The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-03-24
CONGRESSIONAL OUTLOOK
THE BLANDssILvER BILL WILL HOLD
THE BOARDS.
Silver Men Want Vote at the End Of the
Week, But the Ants Have Not Yet
Agreed to It-General Con-
gressional Speculation.

week will be more than usually inter-
esting, as it has made the Bland silver
bill special order for three days, be-
ginning Tuesday. Ordinarily, tomor-
row will be devoted to the passage OF
measures under suspension of the
rules, but it is probable the army ap-
preparations bill will be called up and
that its consideration will consume
the whole day.
A great many members desire to
speak on the silver question,
and an effort has been made
to reach an agreement between
friends and opponents of free coinage
to provide that debate and considera-
ton of the bill by paragraphs shall
run the whole of the week. No UNI
Outstanding has yet been reached,
however, as the silver men want the
agreement to include stipulation
that the vote shall be taken at the
end of the week without indulgence
in tflibustering tactics, but the anti
free coinage democrats are not, as
body, willing to bind themselves in
this particular. Some of the oppo-
nents of the bill discourage filibuster-
ing, but others believe they should
use every proper means within their
reach to defeat it. Unless the silver
question runs through the week Fri
day and the first two hours of Satur-
day will be given up either to
bills relating to private claims or
the naval appropriation bill
Under special order of the House Sat
urday afternoon has been set apart
for delivery of eulogies on the late
representative Francis G. Spinola of
New York.
Nearly all the time of the Senate
during the open sessions this week
is already allotted to the Indian APP
preparation bill to he taken up tomor-
row. The West Virginia direct tax
bill is special order for Tuesday, and
the Senate has resolved that immedi-
ately after this is disposed of it will
consider two bills of much public in
terest, namely, the Mississippi river
and Columbia river Improvement bills,
involving aggregate appropriations of
about $l8,O0O,00O. The bill for
he relief of settlers on public
lands is also within easy reach
The most interesting proceedings in
the senate, however, are expected to
occur in executive session, as was the
case last week.
The Behring sea arbitration treaty
is pending and action upon it will
doubtless be taken as soon as possible
after the reception of Lord Salisbury's
response to Mr.. Wharton's last note.
But blocking the way of the Behring
sea treaty is another matter over
which the senate has been much agi-
lated during the last few days,
manly: The Russian extradition
treaty. This precedes the Behring
sea treaty on the calendar OF
executive business and promises
to give rise co much discussion. 1t
appears that strong opposition has
developed to that clause of the treaty
which relates to the extradition of
persons charged with capital offenses.
1t is understood to be substantially
similar to other treaties in that res
pect, but in view of the peculiar polit-
ical conditions existing in Russia, an
effort has been made to secure an
amendment to the clause, the effect of
which would be to except from extra
ditiou persons committing even MUIR
der for political reasons, which is con-
strued to exempt from extradition
nihilists attempting regicide. 1t has
been stared that if so amended
the treaty will be obnoxious to
the Russian government, and
incidentally strong arguments were
made to show that it should be passed
as it stands, at least from international
considerations. 1t was urged it
would be foolhardy for the United
States to impair the strength of the
ties of friendship and interest which
now bind together the United States
and Russia, and thus lose the moral
and perhaps physical support of one
of the first military powers in the
world, at time when diplomatic COM
plications exist in the relations of the
United States and Great Britain
which might in certain contingencies
result in actual war. Inese views
have already been expounded at
length to the senate, but there will
doubtless be further discussion of the
subject during the week.
POLITICAL INFLUENCE BILL.
WASHINGTON, March 20.-Repre-
sentative Andrew of Boston has COM
pleted the report upon his bill to ex-
clude political influence in the en-
ployment of laborers under authority
of the United States, and will submit
it to the house tomorrow. The bill
will affect p 900 employees and will
require that henceforth they shall
be appointed without regard Uopoliti-
cal considerations. The report cor
reefs the misrepresentation which is
held by some army and navy officers
that the system contemplated by the
bill will require certification through
the civil service commission. The only
purpose of the legislation, Mr.. Andrew
points out, is to compel appointment
of properly qualified men in the order
of their application, and this purpose
can be carried out by officers author
lied to give employment without any
cumbersome machinery. Mr.. Andrew
gives table compiled from recent sta
u \ r