Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-09-01

WAShlNGlON, august 81, 1000.
In addition to the silver debate in
the House this week, which has been
unusually interesting, two great finan-
cial speeches were made by Democratic
Senators, one by Senator Voorhees,, on
Tuesday, and the other by Senator
Hill, to-day. Both of these Senators
are friends of silver and both of them
favor the repeal of the purchasing
clause of the Sherman silver law as
the best method of preparing the way
for other legislation dealing with silver
as money.
There was sharp debate in the
Senate this week, for few minutes
over the question OF whether a resolu'
ton offered by Senator PETER, .,inquir.
ing of the Secretary of the Treasury
as to the action of national banks in
large cities in refusing to cash, upon
presentation, checks of depositors'
should be disposed of at once or be re-
ferred to the Finance Committee.
Trouble was avoided by demand for
the regular ORDER" which sent the
resolution to the foot of the calendar,
where it will have to await its turn,
unless sooner taken up by vote OF
the Senate. 1t is perfectly we'll known
in Congress that the national banks
of New York and other cities have
been refusing to cash checks for their
depositors, for one member Of the
House-Johnson. of Ohio-was re-
fused the cash for check for 5000
at New York bank in which his bal
ance was more than $4,000, although
it was given him after an interview
with the President. Hints have also
been received here that certain New
York national banks have been profit
ing largely by the sale of currency at
a premium, which has been going on
in that city. 1t will not be surprising
if there is some very plain talk in
Congress about the national banking
system as at present conducted before
long. Senator Voorhees, devoted a part
of his speech to it, and there will be
others heard from as soon as finances
get little steadier.
Without disparagement to the Dem.
ocrats who held important committee
chairmsnships in the last House, it
can be said that Speaker Crisp has in
the new chairman selected men who
are generally credited with being pecu-
liarly well fitted to perform the duties
with which they have been intrusted.
Hon. w. III. Wilson, of West Virginia,
the new chairman of the Ways and
Means Committee, has been a student
and advocate of tariff reform not only
since he has been a member of the
House but also long before he entered
public life. He is thoroughly master
of the subject, and the tariff bill, upon
which his committee will at once get
to work, promises to be a model of its
kind. Hon. Joseph S. Sayers, oil
Texas, the chairman OF the Committee
on Appropriations, has been a promi
nent member of that committee fol
years, and no higher praise can be
given his abilities than to say that he
has long been spoken OF as the San
Randall of that committee, in his
methods OF work and instantaneou,
grasping of the salient points OF al
subjects that come before the com
mittee. Mr.. Springer, of Illinois, wht
was chairman of the Ways and Mean,
Committee in the last House, is nov
at the head of the committee on Bank
ing and Currency. which will play M
small part in the legislation of tn,
present House, and Mr.. Holman, WHIT
was chairman Of the Appropriation
Committee, is now at the head of tn,
committee on Indian Affairs, wher,
his work will be much lighter, a con
sideration that his age made import
ant. The number of disappointment
Is much smaller than usual.
BY joint resolution of Congress tn
provisions of the law providing fo
town site entries OF land in Oklahom,
have been extended to the Cherokee
outlet, which is to be opened to settle
ment at noon on September 16.
Commissioner Lochren has no oh
lection to the carrying out of tn
latest Republican threat of applying
to the courts for an injun ction to pre-
vent his suspending pensioners who's
right to be on the rolls he believes /
be questionable.
There has been some talk this wee
about the probability of the extra SEES
sion coming to close before the frs
of October, but the most experience
legislators will not express an opinion
as to the length of the session unit
something mere definite is know
about the probable length of time tn
Senate will take to dispose OF the Vol
hees bill for the repeal of the purchas
ing clause Of the Sherman law. TIL
House will not necessarily be idl
after it disposes of the repeal bill, a
Representative Johnson's bill provid
ing for an exchange of U. S.. bond
for currency, at the option of tn
holder of the bonds, the interest OF
which will cease 80 long as the cur
rency is retained, will probably be re
ported from the committee on Bank
ing and Currency soon after the silve
vote is taken, and the same committe
may also report bill for the repeal G
the tax on State bank currency. Blu
it may be decided to DO nothing in tn
House until the Senate acts on silver
In that case the House will only NEE
every three days. Dem.