first to the White House. they arranged
| themselves on the steps of the Treasury Build
! ing, facing the battery OF photographer. Then
| they went TO see His Excelency. The latter
| was somewhat disguised, to put it mildly, and
| he may properly be pardoned if he did not re-
ceiye the gorgeously- clad soldiers from the
bean eating city with that effusive enthusiasm
that he might have shown under other circum-
| stances
THE DIGNITY OF AMERICAN SWINE.
| To che last Congress there was a great deal
of talk about the American hog, and the insults
that are heaped upon him by the nations of
Europe in the way of determinations against
our pork products. Various measures in the
nature OF revenge were urged by Col. Tom
| Ochiltree and others, but no action was taken
| beyond the passing of harmless resolution or
two. Senator Edmunds now comes TO the front
| as the champion of our swine, and has intro
dGced bill similar to one that was offered in
| the last Congress. 1t provides for thorough
inspection of all meat products exported, aud
| authorizes the President, at his discretion, to
prohibit by proclamation the importation OF
| snch articles as be may designate from countries
that unjustly discriminate against our products.
This is sort of tit-for- tat arrangement and is
| intended to remind the monarchs of the old
world that two can play at the game.
| OUR PROSPECTIVE NEW NAVY.
| The patriotic citizen who feels that we ought
| to have something more formidable in the shape
of navy may indulge the hope that he may
| see his desires gratified if he lives few years
longer. For some time the House Naval Com
mittee has been considering the matter, and it
surely has the flavor of business when it recon-
| mends two great armored vessels of 6,O00 tons,
TO cost s., 500. 900 each, and three or four swift
steel-clad cruisers at 81 800 600 apiece. besides
an assortment of torpedo boats, etc. 1t has
| been agreed that these will be the leading fea-
| lures OF a bill 10 be introduced by the commit
! tee. We may yet be able TO make Victoria,
and Kaiser William, and Alexandrovitch-or
! whatever his name is-and the rest mind
their p's and q's."
AN OLD WAR RELIC GOING.
The old building on Pennsylvania avenue
between Seventeenth and Eighteenth streets
which was used by Gen. Scott as his head
quarters in the early part of the war. has been
purchased by private parties. and is being torn
down.
PENSION MONEY.