The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-02-15
Congressional DOings Boiled Down.

THE senate coupled on to car couplers last
week Tuesday and consumed the day in dis
cussing the bill to compel common carriers
engaged in Interstate commerce to equip
their cars with automatic couplers and con-
tinuous brakes aud their locomotives with
drive-wheel brakes. Senator Cullum led a
spicy debate on the subject, which was par.
ticpated in by Senator'S Chandler, Harris
and others. Mr. Harris was sharply inter-
rogated as to the meaning Of the Chicago
platform which denounces the republican
party-and particularly the republican SEN
ate--for not taking action on the house bill
to protect the lives of railroad employees.
Mr. Harris declined to answer, and he ball
being open Mr.. Chandler repeatedly drove
the steel through the democratic platform.
The treasury deficiency bugbear was pa
raded in the house, and the whole day was
consumed in consideration of the first para
graph.
Both houses met in Joint session last
Wednesday, when the official vote for pres
ident and vice-president was solemnly
counted and declared by the presiding
officer. The totals announced by the vice.
president were: Cleveland and Stevenson,
two hundred and seventy-seven: Harrison
and Reid. one hundred and forty-fve Wea-
yer and Field, twenty-five.
THE attempt to repeal the Sherman silver
bill was settled for this session of congress
by the refusal of the house, Thursday, to &C
CtDu Uue dubuulneub pIOpOsCu Wy WI la
con, which fixed the time for final action.
The bill was finally recommitted to the
rules committee without stIuctlons.
The senate again consumed several hours
| in considering the automatic car-coupler
bill and adjourned without taking any ac-
| ton,
7 THs house, in committee of the whole,
ON Friday, considered the invalid pension
| appropriation bill. The appropriation
recommended was S166, 400 Goethe heavi-
/ est aver before congressman an attempt
| was made to amend the measure so that the
| amount would be reduced to one hundred
sixty-six millions. After sharp debate,
| participated in by Messrs Grout, Tarsney
| of Missouri, Mckinney of New Hampshire
and O'Neil of Massachusetts, the bill went
| over without action. One feature of the
| amendment proposed provided for the trans
fer OF the pension bureau to the war de-
| partment.
! In the senate. on Friday, an attempt was
made to fix an hour for the final vote on the
cdr.coupler bill, but it was ordered TO lie
| and be printed, and the senate went into
executive session. The committee APP
| pointed by the senate 10 investigate the
employment, for private purposes, OF armed
| bodies of detectives in connection with dif-
ferences between woi kmen and employers,
reported the result of it's investigation, in
| which it denounced PinkertoniSm and de-
clared that the employment OF an armed
! guard at Homestead was unnecessary, The
report closes with plan for arbitration.
The car-coupler bill passed the senate last
Monday. 1t was materially modified to
meet the concurrence OF the hdnss. There
were only ten votes cast against it, aud
| these were by democrats who are closely
identified with railroad interests. AT the
executive session of the senate, the nomins-
! tiOn of Judge Jackson was called up by
Chairman Hoar of the Judiciary committee,
with a report favoring confirmation Oh
| jections were made, and the nomination
went over to the next executive session.