The National tribune., 1888-07-19
CONGRESS.
An Abstract Of the More Important
Proceedings in Both Houses.
WEDNESDAY, July IL.

WEDNESDAY. July IL.
The Legislative, Judicial and Executive APP
Bill which had passed both Houses
received the approval of the President, and
the extension of last years appropriation ceased
to-day. In consequence of this good many
clerks in the different Departments have been
discharged or reduced in salary; among them
being quite a number of old soldiers, several of
them badly crippled.
The Mills Bill continues to absorb the time
of the House, and at times the debate wakes
warm. Weaver and Henderson, both of Iowa,
had quite political discussion, in which Nr.
Henderson read extracts from the speeches of
Mr.. Weaver made several years ago, when he
was a member of the Republican party, in
which he characterizes the Democratic party
as a stencil in the nostrils of decency. Mr..
Weaver replied, saying that the Democratic
party at the time mentioned was what the Re-
publican party is now, and for that reason he
had left the one and joined the other.
In the Senate little was done but routine
work appropriation bills having precedence,
1t now looks IS though all the appropriation
bills would soon pass and make room for the
tariff bill, which will soon pass the House,
This seems to be the general impression of SEN
ators, and they are watching for the event
anxiously, as they desire to discuss this mea-
sure deliberately, but do not desire to continue
the present session into the late Fall, which
would be the case should the House not
pass the bill shortly. The hot weather will
act as pusher for these measures.
THURSDAY, July H.
It would seem that the more the Republican
Members of the Senate consider the language
used by the President in his message defending
his vetoes, the more indignant they become.
They think he forgot when addressing Con-
gress that he was talking to a coordinate
hra IF fba 10 NH IL
to criticize his acts, and, if necessary, to i'm
peach him. Since the formation of the Gov
ernment the Congress has always been placed
before the Executive. The Democratic
Senators have shown but little DISPOSE
ton to defend the Presidents message. In
the debate to-day Mr.. Hawley said, that the
President entirely misconstrued the proper
functions of the veto power He objected to
the sentence in the message referring to the
unfair and reckless granting of pensions by
special acts" Eight hundred pension bills
had been considered by the Senate Committee
on Pensions, and 300 of them had been reported
unfavorably. He objected to comments on the
two pension committees and on the two Houses
made by President who was violating the
Constitution by the character Of his vetoes.
He also objected to the sentence in the veto
message to the effect that adiudications of the
Pension Bureau are overruled in the most per-
emptory fashion by these special acts" The
two Houses represented the aw-making power
of G0,000000 people, while the Pension Bureau
was one of its auxiliary, subsidiary creations.
The President accepted the adjudication of a
81, 200 clerk as superior to the Judgment of 800
or 400 Members Of Congress.
Mr.. Butler suggested that great deal of wild
talk and mock Indignation had been INDUCED
in in regard to veto messages. The President
had been characterized to-day in language
which was not to be justified and in a forum
where he was not permitted to be heard. If
he were called upon to express an opinion he
would say that there was much greater peril
to the liberties of the people from the usurpa-
tions of Congress than from the Executive.
He believed that the President had done the
country very great service in the scrutiny
and care and courage which he had manifested
in the exercise of his clear Constitutional right
in interpreting his vetGes to many pension bills.
Mr. Hawley replied to Mr.. Butler, and said
that the Senator from South Carolina could not
make any issue with him as to Offering any
personal insult to the President. He had
merely commented, within the line of his pub
lie duty and without personal ill-will, on the
Presidents veto, and had said that some of the
assertions in it were simply untrue. 1t was
untrue, for instance that the theory had been
adopted that any cause from which a man died
was traceabie to service in the army. Tho
President would not receive the thanks of the
people for that statement, nOrf for the statement
that the adjudieations of the Pension Bureau
were oyerruled in the most peremptory fashion
by those special acts. lie asked the Senator to
compare that language with the language en-
ployed by other Presidents during the course
of hundred years. The language of former
Presidents i'll veto messages had been that of
courtesy and dignity, equal to that which came
from the Supreme Court.
Without disposing of this subject, at o'clock
the Senate proceeded with the consideration of
the fisheries treaty.
In the House discussion was resumed on the
tariff bill, the wool clause being under c0nsid-
Grafton. Most of the speakers had prepared
their remarks in advance and read them, thus
insuring that they would be placed right upon
the Record. Without reaching any conclusion
the House adjourned.
FRIDAY, July 13.
A question was raised by Mr. Blanchard, OF
Louisiana, Chairman of the Committee on
Rivers and Harhors, relative to the status oil
the House and Senate. The custom has been,
whenever a conference has been ordered, for
the House conferrees to 90 over TO the Senate
side of the Capitol, for which there is no written
law. The proposition submitted by Mr. Blanch-
ard is to have Senators come to the House side
at least half the time.
The House engaged in long debate over the
Conference report on the Postotiice appropria-
ton bill, the bone of contention being the So
called subsidy amendment Of the Senate, which
authorizes the Postmaster General to increase
the mail facilities between this country and
Central and South America, West Indies China
Japan, Sandwich Isles and Australia, for which
5000 900 appropriated; providing that Ameri-
can ships carrying the mails shall be cOmpen-
stated at four times the rate they now receive
The debate continued throughout the day, and
will be resumed to- morrow.
In the Senate, the fisheries treaty remained
under discussion the entire day Senator
| George, of Mississippi, and Senator DOlph, oil
Oregon, making lengthy speeches, the first in
favor of ratifying the treaty aud the latter
against the proposition. The Senate adjourned
at $50 o'clock.
SATURDAY. July II.
The House resumed the consideration of the
subsidy amendment of the Senate to the Post
office appropriation bill. Mr. Peters Kan
favored the motion made by Mr.. Bingham. oil
Pennsylvania, TO concur in the amendment re-
ducing the appropriation from 100000 TO $780,
000 He said that if the amendment was
subsidy the present law was subsidy and the
English monopolists were the benefciaries OF
that law. If he had to choose between grant.
ing it to foreign gambler he would grant il
TO the American gambler every time. That was
the kind of American lie was But the amend
meHt did not carry subsidy and the cry oil
subsidy was raised only for the purpose OF
creating prejudice against the proposition, and
hood winking and controlling the better judg-
ment of the House..
I II