The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-01-12
HOUSE.

HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, January IL The Speak
er, as the first business in order, pro-
ceeded to call the committees, but no re-
ports of any character were submitted.
The House then, ON motion of Mr..
Mills, Of Texas, went into committee of
the whole, Mr.. McCreary, of Kentucky,
in the chair, upon the state of the Union
for consideration of the Presidents mes
sage.
Mr.. Mills offered resolution referring
the message to the Committee on Ways
and Means. The resolution was agreed
to, and the committee having risen, its
action was confirmed by the House.
Mr.. Springer, of Illinois, offered a reso-
luton granting the Committee on Ter
ritories authority to have printed papers
bearing upon subjects of its jurisdiction.
Various amendments were offered ex-
tending the same privilege to other COM
mittees and, in order to cut off these
amendments, Mr.. Springer demanded
the previous question, but the Republi-
cans opposed the demand and being in
the majority the demand was not sus-
tanned. Other amendments were then
offered, but, upon motion of Mr., Ran
dali, of Pennsylvania, the whole subject
was referred to the Committee on Print
ing.
Mr.. Randall, from the Committee on
Appropriations, reported a resolution
caIIipr On thu. Sacratarv of tho TraaSury
for a schedule of all claims allowed by
the accounting officers of the Treasury
and the appropriation balances which
have been exhausted or carried into the
surplus fund under the provisions of the
act of June 20, 1874.
Mr. Henderson, of Iowa, in speaking
of the resolution laid down the general
proposition that Congress should make
an anticipatory appropriation for the
payment of claims, and Mr.. Reed, of
Maine, inquired whether Mr.. Randall
would permit them to vote upon the
proposition to make such appropriation.
MIR. Randall disclaimed any power to
prevent a vote being taken. A dis
claimer which had little weight with
Mr.. Reed, who gave it as his experience
that the gentleman from Pennsylvania
very often had power to prevent votes
being taken.
The resolution was adopted, and the
House went into committee of the whole,
MIR. Cox, of New Nork, in the chair, on
the Little Deficiency bill.
Mr.. Burnes, of Missouri. in charge of
the bill, made statement in regard to
the failure of the Deficiency bill in the
last session of the Forty-ninth Congress,
owing to the fact that it was not laid be-
fore the President in time to receive his
signature. At that time the Committee
on Conference had agreed upon a re-
port and that report had been substan-
tally followed out in the pending bill.
He hoped that unless there was a case of
extreme urgency at present no one
would attempt to engraft upon the bill
anything which could be postponed till
the urgent Deficiency bill was reported
| to the House, which would be in the
course of ten days.
Mr.. Cannon, OF Illinois, also stated
that the Committee on Appropriations
had taken the conference report of the
| last Congress as a basis of the present
| measure and he hoped that it would be
passed and passed speedily, substantially
as 1T was, thus giving to the creditors of
the Government the poor pittances to
which they.were entitled.
A POLITICAL CONTROVERSY
| The debate upon the bill assumed a
political character, the Republicans as
sailing the Appropriations Committee OF
the last House for their dilatory action
in regard to all the appropriation bills
and the Deficiency bill in particular.
Mr.. Randall was the principal speaker
in defense of the last Appropriation:
Committee. In reference to the failur,
of last years deficiency appropriation
bill, he stated that it had been due in
part to the fact that the House conferee.
had stood against the payment of tn.
Choctaw and Pacific Railroad claims
The bill failed because those two claim.
could not be forced through on the bacl
of soldiers claims, and he COMMENDED
the House conferees for their action. Re
ferring To a remark of Mr.. Henderson, 5
he said he had become quite used to tn,
frequent seedlings which the Committe,
on Appropriations received, and had be
come quite patient and submissive unde
them. but he felt il To be his duty to sa,
that he had never known OF tn,
Committee retarding appropriation
bills through any improper motive
Ii had been said that appropriation bill,
had been held back to prevent consider
alton of revenue bills. This he denied
The reason revenue measures had no
been considered had been that they has
not had a majority of the House in thei
favor. The Committee on appropria
tions was not to blame for that. He ha,
made this statement before, but h
. wished to repeat deliberately that at N
time within his experience had any i'm
: proper motive controlled the manage
: ment of any appropriation bill.
} The provision of the bill that no par
; of any appropriation made for the judi
, cial expenses of the United States shal