National Republican., 1888-03-01
THE HOUSE.

Mr.. Kelley, Of Pennsylvania, rising TO
question of personal privilege, sent to the
clerks desk and had read a dispatch from
Washington to a Boston paper, in which
lie is given as authority for the statement
hat it would be the policy Of the Republi-
cane Of the House to obstruct the passage
Of apy tariff measure before Che meeting OF
the Democratic Convention at st. Louis.
He owed it, he said to his Republican col
lehgrtss- SIS we'll as to himself to say that he
bad NET indicated such policy for them or
for himself He had made no statement
from which a far.minded and honorable
man could deduce such conclusion.
When the Republicans should be called
upon to consider the draft or project OF a
tarifl bill (which they heard was being pre-
pared) 1t would be time for them to de-
ternne their policy.
Mr.. Holman, of Indiana, from the com.
mittee on public lands, reported bill to
secure TO actual settlers the public lands
adapted TO agriculture and to protect the
forests on the public domain. Printed and
recommitted.
The House then went into committee of
the whole (Mr. Burrows, Of Michigan, in
the chair for the consideration Of the bill
authorizing the Secretary OF the Treasury
10 purchase bonds with the surplus revenue.
Mr.. Mills, OF Texas, stated that the Secre,
tary Of the Treasury had been authorized
by the law OF the Sd of March, 1851, to pur.
chase or redeem bonds with the surplus
money In the treasury, but this authority
had never been exercised. The fact that
the authority had been given In an appro-
prlation bill seemed to raise doubt whether
It extended beyond the period covered by
that bill.
Mr.. Mckinley, of Ohio, said that the ex-
act purpose Of the bill was not altogether
he oal fT,
give the Secretary of the Treasury the au.
thority to use the surplus money ip the
treasury for the purchase and redemption
Of government bonds, that authority al
ready existed, full and ample, and had eX-
listed since March 3, 1881, The bill did not
increase or diminish or qualify the authority
Of the Secretary under existing law. Why
had not this law been invoked by the ad-
miDistration during the past twelve mouths
because, as the chairman OF the committee
On ways and means said, Its integrity had
leen questioned.
BY whom had 1t been questioned Ithad
never been questioned until 1t WAS qnes-
tioned by the President OF the United States.
The only reason 1t had never been used
under the previous administrations was be-
Csuse no conditions existed which required
the use Of that statute. The Secretaries
had lad ample power under the siuking
fund act to use all the surplus revenues in
the treasury, first, by providing for sink
ing fund, and second, by the redemption OF
bonds payable at the option OF the govern
ment The President had characterized the
law as suspicious, because forsooth 1t was
pGrt-an Independent section--of an ap-
Precipitation bill. That was the sole ground
upon which he based his refusal to apply
tie surplus money to the redemption OF the
Onds.
MIR. Mckinley gave history Of the
Incorporation Of the law upon su APP
prOpTistion bill, aud thought that 1t was
unfair, unfrank, and unjust to characterize
that law as Suspicious. If the President
felt called upon to characterize every law
which had become law through the me-
dium Of an appropriation bill as suspicious,
he must thus characterize at least one-half
Of the public statutes. The whole depart
Inent Of the treasury, It's present manage,
ment and system had been organized on an
appropriation bill. The authority to issue
elVer certificates had been passed upon an
appropriation bill, and wss just W LA II