Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-08-29
FIFTY-THIRD, CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON. August %, 1898.
SENATE,

MIR. voorhees,, chairman OF lne IL
nance committee, reported back the
House bill repeating part of the Sher-
man act, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute. He asked that
the bill be placed on the calendar, and
he gave notice that he should ask the
Senate to take it up and consider it i'm
mediately after the morning business
from this time on until final action be
taken. The substitute, he said, was
exactly the bill heretofore reported
from the finance committee. He un-
derstood that notice of an intention to
address the Senate had been given by
the Senator from Georgia (N1r. Gordon)
and the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Sher-
MANI, and he suggested that their re-
marks might be made on the bill which
he had just reported. He explained
further that the bill as reported from
the finance committee was identical
with that passed by the House, so far
as concerned the repeal Of the pur-
chasing clauses of the Sherman act; and
that, from that point on, there was o
certain matter in the substitute which
was not in the House bill and which in
his judgment improved it and made it
more acceptable.
Mr.. Teller-"Does the Senator pro-
pose TO call up his bill to-day?"
Mr.. Noorhees-"If there be single
objection it must go over under the
rules"
Mr.. Teller-"I object"
Mr.. Yoorhees-"Then | have the
right to call up the bill already before
the Senate"
Mr.. Teller-"The national bank bill
being before the Senate 1 have sought
an opportunity to express my opinion
upon it,"
Mr.. Yoorhees-"I shall certainly ac-
eommodate the Senator by moving to
take up the national bank BILL
Mr.. Teller-"That bill is up
Mr.. Voorhees-"Very well. Let it
be understood that the Senator from
Colorado objects to this bill being made
a special order to-day" That objec-
ton takes the bill over until to-mor-
row.
Mr.. Harris, member Of the finance
committee, said that the substitute just
reported was majority report, in
which the minority of the committee
did not concur.
The bill was placed on the calendar.
The resolution offered yesterday by
Mr.. Stewart was then laid before the
Senate. 1t directs the Secretary of the
Treasury to inform the Senate whether
there is danger of deficiency in the
revenues OF the government during the
current year; and, if so,what is the
probable amount of such deficiency and
whether legislation Is necessary to sup
ply such deficiency.
The resolution gave rise to q long
discussion. Senators Sherman, Voor-
hees, Mills, Mcpherson and Harris Qp-
posed the resolution sg calling for prob
lematical statements, rs calculated TO
create needless alarm, or as rejecting
ON the Secretary of the Treasury. A
motion 10 refer the resolution to the
finance committee was made by Mr.
Voorhees,. The motion was opposed
by Mr.. Hill and by Mr.. Stewart, Mr,
Hill declared that he had as much con-
lidcnce in the Secretary of the Treasury
as the Senator from Indiana lad but
he could see no danger to the country
from the adoption of the resolution.
1t contained no manifestation of any
lack of confidence in the Secretary Of
the Treasury. WhaS harm would there
( be in asking information as to what the
revenues Of the government for the
current year would be? There was no
suggestion that the resolution would
disturb the interests of the country, or
that there was anything to be covered
up. lie had not heard 1t suggested,
except vaguely and indefinitely, that
the resolution was an attack on any
one. He was opposed to the system
which he thought was now to be inau
gurated Of referring to committees all
resolutions calling on heads Of depart
ments for information. He took the
same position to-day which he had
taken the other day Ton the resolution
offered by Mr.. nneh8er). He had not
been consulted by the Senator from
Nevada in regard to the resolution. He
knew nothing about it. Certainly there
was nothing in it that would alarm the
country. That was the situation ?
There seemed to be some dispute
as to whether Congress was to leg
islate on the tariff question at this ex-
traordinary session. There seemed to
be no fixed policy on the subject. But
if there was to be tariff legislation it
was necessary to know what were the