National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-01-18
THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS.
Subjects That VIII be Before Both
Houses for Consideration.


The past week having been devoted by the
Senate largely TO speech making and executive
business, the calendar remains almost exactly
as II was at the beginning of the week with 70.
spCct to measures of general legislation The
judicial salary bill Is the unfinished business
The Dakota bill, the bankruptcy bill, and tho
electoral count bill are to DO brought forward
Tor debate and action as soon as possible and
an understanding will probably be reached to.
day or tomorrow by the senators respectively
IN charge OF these measures as to the order In
senator llarrisons resolution looking to and
inquiring into certain statements of the COM
missioner Of patents regarding the official acts
OF his predecessors, and Senator Voorhees, sub
sttuto Tor II, are still pending Senator Eustis
has given notice of his intention 10 deliver n
speech on Tuesday upon his resolution to pay
In silver the bonds that have been called for
redemption on the LIST OF February. This reso-
luton, with Mr.. Beck's substitute for IT, are
sun In the finance committee, with no proba-
billy OF receiving carly action.
=, In the House, after the introduction of bills,
the committees will be called for motions to
pass measures-one for each committee
a suspension ofthe rules. A two.thirds vote Is
requisite in every instance. The committee on
military affairs will avail itself of this opportu-
nifty TO bring before the House the Senate bill
nppropriatlng SiDO, 600 to purchase the old pro-
duce exchange building in New York city for
The business Of the House for the rest OF the
week VIII depend upon the action of its com.
mittees, many OF which arc to meet on Tues
day and a few to-day. Among tho more i'm.
portant measures that nre likely TO be discussed
In committee and reported to the House this
week are the bill known as theMcPherson bill
in tho late Congress) authorizing national
banks to increase their circulating notes TO the
full amount OF their security bonds the bill
authorizing the comptroller OF tho currency TO
sanction changes Of names aud increases OF
capital stock BY national banks; the Oklahoma
Of os MF a S Sr crsTS gP
crease the pensions OF widows
The Boutelle rest luton Of inquiry relative to
the Norfolk navy yard will BIO further con.
sidered by the committee on naval affairs to.
day or tomorrow. The author of the resolu-
ton has little doubt that II will DO reported to
the House on wednesday, and as II Is ,priyi.
manded.. 1.-THE tone of the discussion of the
measure In the committee can be taken as an
indication OF the discussion TO follow in the
House, that body will find thrust upon 1t a
spirited political debate.
Representative Phelps, of New Jersey, will
to-day introduce resolution calling upon
"the Secretary OF State to transmit TO the House
copies OF all correspondence between his Office
and the representatives OF the governments of
Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Portugal,
said governments to be accorded the reduc.
tons and contingent exemptions of tonnage
dues accorded 10 vessels entering ports of the
United states nom certain ports named In
section IA Of the shipping act, approved June
90, 1884, with copies of any correspondence
with the Attorney General of the United States
thereto"
1t is supposed that this information will en-
able the House to ascertain what IL did or did
not do by this fourteenth section toward prac-
tically abolshing all tonnage dues at our ports
ON vessels coming from foreign ports where no
dues are eXacted from American vessels or
toward making our dues, when dues are ex-
acted In the foreign ports, reciprocal in amount.
In the section referred to certain countries are
named as entitled to peculiar privileges in this
direction. For example: In lieu of the old tax
Of 30 cents per ton, duty of 8 cents per ton is
imposed at each entry when tho vessel comes
from these ports, while the duty is 10 be cents
when the vessel comes from other ports.
The countries named comprise nearly all the
North American continent, including, OF
course, Canada and Mexico as the IN IRE i'm
portnnt. And, as an additional privilege be-
yond The special reduction in the amount of
taE, the President is authorized by procla.
nation TO suspend so much of the collection of
this reduced tax as may be In excess of the tax
collected from American shipping In the port
OF any one of the selected countries from which
the foreign vessel in question cleared.
1T now appears that European countries are
claiming the same reduction and exemption
under the favored nation clause in their
treaties with the United States Portugal, 1t Is
the Treasury and the State Departments, as.
tnrances that Portugal has the same rights rs
The nations mentioned In the fourteenth Sec
ton. 1t Is presumed that Germany, Belgium,
and some other countries have made sim liar
application. The answers In these cases have
they must be the same as In the case of Por-
tugal, and that therefore Congress has mad
vertently given TO the world the peculiar prl-
vileges and absolute reciprocity lin the matter
oftonnage dues, which II Intended to give
merely to our American neighbors.