The Portland daily press., 1893-11-01
MR.. REED ASKSA QUESTION
And Mr. Doekery Gets All Tangled
Up Trying to Answer.
THE SILVER BILL PRESENTED in
THE LOWER HOUSE.

Consideration But 1t Will Probably
Pass Today-Mr. Reed Asked Mr..
Dockery why the Democrats Do Not
DO Something-An Amusing Dialogue
Growing Out of Question of Appro-
priations.
Washington, October 31.-At H. so
Secretary of the Senate Cox appeared at
the main door of the House with the
long looked for repeal bill and amend
ment in his hand. Mr.. Oates, Dem, of
Alabama, was on the floor at the time
and was interrupted by the Speaker, who
said: "The gentleman from Alabama
will suspend while the House receives a
message from the Senate"
Instantly there was a great silence
throughout the chamber, and Assistant
Doorkeeper Smiths voice was perfectly
audible as he introduced the Secretary:
"Mr. Speaker, message from the
Senate"
Secretary Cox" Mr.. Speaker
The Speaker" Mr.. Secretary"
Secretary Cox" Mr.. Speaker: The
Senate has passed a House bill entitled
an act to repeal the purchasing clause of
an act passed July IA, 1850, entitled an
act authorizing the purchase OF silver
bullion and the issue of treasury certifi-
Gates thereon, with an amendment, in
which I am directed to ask the concur
renee OF the House,
| When the Secretary closed, Representa-
tives Fitch, Hendrix and Dunphy of
New York, whose seats are we'll down in
front on the Democratic side, clapped
their hands to signalize the victory of
repeal This action met, at the first, no
response, being in the nature of a sur
prise, but in moment the silver men on
the floor laughed derisively, in which
they were joined by several spectators in
the galleries.
The Speakers gavel sounded sharply
on the desk, order was restored and the
| routine of business was resumed.
/ At 1.30, the consideration of the morn
| in hour having expired, Mr.. Livingston,
! Dem, of Georgia, unexpectedly asked
| unanimous consent to take up the silver
bill at once. His proposition as he de-
! fined it, was to devote today and tomor-
| row to its consideration in ten minute
speeches, and at O'Clock tomorrow
proceed to vote. He said this was fair
to those who differed from the Senate on
this qustion and that if any friend of
silver objected, he was afraid that the
time for consideration of the bill would
pe very considerably shortened. Many
of the members, he said, desired to get
home, and recongizing that acton was
inevitable, they desired that it should be
taken as speedily as possible.
. Mr.. Bland, Dem, OIL Missouri, said, The
gentleman: from. q orgia says. that
many mem bers oil the House want to
| dispose of this bill and go home. I be-
| lieve,n he continued, @we are here to do
the business of the country"
"That's what l want" interjected Mr..
| Livingston.
| and do it in order. There is nothing in
this bill that requires it to be treated
| differently from any other bill and foI
one shall object to it's consideration,
except in accordance with the rules OF
the House"
The Speaker" Objection is made"
The House then proceeded in regular
order
The bill to amend the naturalization
laws was taken up and Mr.. Oates OF
Alabama, went cn with the argument
he began yesterday. He suggested several
amendments, one of them being that
nothing in the bill should be construed
as affecting the property rights of aliens.
Mr. Oates Yielded the five minutes left
him to Mr.. Goldzier of Indiana, who said
that naturalized citizens had well earned
for themselves the right to be treated in
every respect like all citizens. State.
ments in the report, as to the large pro.
portion of foreigners in aims houses
prisons and insane asylums, he assaileo
as utterly untrue, and when Mr.. Oates
tried to assert their correctness, Mr..
Goldzier declined absolutely to yield
Mr.. Crane of Texas, opposed the bill
He said its title ought to be IA bill te
resurrect Known Nothingism in the
Unitad States" He criticized the pro-
visions of the bill requiring man who
applies for naturalization to be able tt
read the Constitution. He asked Mr..
Oates to explain why the bill imposed
| while there were in the South amillior
| of voters who could not read the Consti
aBut how many of them," Mr.. Milliker
of Maine asked, "do you let vote and dc
| YOU let have their votes counted after
they are thrown!"
MIR. Crane-"There are millions o1
illiterate voters who are not in the South
Some of them can be found in Maine"
After further discussion, the bill went
over.
A Joint resolution reported from the
| committee on ways and means directine
the Secretary of the Treasury to remit
the duties imposed upon war munitions
| imported by the navy department. at The
|
the United States and Chilli, was passed
In the course of the discussion, Mr..
Reed said he would not object to the
passage Of the joint resolution, but ex.
pressed regret that the matter did not
take the form of direct appropriation
from the treasury to pay the amount Of
the duty. 1t required an act of Congress
in either case, he said, but the S43, ,000
under this arrangement, did not appear
in the appropriation bill. And" con,
tinued Mr.. Reed, las there have been
some wicked appropriations in the last
two Congresses"
Mr.. Dockery of Missouri-"No, not il
the last two Congresses, in the 51st."
Mr.. .Reed-"Only wicked in the 51st?'
Mr.. .Dockery-" Yes"
Mr.. Reed-"I suppose there was no oc
casion for wickedness in the 52nd?n
Mr.. Dockery-"No, we were left {
legacy by the 51st CONGRESS, and had tt
make provisions to meet it. We were
imposed on by the legislation of ths
| 51stn
Mr.. Reed" "Well. you were vely easily
imposed upon. You had control of it
and you made bigger appropriations thar
1--we ever did. You have been going
around the South ever since making ex
cuses for it. You would better hav,
| .1,o,