Huntsville gazette., 1892-11-19
WORK BEFORE CONGRESS.
The Body Will Meet on December 5-Im-
portant Measures to BE Considered-The
Washburn Option Bill.


washburn Option Bill.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14.-On Monday,
December 5, three weeks from now,
the Fifty-second congress will meet in
final session. In the interest which
has centered around the probable make
up and action of the Fifty-third con-
gfess sight has been lost for the time
of the important work yet remaining
uncompleted on the calendar of the
Fifty-second congress.
One of the first matters to be brought
before the senate will be the Wash
burn anti-option bill which has al
ready passed the house, and has shown
that it has clear majority in favor of
its passage in the senate The title of
the bill is ''H. r. 7S4, an act defining
options and futures, imposing special
taxes on dealers therein and requiring
such persons engaged in selling GER
tain products to obtain license,
and for other purposes. Its
provisions are so sweeping that
they would practically, it is charged,
shut up the Chicago wheat pit the New
Orleans cotton exchange and other in
stitutions of like character. A strong
opposition to the bill was developed in
| the senate, but there was still
stronger movement in its favor. Mr..
| Washburn. % Minnesota, who had the
bill in charge, only consented to lay it
aside to allow an adjournment of con-
gress, when August had far advanced,
on condition that it should be
| s,1 .xIa
for the next session and should
be fought out to finish. This accord
ingly has to be done. The senate has a
number of other important house bills
on its calendar, including the free
wool bill" and other so-called 'pop gun"
tariff repeal measures of the house.
These have slumbered hitherto in the
committee on finance, but determined
effort will no doubt be made to bring
them out and to send them up to the
president for his action. The house
may possibly be given an opportunity
to reconsider the action and to take up
the senates free coinage of silver bill.
The silver men will try to bring this
about.
The appropriations for the current
year will probably evoke little discus
sion except in one important respect
Secretary of the Treasury Foster, to
whom the law requires that all esti
mates shall be sent prior to the meet
ing of congress, has already intimated
informally that those estimates will
simply be duplication of the appro
priations which congress has already
agreed to be necessary for this year,
and that no recommendations will be
made for any increase of expenditure
or force. The exception, upon which a
lively discussion will be looked for, is
that part of the sundry civil bill which
makes appropriation for expenses OF
| United States courts, commissioners,
and marshals and deputy marshals.
Mr. Allison stated to the senate when
reporting the sundry civil bill, as agreed
upon in conference, that the reductions
made by the house would inevitably re-
suit in deficiency. The senate wished
to appropriate 5000, 900 for fees and ex-
penses of United States marshals and
! deputies" The house cut the amount
down TO SIS, 900 and stuck to that fig
ure The senate gave S145, 900 for fees OF
| United States commissioners; the house
knocked off S45, 00O The senate appro-
| priated 1925, 900 for fees of clerks, etc
The house reduced the amount to $l75,-
900. Any attempt to appropriate foi
| deficiencies under these heads will as
suredly precipitate debate which viii
bring up the whole question Of the
| election laws and their enforcement.
In the absence of Mr.. Allison in Eu
rope attending to his duties as mem
Der of the international monetary con
| ference, Mr.. Hale, of Maine, will be
| acting chairman of the senate commit
tee on appropriations.