Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-27
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

The Was and Means COMMUNICATING
state Commerce Msxican-war Veterans
Personal Notes.
IRON Our Regular Correspondence
WASHINGTON, ID. O., January 3d.
At the meeting Of the Ways and Means
Committee this morning Mr.. Reed pro-
posed to take up special tariff bill. in
which his constituents are interested,
but it was laid aside in accordance with
the previous understanding among the
Democratic members that no bills affect
ing particular parts Of the tariff system
shall be acted upon until the committee
is ready to proceed with general bill.
They told Mr.. Reed that they might put
his proposition in their general bill,
but Reed said be didn't want that done
because he would probably have to
vote against their bill.
Mr.. Morrison announced that he ex.
pected to have q general bill ready to
lay before the committee in short
time.
The committee agreed to recommend
the passage of bill to tax fractional
parts Of gallon Of spirits in casks, as
recommended by the Commissioner Of
Internal Revenue. The object Of this
is to prevent the manufacturers from
escaping taxation by using barrels that
contain two or three quarts above the
number Of full gallons. This trick has
been extensively practiced, and in the
aggregate a large amount of tax has
been avoided.
INTER STATE COMMERCE.
Next Friday the House Committee on
Commerce will take up the question Of
regulating interstate commerce, as
proposed by Mr.. Reagan, of Texas.
The committee has decided to give three
days to hearing what anybody has to
say for or against the Reagan bill or
for any other plan.
VETERANS OF THE MEXICAN WAR.
The Mexican pension bill as agreed
upon by the Committee on Pensions
places on the rolls at IS a month all
soldiers and sailors who served in the
Mexican war for any period in the
years from 1916 to lS4S, both inclusive,
or to their surviving widows. Second
airy evidence Of honorable discharge, or
the proof Of lawful receipt of land
warrant, are made sufficient evidence Of
honorable discharge. Persons whose
political disabilities have not been re-
moved are excluded.
CLERKS FOR REPRESENTATIVES,.
Representatives in Congress complain
that most OF their time is occupied by
correspondence and attention to private
interests Of constituents, so that they
do not have time to give as much atten-
ton as they should to legislative mat
tiers. The complaint is certainly well
founded in most cases, and there does
not appear to be any just reason why
each representative who is not chairman
of a committee should not be entitled
to employ clerk at the public expense,
as the senator's do.
A bill was introduced to-day by Mr..
Carleton, of Michigan, which proposes
to give each member Of the House a
clerk, to be paid 5000 for the long ses-
sion and $500 for the short session Of
Congress. The bill abolishes the pay
ment of mileage to members and pro-
yides for the appointment of commit
tee to audit their actual necessary ex-
penses in travelling to and from the
Capitol. The theory Of the patron Of
the bill is that almost enough will be
saved by abolishing mileage to meet the
expense Of providing clerks at the sala-
Iies prescribed in the bill.
GENERAL NOTES.
The Labor Committee want to extend
the eight-hour law so as to make eight
hours a days work in shops where
Government work is done by contract.
A large audience was present in the
Senate chamber to-day to hear the eulo-
gies upon the late Vice-President Hen
bricks. Among those present was ex-
Senator Mcdonald, Of Indiana.