Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-03-01

bid from that great State which had stagger-
ed his Vests condition as to
| the propriety of closing the sale
| anxiety waiting to hear from other great bid
| ders in the great national auction. The Sem
| ate had not yet heard from his duleet-tonsd
| friend from Iowa (Allison), who had kept his
seat and merely nodded acquiescence to the
| most extreme proposition for the benefit OF
the soldiers. Nor had the Senate heard from
the distinguished Senator from Ohio (Sher-
mani, who in such contest ought to come to
| the front and bid something for the vote
which-candidates thought-was to deter
mine the contest. Neither had the Senate
| heard from the presiding officer Qngslls).
No man, woman or child in the District
had any other object than the promotion
of the national honor and prosperity.
And when he read in Democratic paper
last Sunday (before attending church) that
the presiding officer of the Senate was the
nominee of the District he said: Eureka
We have found the man at last and the ques-
ton is finally settled"
The whole of Mr.. Vests speech was listen
ed to with the closest attention by senators
and by the audience in the galleries. and his
felicitous sketch of the Republican candi-
dates and their supposed respective bids for
the soldier vote seemed to be enjoyed with
equal zest on both sides of the chamber.
In conclusion he said: partisan or non-
partisan, my convictions require me to vote
against this bill, and I say here now that /
hope it may die the death in the other
branch of the national congress, and if not
there at the hands of the executive. If that
be supplementary make the most of it."
Messrs. Teller, Platt and Plumb replied to
Mr.. Vest and without voting on the bill or
pending amendment the Senate went into
secret session and at $40 adjourned.
HeUsE.-The House went into committee
of ia
bill authorizing the Secretary of the Trea-
sury to purchase bonds with the surplus rev.
enue.
Mr.. Mills, of Texas, stated that the Secre-
tary of the Treasury had been authorized by
the law of March 3, 1881, to purchase or re
deem bonds with the surplus money in the
treasury, but this authority has never been
exercised The fact that the authority had
been given in an appropriation bill seemed
TO raise doubt whether it extended be-
yond the period covered by that bill. |
If Congress intended that he should use the
surplus in the purchase or redemption it
should invest him with undoubted authority
to do so.
Mr.. Mckinley, of Ohio, said that the exact
purpose of the bill was not altogether mani
fest upon its face If it proposed to give
the Secretary of the Treasury the authority to
use the surplus money in the treasury for the
purchase and redemption of government
bonds that authority already existed full and
ample and had existed since March 8, 1881.
A long debate ensued in which Messrs.
McKenley, Reed, Breckenridge and Randall
took part. General debate on the measure
having closed Mr.. McCreery, of Kentucky, |
offered the following amendment which was |
accepted by Mr.. Mills: provided that the |
bonds SO purchased or redeemed shall consti |
tute no part of the sinking fund, but shall be
cancelled by the Secretary of the Treasury"
The committee rose and reported the bill
to the House and it was passed together
with Mr.. McCreery's amendment without
division. The full text of the bill is as fol-
lows:
That the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby au-
thoiized to apply the surplus money now in the
treasury and such surplus money as may hereafter
be in the treasury and not otherwise appropriated,
much thereof as he may consider proper, to
the purchase or redemption of United States bonds;
provided that the bonds purche sed or redeemed
Shall constitute no part of the sinking fund, bun
shalt be cancelled by the Secretary of the Treas
ury.
The House then listened to eulogies on the
late Seth c. Moffatt of Michigan, passed APP
propriate resolutions and then as a further
mark of respect at $50 adjourned.