The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-24

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23-On tho House
side CT the capitol this morning there
was scene OF desolation. The hipiera
OF members began somo days ago. and
to-day but half dozen Representatives
were in tho chamber engaged in an
swering their correspondence. Other
wise the hall was deserted, except when
ubiquitous newspaper man entered it
In search Of an item which he was des-
tined not to find or when o few noisv
lagos chased one another up and down
the aisles. in the room of the COM
mittee OF appropriations Sayers, of
Texas, was busily engaged. with the as
sistance Of q clerk, in making up the
sundry civil appropriation bill for re-
port TO the full com mittee. Beside the
clerk no one was in tho room but Dock
cry, of Missouri. Ho was engaged
in studying questions relative to the in
ternal revenue taxation.
he stated that the investigation as to
the condition of the Treasury would be
carried on solely by the ways and means
committee and that tho appropria lions
committee would not interfere, al
though he expressed his belief that it
was tho proper committee to conduct
the inquiry. He predicted that little
legislation would DO enacted this seq
sion outside OF tho regular appropria-
ton bills, all Of which we're in an un.
usual condition of forwardness. As to
an extra session, he thought that one
would be called. Personally no pre-
ferred that it would not be called before
September. He thought this the wisest
course unless it could be agreed that tho
session called in March would be merely
for the organization OF the House.
On the Senate side there was an as
poet of complete evacuation and deser-
ton even more striking than that of the
House. The chamber was as quiet as a
cemetery, not page fitting about nor a
single Senator was to be seen I no door
keepers were all absent from their posts
and every committee room was locked,
and all business suspended in the clerks
office. Senator Chandler was the only
Senator who appeared during the day,
and, after attending to some matters re-
lating to immigration, he left the Capi-
toll He has not yet appointed the su b.
committee OF Senators to confer with tho
treasury officials relative to the two inn
migration bills reported yesterday to
the Senate and House, but will consider
tho matter during the recess, and prob
ably announce it some time next week.
There is to be an organized effort in
the House after the holiday recess to
bring about some sort of financial legis-
lation. 1t will probably take the shape
OF an attompt to repeal the Sherman
law, under which the government is
purchasing Sd 600, 600 ounces of silver a
year. The opponents of free coinage
believe that this law is daily menacing
the securities of the government, and
inevitably leading to gigantic losses.
flarter, of Ohio, ono of the most pro-
nounced champions OF tho repeal of this
law, will make it his special business
during tho recess to endeavor to mould
public and Congressional sentiment so
that favorable action may be taken as
soon after recess as possible. For this
reason he will not return to Ohio to en-
JOY the holiday fe stivities, but will be
found ct various places throughout tho
East where he may be most useful in
advocating the repeal of the law.
On tho other hand the friends of
silver arc not less active and expect to
SEQ the free coinage bill forging to the
front before many days OF the new
year have passed. Senator Stewart
said only the other day that he expected
the free coinage bill would soon be
called up for vote His amendment
Of the bill OF Hill, which provides for
tho repeal OF tho Sherman act, makes
that measure practically FREQ coinage
bill and Steward thinks that when it
| comes to vote it will pass