The record-union., 1892-02-16


the Tariff Issue.
Special to the REcoRD-UNIoN.
WASHINGTON, Feb. I5.-The bill ap-
propriating Sl5,000,00O for the improve
ment of the Mississippi River from the
passes to the mouth of the Illinois River
was reported and placed on the calendar.
A concurrent resolution instructing the
Senate Committee on immigration and
the House Committee on Immigration to
investigate the recent admission into the
port of New York of Russian immigrants
infected with typhus fever was intro
duced by Chandler and passed, after re-
marks by him condemning the course of
the Commissioner of Immigration in
permitting these immigrants to land in
contravention of law.
Henderson, from the Committee on
Military Affairs, reported back adversely
four bills for the increase of the infantry
and artillery branches of the army, and
reported in lieu thereof bill to reorgan-
ize the artillery and infantry branches of
the army and to increase their efficiency.
Placed on the calendar.
Department for urgent deficiency appro-
priations tor the current fiscal year were
presented by the Fice-President and re-
ferred to the Committee on Appropria-
tions.
Among the bills reported and on the
calendar was the urgent deficiency bill.
Hale stated he would call it up to-mor-
row.
On motion of Gibson of Iowa the Sen
ate bill appropriating S350,000 for a dry
dock on the Government reservation
near Algiers, La. Qimiting the entire cost
to Ss5O, ,0O0), was passed.
The Senate then resumed consideration
of the bill providing for the public print
ing, binding and distribution of public
documents, the pending question being
Gorman's amepdment to strike out the
section creating'the Office of Superintend-
ent of Public Documents. After long
discussion the section was modified by a
provision that public documents be sup
piled Senators and Representatives by
the Superintendents ofthe Folding-rooms
of the two houses, and the bill passed.
The House bill, to amend the Act au-
thorizing the construction of railway,
wagon and foot bridge at Burlington. Ia,
was reported and placed on the calendar
Paddock's bill, preventing the adulter-
alton and misbranding of food, was taken
up, read in fall ana went over as untin-
ished business.
Adjourned.
IN THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. I5.-The House has
decreed that the first investigation into
operations of the Mckinley law shall be
conducted by the Committee on Agricult-
ure. This arrangement has the informal
sanction OF the Democratic members of
the Ways and Means Committee, as the
inquiry of Chairman Hatch and his COM
mittee is to be directed particularly to the
effect the high tariff has had upon the ag-
rlcultural Interests of the country. 1t is
understood that later on the Committee
on Manufactures will be authorized to
conduct an inquiry as to the effect of the
tariff law on manufactures and skilled
wage workers, and thus in the end re-
ports will be made on the various phases
of the new law by as many different
committees.
McMillin presided over the House to-
day in the absence of Speaker Crisp, who
is confined to his room by illness.
Hatch brought the tariff question to
the front by moving to suspend the rules
and adopt a resolution requesting the
Committee on Agriculture to report the
effect upon agriculture of the present
tariff law.
Bynum of Indiana demanded a second,
and the request of Hatch that a second be
considered ordered was objected to bv
Kilgore of Texas. Kilgore and Hatch
Were appointed tellers, and reported the
vote l22 to ?. The Republicans did not
vote, but no one raised the point of ''no
quorum" and kilgore was recognized to
oppose the resolution, but declined to
avail himself of the recognition, stating
that he was not opposed to it, although
he believed it was originally offered as
piece of buncombe.
Funston of Kansas, however, opposed
1t. If he believed there could be a fair
and impartial investigation of the effects
of the present tariff law on the agricult-
ural interests he would be in favor of it.
1t could hardly be expected, however,
that an investigation of this character
would be made without being upon
party basis. The fact that the House
went into this investigation was a decla-
ration on the part of the House that it be-
lieved the Mckinley bill was injuring
the farmers of the country. This was not
true. The duties on farmers products
had been increased, while things the
farmers had TO buy were to-day cheaper
than before the Mckinley bill was passed.
Funston was frequently interrupted by
Livingstone and Watson of Georgia, but
declined TO yield, only remarking that
they had told the farmers contrary be-
cause they would not have been elected
had they told the truth. He understood
that the Chairman of the Ways and
Means Committee would report a bill to
remove the duty on wool, one of the pro-
ducts of the farm. The only enemy the
farmer had was the Democratic party.
Why did not the committee report a bill
repeating the present tariff law? Be
cause it was afraid of the question: be-
cause it did not want to touch the sub
ject until after the next election. 1t con-
tented itself with condemning the Nc
kinley bill. Whenever there was cold
blast from the north, whenever there was
a drought, whenever the grasshoppers
destroy the farmers crops, the Democrats
put their hands in their pockets and said:
'tIt's the Mckinley law.v
Dolliver hoped If an investigation was
ordered the committee would send for
the present Chief Magistrate of Iowa,
who, in his annual message, said: "At no
time in the history of Iowa have her
people been blessed with more prosperity
than they now enjoy.'
Livingstone took issue with Fun
ston as 10 the effect OF the
Tariff law upon the farmer. The
gentleman from Kansas seemed TO
be afraid of justice. He Livingstone
supposed the Committee on Agriculture
was an honest body, and the imputation
the gentleman made that it could not be
depended upon to make an honest report
was not justihable. The farmers could
be heard on this floor, ii not now, in the
next Congress, and the gentleman from
Kansas could take due notice.
Enloe, replying to the remark by Fun
ston, that the Democrats dare not bring
in a bill to repeal the Mckinley law,
stated that he had introduced a bill for
that purpose.
Simpson of Kansas spoke of the de-