Omaha daily bee., 1888-04-04
BYNUM ON THE MILLS BILL,
The Indiana Man Certain 1t Will
Pass the House.
HIS REASONS GIVEN AT LENGTH.
Views of Republican Memberships
docks Measure For Settlement
OF Indian Claims-Public
Building Prospects.
How the Tariff Reformers Figure.
WASHINGTON BUREAU THE OMAHA BEE,
bl3 E~OIRTFRNTU STRFET

WASHINGTON. ID. u, April D..
1--WE are going to pass the Mills tariff BILL"
said Mr.. Bynum, of Indiana, one of the dem
ocratic members of the committee ON ways
and means, tonight.
81 believe,n he continued, ''that the ma
jority will be from 1 to 4, but that we will
nave a majority there is not the least doubt
in my mind. We have figured out as closely
as a canvass of the house will enable US to
figurc.n
"What is Mr.. Randall's strength" I asked.
"Himself and Sowden in Pennsylvania"
replied Mr.. Bynum, "four democrats in Ohio,
two in California. and one in North Carolina
eight in ALL
evil the Ohio members vote for free wool
as reportedl"
~ am not sure of that, but I don't believe
they all will. We have got the Louisiana
members who protested on account of our re-
duction on sugar.
'Do you think it among the probabilities
that while the bill is IN the house in commit
tee of the whole, and under the process of
amendment, free wool can be stricken out?''
mo, l have no idea that it can. l believe
that free wool is stranger when it stands
upon it's feet and alone than when it occupies
the position it does in the bill"
1.-The democratic reformers have figured on
the strength of the bill on the republican
side, have they notl"
ITO SOM extent" replied MIR. Bynum.
1--WE have figured as closely as it is possible,
and calculate upon at least a dozen votes on
the republican side. We will get Nelson and
Lynde, of Minnesota, probably two or three
members from Iowa, may be one or two from
Nebraska, the three or four Independents on
the republican side and some scattering men,
bers from the states generally, making any
where from twelve to fifteen altogether. 1t
may be that we will not get as many repub.
licans as we will lose of democrats. If we
have fifteen majority when all of the demo-
Gratis vote on a proposition, and eight leave
us on the tariff bill, we would of course be
lost by one. 1t will thus only be necessary
for us to get two or three republicans in order
to carry our bill through. We are positive
that we will get five or six republicans, and
may, as | have said, get a dozen or fifteen"
"Nearly everything depends upon wool.
| We have no fears about the metal schedule.
| When it comes to debate on the bill we in
| tend to show that our metal schedule is for
| high protection, as, in fact, the whole bill is.
For instance we reduce the duty on steel
rails to 81 a ton, Steel rails are selling at
Liverpool for S21 a ton. They are selling in
this country for S31 q ton. Add to the sci for
rails at Liverpool the 81 duty and you have
1872 a ton; then add $3.50 for freight over to
this country and the cost is $3.50 a ton,
which is 81. 80 a ton margin for the manufac-
turers in this country. The rails you buy at
Liverpool for sci are the same as those you
buy here to-day for S3l a ton; there is no diff
ference in the matter of quality. The whole
bill is constructed on this same plan of pro-
lection and is what may be truthtully said to
be a protection bill. Free wool is in the in
terest of our manufacturers, because we
must have the imported wool to use in the
manufacture of articles from the domestic
WOOL
"Do you expect the bill to be passed by the
senate!"
we have not figured on the senate's action
but we expect to see the bill that passes the
house get through the senate. 1t will be re-
ceived by the senate before the first of June.'
To-day | made considerable inquiry among
the republicans as to what they were figuring
on when the Mills bill to the final vote,
and they declare that there is not the least
likelihood of more than two or three republi-
cans voting for the bill, while over thirty
democrats will vote against it. The minority
of the committee on ways and means, as well
as the steering committee on the republican
side, calculate on the defeat of the bill by
from 10 to Is majority.
TO SETTLE DEPRECIATION CLAIMS.
Senator Paddock to-day introduced in the
senate an important bill for the settlement
of Indian depreciation claims. The bill
authorizes the president to appoint three
commissioners, to be known as the Court of
Indian Depredations, who shall hold Office
until the 3lst of December, 1891, when their
| Term snail expire Dy IlnlltatlOn. Under the
provisions of the bill, which has received the
sanction of the interior department, the court
shall. examine, consider, adjudicate and
report to congress all claims from whites for
Indian depredations, all claims of Indians,
who, while residing on their reserves, have
suffered loss of property through white men,
and all offsets to claims of either class, ques-
tions of limitation of liability to be waived by
the government. The commission is also
authorized to appoint five special agents to
| IN investigate and report on cases. Every
western senator is deluged annually with
! letters from constituents, asking assistance
i'll securing reimbursement for loss of prop
erty by the Indians. Claims amounting to
over $40, 900, 600 are now or file in the interior
department unadjudicated, but congress has
hitherto neglected to take action looking to
their settlement, 1t is hoped that steps can
be taken at the present session TO bring the
matter before the two houses, so that
favorable action can be secured before the
Fiftieth congress adjourns. The Nebraska
claims aggregate many hundred thousand
dollars.
NEBRAsKA's PUBLIC UILDI BILLS.
The house committee on public buildings
and grounds have agreed 10 favorable re-
ports on the bills making appropriations for
public buildings at Beatrice and Fremont.
Mr., Dorsey and Mr.. McShane are working
assiduously for favorable reports on the bills
providing buildings for Grand Island and
Plattsmouth, and believe they will succeed.
They hope to get the Grand Island and
Plattsmouth bills on the calendar before the
committee gets by the special order of its
three days for public building bills, in the
latter part of May or the first of June. Mr..
Laird's bill for apuBlic building at Hastings
will come up under this special order, The
conference committee on the Omaha public
building bill IS not expected TO take action
until the house passes the bill for Kansas
City. which is similar TO the Omaha bill,
when the conference committee will act upon
both the Omaha and Kansas City bills at the
same time.
DORSEY OPPOSED TO THE MILLS BILL.
| asked Representative Dorsey, of Ne
braska, this afternoon if il was true, as re-
ported, that he intended to support the Mills
tariff bill. He said mot much. l know
the extreme tariff reformers nave me on
their list, and that they have Mr., Laird on
their list also, The Mills crowd have five or
six Iowa republiGaasnp their book and sew
eral republicans from Minneso.2 and Wiscon-
sin and other states, and in fact, they aI3
counting on a large vote on the republican
side, and they are going 10 be mistaken. l
will speak and vote against the Mills bill, be
cause believe it would ruin American in
dustries aud is in direct opposition to the in
terests of the farmers, and in fact, all Of my
constituents
NEBRASKA MAIL, MATTERS.
Orders have been issued at the postofice
department affecting Nebraska star mail