The record-union., 1892-02-11
BEFORE CONGRESS.
PROCEEDINGS IN
THE SENATE AND HOUSE.
Bland's Silver Bill Favorably Reported
by Il Majority of the Committee
on Coinage.
Special TO the REcoRD-UN1oN.

Special TO the RECoRD-UNIoN.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.-In the Senate
this morning Squire. from the Commit
tee on Public Buildings, reported bill
appropriating $500, 900 for public buildings
at Seattle, Wash. Calendar.
The joint resolution as to West Vir-
ginia's proportion of the direct tax went
over after some debate.
The bill providing for public printing
and binding and the distribution of pub
lie documents was then taken up as un-
finished business. The clause authoriz-
ing the franking of official matter gave
rise to some difficulty, but was finally
fixed in these words: 1.-The Vice-P Presi-
dent and members-elect of. and delegates
and delegates-elect to, Congress shall
have the privilege of sending free through
the mails and under their frank any mail
matter to any Government official" The
bill then went over without action till to-
morrow.
The oath of Office was administered to
Mr.. Gibson of Maryland, and after an
executive session the Senate adjourned.
IN THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, Feb I0.-The most sig
niticant event in the proceedings of the
House to-day was the report of the Bland
one that involved debate, as the bill
merely went on the calendar, to be taken
up in order Of consideration, but it indi-
Gated the intention of the free-coinage
men to force the bill with all possible
haste. Indeed, Chairman Bland and
other leaders of the free-silver movement
assert that the measure will be pressed to
vote and actually passed by the House
within the next sixty days. In this
event, there is no doubt the Senate will
have an opportunity of passing upon the
Bland bill long before the date of either
OF the great national conventions.
The House also, to-day. on the report of
the Committee on Rules, ordered an in
vestigation of the Pension Bureau as
managed by Commissioners Raum. The
scope Of the investigation is made much
broader than that of the previous in
quiries, and Enloe of Tennessee and
Cooper of Indiana, as the instigators, will
be expected to furnish evidence and prac-
tically conduct the fight against the pres
ent administration of the bureau.
Enloe, in advocating his amendment
to-day, severely criticised the administra-
ton of the office, and reiterated the
charges made against the Commissioner
and his son at the last Congress.
After some further business the House
went into the Committee of the Whole on
the military academy bill.
speech, in which be described his efforts,
seated in an easy chair in luxurious
room of the Military Affairs Committee,
to reform the military academy bill
and cut down expenditures. He was
taking his leisure cat the rate of
Sl4 day and wondering at the
large aggregate Of appropriations for
the support Of the academy, when a
picture arose before him Of the cheerless
room of cadet, and he came to the con-
clusion that he would let somebody else
reform on the other side. Some Demo-
crat had yesterday denounced the Fifty
first Congress for having in the aggre-
gate made immense appropriations. He
Joined in that denunciation. 1t was easy
to criticise, an aggregate was very con-
venient term, but he had yet to see any
gentleman rise and denounce the Fifty
first Congress for having appropriated
too much for public buildings in his dis
trict or for the improvement of naviga-
ton of some dry creek in which he was
interested.
After further remarks the committee
arose.
The Speaker placed Bland's bill on the
calendar.
Dingley of Maine urged that it should
go to the Committee of the Whole, as it
must inevitably involve an expense on
the treasury.
Adjourned.