, 1892-02-11
CONGRESSIONAL NEWS.
House.

WASHINGTON, FEB. lO.-Ih most
significant event 10 the proceedings of the
house today was the report of the Bland
free coinage bin. The action was not one
that involved a debate as the bill merely
went on the calendar to be taken up in
the 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 the measure will be pressed to a
vote and actually passed by the house
within the lex 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 today, on the report of
the committee OF rules. ordered an ~investl-
CATION OF the pension bureau, as managed
by Commissioner Raum. The scoIeo of
investigation is made much broader than
that Of previous inquiries, and Enloe of
Tcnnesse and Cooper of Indiana as insti-
gators, will be expected to furnish evi
dence and practically conduct the fight
against the present administration OF the
UuTtdu. EulOt, III huNOCdtluR lie dulCuu-
ment today, severely criticised the ad-
ministration of the Office and reiterated
the charges made against the commits.
sionep and his son last congress.
Alter some further business the house
went into committee of the whole on the
military academy bill. Bowers of Cali
fornia made a humorous speech in which
he described his efforts Seated in an easy
chair in the luxurious room of the mill
tary affairs committee) to reform the mil
itary academy bill and cut down expendi.
lures. He was taking his leisure Eat the
rate of $l4 a day. and wondering at the
large aggregate of the appropriations for
the support of the academy, when the
picture arose before him OF the cheerless
room of a cadet and he came to the con-
clusion he would let somebody else reform
on that side. Some Democrat had yes
terday denounced the ffty-irst congress
for having in the aggregate made i'm
mense appropriations. He Joined in that
denunciatIon. 1t was easy to ~criticise an
aggregate. An aggregate was a very con-
venient term. But he had vet to see any
gentleman rise and denounce the fifty. first
congress for having appropriated too
much for a public building in his district
or for the Improvement of the navigation
u H. Oicch II WillCu ut WAL lUtpTcSUeO.
After further remarks the committee rose.
The speaker placed BANDS bill on the
calendar. Dingley of Maine urged it
should so to the committee of the whole
as it must inevitably involve expense on
the treasury. Adjourned.
There was a substantial agreement by
the o special committee of the Demo-
cratic majority of the ways and means
committee on the provisions of a wool
bill. The changes made in the bill drafted
by Springer are not formally made up,
but very substantial reductions are made
IN the duties on wooden manufactures
proposed by Springer's bill.
Ad valorem duties on wooden manufac-
lures of all kinds, including cloths, dress
goods, carpets and all other wool articles
imported under the Mckinley law and
which rates were LETT unchanged by the
Springer bill have been cut down wher-
ever in excess of 40 per cent and an
average rate rate of duty is proposed by
the new bill on wooden goods is about 5
per cent below the uniform rate of 40 per
cent fixed bv the Mills bill.
Under the agreement wool is made
free as proposed by the Springer bill; all
duties on wooden manufacturers where 40
per cent or less under existing law are
sSNt "hSiS " thdh ~ pCi CCuI
they are reduced to that rate, SO no wooden
duties shall be higher that the Mills rate
and those on cheaper grades of goods to
be less. Under the Mckinley law the
duties range from 80 to 60 per cent so
there is a reduction OF 20 per cent made
from the highest rate now imposed, and
the average rate IS brought down about
55 per cent. On shoddies and wastes the
agreement adopts Springer's rate of 30
per cent against the present rate Of 80
cents a pound. All compensatory duties,
of course. are taken off, as raw wool is
made free, so the present per pound and
per yard duties will be abolished if the
bill becomes a law and only ad valorem
duties are retained. Members of the
committee say the wool bill will be the
principal measure reported and an exam
nation of its provisions will show not
only that no step backward has been
taken in tariff reform, but that a step IN
advance of considerable importance has
been taken aud that on wool. The
schedule is regarded by all tariff reform
ers as the key to the protective system.
The reductions made are greater than
those proposed by the Democrats two
years ago..