The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1891-02-13
WASHINGTON.

Free Silver Gets Another Blow In the House
The Copy right and Eight Hour Bills IN
| the Senaue-Edmunds and morrill, on the
Latter-The Military Post for Vermont.
The free silver scheme got another set back
| In the house Friday. Bland, following Stew
arts lead In the senate, attempted to hitch It
| as rider on the sundry civil appropriation
| biz. Speaker Reed held the amendment to
he cut OF order and he was sustained by a
vote of 1874 to 1877. This was not, however, a
strict test of the strength of the two sides on
| the bare question of free silver. There were
only eleven Republicans who voted against
sustaining the speaker, and 1t Is well known
that there Is much larger number OF Re
publlcans In the house who would vote for
free coinage pure and simple, II they were
| given chance to do so. On the other hand
some of the Democrats who voted against
Reed on general principles, are against free
coinage. Before this vote was taken there
had been another scene at the meeting of the
house coinage committee, where Bland of
Missouri again accused the majority OF an In
tention of smotherfng the senate free silver
bill, and picking up his hat, left the room. He
was followed by Bartine of Nevada, who rep.
resents the silver mines. The Democrats
had a caucus Saturday evening, attended by
only 81 members and adopted resolution re.
questing the committee on coinage to report
the bill as fair subject for congress tOcon.
slider.
The eight hour and copyright bills have
5een the leading subjects before the senate
this week. The former bill, which looks to
the payment of government employees for all
the extra time they have worked since the
passage of the eight hour bill In 1869, would
take as estimated about $30,000,0OO. AS re.
ported by Blair 1t provided for the adjust
ment of the claims before the court Of
claims. Dawes of Massachusetts, wanted to
amend to allow the heads of departments to
oott ~ bo clo al m MI anprnnriafp the
money to do so at once. He said the differ
ence between the two plans was the differ
ence between something and nothing, be-.
tween paying just DEBT at once and compel
ling years of litigation with claim agents to
absorb the most Of it.
The colloquy between the two senators be.
came of a personal and somewhat angry
character, Mr.. Dawes asserting that his PROP
esition had been left to sleep In the commit
tee room on education and labor, 'where
everything must sleep unless that which is
cOncOcted by claims agents." and Mr.. Blair
repelIing the insinuation that claims agents
had anything to do with the substitute which
he had offered. George of Mississippi de-
clared the measure to be mere bounty"paid
out of the treasury to class of laborers who
by common consent and common understand
Ing among the lcborers of the country had
had better places and better paw than the
mass of laborers.' Plumb of Kansas, regarded
the bill as violation of every principle that
ought to obtain In legislation. Mr.. Corkrel
or Missouri, denounced it as a robbery OF the
taxpayers, and he spoke of the $1,000 benefi-
Charles of the act as ian aristocratic govern.
mental class OF laborers. Morrill, said the
whole principle OF the bill was very VI
cious example to be settle the states in rela.
tion to the eight.hour folly. Edmunds said
as 1t stood 1t was burlesque and impossible
of execution. After the bill had been amend.
ed all out of its original shape 1t was by
vote of 26 to % sent back to the committee.
This probably kills it.
The copyright bill was before the senate
most of the time up to Tuesday when its ad.
vocates, having been beaten atAseveral points
and wanting time for missionary work, al
lowed 1t to be displaced by the naval appro-
priation bill. The photographic amendment
allowing foreign photographers like authors
and publishers to copyright only when they
get out work by American labor, was passed
p to "a. Sherman offered an amendment to
impose merely the usual duties upon copy.
righted books imported from England,
Instead of absolutely excluding them.
md there was sharp debate over 1t. The
)ilI's prospect Is dubious, though If 1t gets |
trough the senate the house will probably |
concur in the amendments.
The house In committee of the whole Mon.
lay voted to allow representatives clerk
P'SSS o. " ooi"iy VI PloU iuobth'
Gen. Hawley reported to the senate Mon.
ay the bill to authorize the construction of a
Military post at Essex Junction or Swanton
unGhtiion. VI. the Pr has already been IA
h on, The chairman of the committee ON MIL !
AIRY affairs. The reports lay stress upon the :
Importance of such work In case of hostii- :
les with England by way of Canada. 1t is y
oncertrated here from New England and c
lew York in short time, and would be in a c
osition to protect the northern frontier and =
} break the British lines of communication.
The house Tuesday passed the Dallas Tax
ublic building bill over the presidents veto.
The naval appropriation bill as 1t came be-
IRE the senate Tuesday carries total of $751;
il 900. But the provision for current ex- b
euses Is 100000 below last year: the rest {
" new ships. Il
The senate Friday concurred in the House q
nendments to the bill FORGETTING number :,
railroad land grants and it now goes to
e president.
One of the members of the house coinage a
Judge Wickham of Ohio, has sub {
tilted substitute for lie free coinage bill. c.
hich provides for the additional purchase of /,
e 12,00000O ounces of surplus silver now in .
e market, and for free coinage after the J.
etal shall have been maintained at par with
nd for six months. The Cleveland leader
paper of John Sherman views, thinks this
u would meet the presidents approval, and
Us the silver men will be short-sighted If
ey do not accept it,
Dazel made his long expected defense of
! schoolmate and friend, Commander Reit. a.
In the house Tuesday. 1t was defence :.
Reiter, pure and simple, and not In any al
~ an attack on the president and Serre. OF
y Tracy. Lodge replied, Boutello made 81
me comments agreeing with neither side e
d the matter dropped. M
Tbe post office appropriation bill asks for II
! 1874 900. u
Congressman Lewis says that if this con. 70
sss refuses an adequate investigation of the ~
argos against PensionC Commissioner Raum. 70
next one can be depended on to take it W
~ tic
There are rumors that an extra session of ~
senate Is to be called right after March 4,
ratify reciprocity treaties. Oh
The house committee op tho Mississ,n,, an
ees has reported In favor of approprIating mt
'.OOO,OOO to protect the banks of the ri, er otl