St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-10
THE HOUSE AT WORK.
Business Under Way, and Econ
omy the Theme.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 9.-The house to-
day entered actively upon the legisla-
tive work of the session. and in the brief
space of five hours more practical bust
ness was transacted than in any pre-
vious day Of the congress. The pres-
dents message with its various SuggeS-
tons and recommendations for legisla-
ton was referred to the various appro-
pirate committees without even single
contest over the questions of jurisdic-
ton and, material progress was made i'm
the consideration of the military
academy appropriation bill.
After the approval of the jour-
nal and the reference of several
unimportant executive communica-
tiOns, Mr.. McMillin, of Tennessee,
from the committee on rules, re-
ported back the Mutchler resolution,
directing the committee on banking and
currency TO make an inquiry as to the
failure of the Keystone and Spring Gar
den banks, of Philadelphia. Mr.. O'Neill,
OF Massachusetts, offered an amend
ment extending the inquiry, so as to IN
clude the failure of the Maverick Ma
tiOnal bank, of Boston. Agreed to.
Mr.. Mutchler, of Pennsylvania, thought
that congress owed it to the people to
MAZE an investigation into the manner
in which the affairs of national banks
was conducted, and if it was found that
the power of the government was not
sufficient. the national banking laws
should be amended. The resolution as
amended was adopted.
:; Mr.. Dockery, of Missouri, offered
resolution directing the judiciary COM
mittee to inquire into the right of the
secretary OF the treasury to employ the
Sl00,00o,000 gold reserve for current eX-
penditures. Referred. Mr.. Powers; of
Vermont, called up and the house
passed the bill introduced by Mr.. Hatch.
of Missouri, placing the secretary of ag-
riculture in the line of presidential sue
ceSsiOn after the secretary Of the in
terror.
The house then resolved itself into
committee of the whole on the military
academy appropriation bill, and Mr..
Wheeler, OF Alabama, in charge of the
bill. briefly explained its provisions.
bearing testimony at the same time to
the efforts of the committee OH military
affairs to- reduce the appropriations as
far as it was consistent with the we'll
being of the academy. The bill. he
said. appropriated $3.50, 795. which was
sSS,525 less than the estimates of the
department. While it carried a larger
appropriation than the bill of last year,
~ ""S ISSo lilC dNSIdSG
amount of the appropriations for the
academy for the past three years.
Mr.. Dockery, of Missouri, said that
every man on the Democratic side had
Joined in chorus of denunciatiOn of
the appropriations made by the billion
dollar congress. He did not believe
that there was a Democrat on the floor
who indorsed the mighty aggregate of
plopriatiOns of the last congress. On
the first of the calendar year the ex-
penditureS of the government had ey-
ceeded the revenues more than $780,
600. He proceeded toscriticlse the ap-
preparations made by the last congress,
and ended with AN appeal to the Dem
ocrats who had been elected Oh the
platform of reform to strike from the
pending bill every provision which was
not absolutely essential to the support
of the academy.
Mr.. BIount, of Georgia, said that this
house had come into power with a de-
ficiency confronting it, and with the
declaration of the treasury that there
should be no more contributions to the
sinking fund.
Mr.. Dingley, of Maine, defended the
appropriations made by the last con-
gress, characterizing the charges of eX-
travagance as mere clap-trap. The
Fiftieth congress had increased the ey-
penditures made. by the Forty-ninth
congress just as much as the Fifty-frst
congress had increased the ordinary ex-,