The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-04
Only Two Bills of Importance, the Silver
Purchase Repeal and the Chinese
Exclusion; Became Laws.
SENATOR VOORHEES, SPEAKS
He Thinks Confidence Is Restored
and Business Improving,
And Predicts Great Prosperity and a
Glorious Future If the Tariff Is Re-
vised-Sherman Scored.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3-The session OF
the Senate Will be long memorable for the
contest over the bill providing for the re-
peal of the purchasing clause OF the silver
purchasing act of 1880. known as the Sher-
man law. The extraordinary session was
called for the purpose Of accomplishing
this repeal and the other work accom-
plished was merely incidental That bill
reached the Senate after passing the House
on the 18th of August and was not passed
by the Senate until the SOth of October.
How, for these two months the Senate
contended over the issue involved, but at
last brought the bill through and passed il
by a safe majority are all matters OF
record and are familiar to the public. The
bill provides in effect for the cessation OF
the purchase and coinage Of silver and may
be said TO mark a revolution in the fnan-
cial history Of the country. While the
records show that it was the House bill
which became law, that is only tech
nically true, as the Senate substituted a
measure of its own and the House ac-
cepted the substitute.
The bill of next greatest Importance to
the repeal bill which has passed both
houses of Congress is the bill extending the
time in which Chinese laborers can register
under the Chinese act, known as the Geary
law. Much interest attached to the bill
providing for bridge across the Hudson
at New York. This bill passed both houses.
OF the 1.152 bills which have been intro
duced in the Senate during the session
which closed to-day only twelve have
passed that body. and of these only three
have passed the House of Representatives,
received the Presidents signature and be-
come laws. OF the three new laws originate
ing in the Senate one is in aid of the mid
winter international exposition to be held
in San Francisco, another grants certain
settlers in Oklahoma Territory the right to
commute their homestead entries and the
third relates TO clerks in the Office OF the
Commissioners of the District of Columbia.
The other bills which have passed the Sem
ate are as follows:
Making appropriations for the purchase OF
ground in Washington for building to be
used hall OF records.
Granting TO California per centum OF
the net proceeds of the cash sales OF pub
lie lands in that State.
To extend the time for making final pay
ments entries under the desert land act
Authorizing certain Cherokee allotees or
claimants to purchase certain tracts held
and claimed by them.
ming, certain bridges on the abandoned FIT.
Laramie military reservation,
To authorize the Chattanooga Western
Rilway Company to construct a bridge
across the Tennessee river near Chatta-
nooga.
To grant the right of way to the Kansas,
Oklahoma Central & Southwestern Rail-
way Company through the Indian Terri
tory and Oklahoma Territory
To aid the States of California, Oregon.
Washington. Idaho. Nevada. wyoming.
orado and South Dakota to support schools
of mines.
The Senate has, in addition To the bills OF
it's own, passed fourteen House bills. the
no. ], for the repeal OF tie purchasing
clause of the Sherman act The other
House bills passed by the Senate relate TO
lands In the Sioux Indian reservation in
Nebraska and South Dakota, 20 the United
States courts in Idaho. Wyoming and
South Dakota, TO the New York and New
Jersey bridge. to steam revenue cutters for
the great lakes and for the New England
coast TO the annual work on unpatented
mining claims. to the Increase Of officers
OF the army detailed at colleges and 70 the
amendment OF the Chinese exclusion act,
the others being bills of a private char
acter.
The Senate also passed four joint reso-
lutions which originated in that body and
twelve which originated in the House. The
only one of the Senate Joint resolutions Of
Importance is the one which provides for
the construction of hall OF records in
Washington, which also passed the House.
OF the House resolutions which passed the
Senate those worthy of note are: That
relating 10 the Mormon Church property
in Salt Lake City: that providing for the
publication OF 10000 additional copies OF the
compendium Of the eleventh census; that
for the removal Of ocean derelicts and that
comforting diplomas upon worlds fair arti-
sans through the board of lady managers.
IL will be seen that the session OF the
Senate has not been noteworthy on ac-
count of the number OF bills and resolutions
which have passed that body. The total
of Senate bills and Joint resolutions and OF
House bills and joint resolutions, all told,
is only fOrty-tWO.
The Senate will not be without material
TO work upon when il shall recOnvcae in
shows sixty-fye bills and resolutions -
ported by committees and ready for the
attention or the Senate. 4 large proportion
of these bills and resolutions relate 20 Isi-
vate claims and there are also several re-
ating TO finance which had connection with
the repeal bill and which are now pertinent
Probably the most important bin upon the
Senate calendar now is that for the repeal OF
the federal election laws. \ Smilfs- bill
has passed the House Senator Voorhees,
has q bill concerning national bank note
circulation Mr.. MOTgan's resolution for a
slider questions OF finance has a place on
the calendar, as has Mr. Stewards resolu-
ton concerning the coordinate branches OF
the government, and also Mr. PETERS re-
lating 10 interstate commerce. senator
PalmeT's Dill concerning invalid pensions
paid to nonresidents is in shape for consid-
Grafton at any time. There are on the table
relative to the election OF enators by tbs
direct vote OF the people. as tho'e Is a resO-
luton by Senator Call dispensing with the
Civil-seryice Commission.