Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-02-19
Washington Letter.
lFIoin our Regular Correspondent.


and they expect to pass the last one
this week, or a. the out side by the 1st.
of next week The first bill to be taken
up after the disposal of the appropria-
ton bills in the House will be the ship
ping bill, or as it is more popularity
known the subsidy bill This is the bill
proposing to encourage American ship
ping by the granting of subsidies based
upon the tonnage of vessels. Represen-
tatiYe Farquhar, of New York, who Is
in charge of the bill, tells me that he is
confident of its being passed by decis-
i've majority, but the opponents of the
bill appear to be equally confident that
it will be defeated.
The House Coinage committee has
informally decided to report the free
coinage bill to the House next week. 1t
is expected that the majority of tbe
committee will recommend against fur
Their silver legislation instead of pre-
senting a substitute for the free coinage
bill as it was supposed would be done.
This change of programme was proba-
/ bly, made for two reasons. First. the
President has given several prominent
republican Senators to understand that
he would refuse to sign any silver bill,
no matter what its character might be,
at the present session, because he thinks
the present silver law has not been in
operation long enough to demonstrate
the necessity for further silver legisla-
| ton. Second, this method will prevent
the bill going on the House calendar,
and will make it impossible, without the
adoption of a special rule, to call up the
bill unless a majority of the coinage
committee give their consent.
The free coinage men who booted at
the very idea of any modification of the
bill few days ago are now trying to
make combination in support Of an
amendment limiting free coinage to sill
yer of American production Ten days
ago they might have succeeded. but
now it is almost impossible 1t is about
as certain as anything in the future can
be that there will be no silver legislation
at this session.
Secretary Blaine had concluded anoth-
er reciprocity treaty, which will open
the markets of Venezuela to our pro-
ducts and manufactures, and there are
several other treaties well advanced
which will probably be sent to the SEN
ate before the end of the session.
Mr.. Blaine denies most emphatically
that he has written any letter to any
person in Canada or elsewhere on the
subject of Canadian reciprocity, except
his note to Representative Baker, of
New York. stating that this Govern
ment would not consider any limited
proposition from the Canadian authori-
ties This is in answer TO statements
that have appeared in Canadian papers.
Representative Dingley, who is chair
man of the committee engaged in in
veshgating the alleged silver pool, says
that the statements made by Owenby
in Chicago interview to the effect that
he was hampered by the committee and
prevented FROM telling what he knew
when he was here last week are absolute
" false and without the slightest foun-
dalton. Representative Dorsey stated
under oath before the committee that if
he was the Nebraska Congressman who
Owenby stated in the same interview
had offered him $2500 to forget what he
knew when he went on the witness stand
that Owenby was an in famous liar in
all that the term implied.
The Sioux Indian Delegation has had
its last interview with the officials of the
Interior Department. Yesterday they
were received by the President, and to-
day they left for Philadelphia, where
they will attend a public meeting.
From there they will 60 to visit the In
dian school at Carlisle, and thence home.
The Indians don't want to be trans
ferred to the War Department, but in
the eyes of great many that is Just
why they ought to be.
The International copyright bill is re-
garded as dead. Cause, to much
amendment. Its friends are working
over the corpse in the hope of resur-
recting it. Ditto, ditto eight hour bill.
Watterson's letter to Governor Hill
advising him to get out Of the way Of the
Cleveland locomotive has been the sub
iect Of numerous jokes at the capitol
this week. haven't seen single man,
democrat or republican, who believe it
had any effect upon Hill, or that it was
the cause of his taking the Seuatorship.
1t is generally regarded as a bill of the
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