The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-12-09
18TH CONGRESS.
Opening Of the Second Session on
MOnday---SynOpSeS Of Various
Departmental Reports.

The second session Of the s9th Congress
began AT - o'clock on Monday. There was
the usual stir about the Capitol for an opening
day, although the crowd Of spectators was not
as large rs on many previous occasions. The
ladies were on hand early, IN good force, and
waited patiently for the opening OF the doors
BY noon the galleries Of both houses were COM
fortably filled.
PRECISELY at 10 o'clock President Pro Tenn
pore Sherman, with rap Of the gavel, called
the Senate 10 order Forty-nine Of the &c
Senators were present, Senator Mitchell pa,
who was quite i'll during the last session, was
in his scat having apparently recovered his
health. Resolutions were adopted fixing the
daily hour of meeting at noon; informing the
House that the Senate was ready TO proceed TO
business, and for the appointment of a COM
mittee 10 wait on the President for the like
purpose Mossrs Edmunds and salisbury were
appointed such committee The credentials OF
Senator Williams of California, were presented,
and the oath OF Office was administered TO him.
For an hour before the opening the hall of the
H0use presented a lively appearance. Groups
OF members crowded the cloak rooms and block
AIDED the asles, chatting, laughing, eNchang-
congratulations on success in the recent cleo
lions, or condolences upon defeat At pre-
cisely IL o'clock Speaker Carlisle raped the
House TO order and the chaplain delivered the
PRAYER, in which he fecingly referred 20 the
New York and invoked the Divine supervision
over the proceedings OF Congress A call of the
roll showed 2al members present out OF 325.
Messrs. Reagan Tex, Breckenridge lhy.) and
Reed Me- were appointed 10 wait upon the
President, with the Senate committee, aud in
form him that Congress was ready TO receive
any communication he might desire TO make.
During the absence of the committee Mr.
Hewitt ~. Y, J, rising 10 question OF privilege
asked that Mr.. 5. 5. Cox be sworn in as a mem-
Der of the House TO Oh the vacancy occasioned
by the resignation OF Joseph Pulitzer. He stat
ed ut the same time that the formal certificate
of Dir Cox s election had not yet been received.
No objection was made TO Mr. Cox's qualify
ing aud has personal popularity was manifested
by the round Of applause which greeted his
re-entry into legislative liie
AT o'clock the Presidents message was re-
ceived and read in both Houses, after which
they adjourned for the day.
Secretary Of the Treasury's Report.
The Annual Report OF Secretary of the Treas
ury Manning 10 Congress is mainly devoted TO
the consideration OF the silver question and
currency and taxation reform. In regard TO
THE SILVER QUESTION
he says The act of 1873 which demonetized
the standard silver dollar, and the act of 1875,
which remonetized it, are so nearly identical
that a common authorship might be suspected.
The act oflS73 has been denounced and praised
for domOnetZing silver, which il did not do.
The act OF 1875 has been praised and denounced
for remonetiZing silver, which it did not do.
Both took a sure way 10 keep our fractional
silver at home. Expectations would only be
possible at n loss on the silver coined under
either acts. In both acts mOnetZation is de-
MED except TO Treasury purchases" The Secre-
tary reviews at length the action Of foreign
Governments ON the silver question, and shows
how they were forced into their present atti-
tude towards silver. THE Secretary is OF the
opinion that the time for another conference
has not arrived, and the moment for diplomatic
interference is not felicitOus Treasury silver
purchase is characterized as an expense and
taxation demonstrated by experience to be of
no avail. To stop the purchase Of silver is
our only choice, our duty, and our interest. IL
Will stop wasteful and injurious expense, and
the taxation which defrays il. 1t will COM
mence aud promote reform i'm the sum and the
methods of Federal taxation. Ii will recover TO
the United States an equality of position mon
coinagel with foreign powers which will give
us due influence an negotiation. To increase
our stock is 10 increase the difficulties of the
Treasury, Legitimate and abnormal difficult
ties. To stop purchasing will enable the
Treasury to maintain with certainty and greater
ease the present Stock Of silver coin at par with
gold in AL our fiscal and local uses.
Another years delay in stopping the silver
purchase is the loss Of remuneratve prices
upon another wheat crop of the United States.
lt is for Congress TO consider whether
apOlicy which does not prevent the loss of p
per cent. OF Of our silver output 20 a few
thousand mine-owners, but prolongs the loss 10
many million farmers of 25 per cent. Of the
price of their annual wheat crop should not
now be abandoned and the only policy adopted
which promises TO restore the former prosperity
of both"
THE FINANCES.
The ordinary receipts of the Government for
the fiscal year ended June 80, 1856, were $780,
43g.727O6. OF this amount Sl92, 905, O234I was
received from customs and SIG sos, AZ from
internal revenue. The total receipts as here
stated, were $l3 749, 020.6S greater than for the
previous year but the increase from customs
was Sll 49,, 0Sl10, and from internal revenue
$4a072l09i, making gain in these items for
the last year Of $l5,sll ,29504-a falling OF in
other resources reducing the total increase TO
the smaller amount mentioned
The expense at the different custom houses
Of collecting this increased customs revenue
was less than the expense attending the col
lection o. such revenue for the preceding wear
by Si9060s, and the increased receipts of in
ternal revenue were collected at q cost TO the
Internal Revenue Bureau $l55, 9ii.99 less than
the expense of such collection Cor the previous
year. The total ordinary expenses of the Gov
ernment for the fiscal year ended June 30 1856.
were S2i2,4s3, l3S.50 being less by $I7, 7ss. 7g7
than such expenditures for the year preceding.
and leaving surplus in the Treasury at the
close OF the last fiscal year of $93 $50 SIS. SO as
against S63, 4G3,77l27 at the close of the previ-
Gus year being an increase in such surplus OF
$50 492, 5l7.29.
The expenditures are compared with those
of the preceding fiscal year, and classified as
follows: