Western Kansas world., 1886-03-06


into committee of the whole, with MI
Crisp, of Gorgia, in the chair, on the pen
sion appropriation ball. Mr.. Townshend, o
Illinois, who had charge of the bill, explaine'
ITS provisions. 1t appropriated, he said
$75, 754,2OO, or about $15,UO,OOO more thai
was carried by the law for the current year
This increase was Occasioned by the accele
rated work that was being done in tn,
pension Office. Pending the consideration
of the bill the house adjourned.
In the house on February 25th. Mr.. Nor
rison, of Illinois, from the committee OF
rules, reported substitute for Hanback, an(
Pulitzer's resolution directing an inquir!
into the Pan Electric telephone matter. Tht
substitute is as follows:
RESOLVED, That a select committee, con
sisting of nine members of the house, be ap
pointed, and when so appointed the commit
tee is hereby directed at as early day al
possible to make inquiry into any expendi
lures on the part of the government incurred
relative to the rights of the Bell and Electric
telephone companies to priority of patents
Said inquiry to include all organizations and
companies that have sprung out of the Pan
Electric company, or for any other purpose
| it is also to make full inquiry into the is-
suance of stock known as the Pan Electric
| telephone stock, or stock of any other COM
pany or companies springing out of the Pan
Electric company, to any person or persons
| connected with the legislative, judicial or
executive departments of the government of
| the United States; to whom, when, and for
what consideration said stock was de-
livered; also, as to what opinions, dis
cussiOns or orders have been made by any
officers connected with the government, and
by whom, and all the circumstances con-
nected Herewith, or arising therefrom; and
said committee is further authorized and
%nc 70 rfoSv, ~ ho{l {l,or
either of the telephone companies herein
mentioned, or the officers, agents or en-
ployes thereof have in any way influenced or
attempted to influence officials, or official
action, by or through the public press; and
if so, when, by whom, and in what manner
such influence is exerted, or attempted to be
exerted, and what newspaper or newspapers
are SO used, or attempted to be used by them.
Said committee shall have the right to send
for persons or papers, and to administer
oaths to sit during the sessions of the house;
to employ stenographers, and to incur any
and all such necessary and reasonable ex-
penses as may be required for the purpose
of conducting the investigation, not to ex-
ceed the sum of 81 1000, which shall be paid
out of the contingent fund of the house on
proper vouchers certified by the chairman
and may report at any time. The resolu-
ton was adopted. The committee ON ac-
counts reported back the following resolu-
ton, which was adopted:
Resolued, That the committee on post
offices and postroads is hereby empowered to
ascertain whether additional legislation is
necessary to prevent the monopoly of tele-
graphic facilities, and to secure to the south
ern, western and Pacific states the benefit
of competition between the telegraph COM
panles, and to protect the people of the
United States against unreasonable charges
for telegraph service.
The committee on appointments reported
the immediate deficiency bill, and it was re-
ferred to the committee of the whole. Ad-
journed until evening. The evening session
was devoted to the consideration of pension
bills.
In the house on February 9th, the general
state of the union was discussed in commit
tee of the whole. Chandler, of Georgia, sub
mitted an argument against the suspension
of silver coinage, and contended that there
was no sound basis for the prediction made
by the gold bugs, that the continued coinage
of silver would have the effect of driving gold
spoke in support of the bill previously intro
duced by him to disapprove of the act of the
legislature of New Mexico, preventing the
introduction of dressed cattle into that terri
tory, arguing it was unconstitutional, and
that it interfered with interstate commerce.
Mr.. Weaver, of Iowa, discussed the silver
question. He predicted that the effort of
the money oligarchy, assisted by the execu-
tive officers of the nation, would double the
peoples burdens and cripple the business of
the country. But the suspension of silver
coinage would prove unsuccessful. now
that the attention of the people was
attracted to the question. Jones, of
Texas, advocated the free coinage of
silver, and opposed the proposition to sus-
pend the operation of the Bland act. VOL
ford, of Kentucky, spoke in favor of the
and thought that it should not be antago-
nized, because it would include jefferson
Davis in its provisions. Mr.. Reagan, of
Texas, suggested that jefferson Davis had
once written letter asking that his name
be excepted from the provisions of MeM-
can pension bill, if its insertion would en-
danger the passage of the bill. Mr.. Perkins,
of Kansas, opposed the suspension of silver
coinage, and denounced the demonetiZation
of silver in 1873 as the dishonoring of Amer
lean silver that brought in its train business
disasters which had continued until the pas
sage of the Bland act in 1873. In the worlds
history it would be found that it had become
necessary to aid both gold and silver by the
issue of paper money and this being 80, what
philosophy, he asked, was there in the pro-
vision that from this time forth gold alone
would suffice for business needs. Aaron of
old had prepared golden calf but Moses in
his superior wisdom had reduced it to pow
der by the fire. Let the modern Aaron be-
ware how In his avarice and greed he build
up false gods, or the men who built the rail-
roads and cultivated farms might rise in
their majority and power and strike down
the golden images and destroy those who
TOD Nha tIav,
and the house adjourned.
In the house on March LIST the following
bills were introduced: To repeal the patent |
laws now in force, and establishing another |
system of rewards for inventions. Resolu- |
ton directing the committee on expendi- |
lures in the interior department to investi- |
gate the expenditures and management of |
the pension bureau during the present and |
previous administrations; also to ascertain |
what foundation existed for the statement of |
Black in regard to the parti- |
san use and extravagant management of that |
bureau during the term of his predecessor. |
Appropriating $200, 600 for the establishing |
OF military post at Deming, N. NJ. To re- |
peal the internal revenue laws. To create a |
department of industry and bureau of labor. |
By Mr.. Hewitt, of New York, to admit free |
OF duty lumber, salt, coke, coal and iron ore /
produced or mined in the Dominion of Can
ada Mr.. Brumm, of Pennsylvania, asked
consent to have printed in the Rec
ord memorial signed by J. p. Brigham and
others, asking for the impeachment of Daniel
Manning, secretary of the treasury, for high
crimes and mlsdeme0n0rs in the execution
IF the silver law. Objected. the senate bill
passed for the erection of public building
md alteration of the Jail at Fort Smith,
Ark Mr.. Eldredge, of Michigan, moved to
suspend the rules and pass the Mexican PEN
sion bill, with q proviso excepting from its