The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-02-15
FIFTY CONGRESS
THE BLAND sEIGNoRAGE BILL DE.
BATE CONSUMES THE DAY
Will Come to a Voe Early Next We k =
Sudden Death Of Representative HouCk
Of Ohio-Weel Growers in the
Lobby--Politieal Items, Etc
HOUSE .

WASHINGTON, Feb 8 The entire
day was consumed in the house in the
debate on the Bland seignorage bill.
the speakers being Messrs Bland, Q.
w. Stone Pa), McKeighan, Harter
ard Kilgore. The dabate will be in
terrupted tomorrow at 2 o'clock by
special order, setting aside the rest of the
day for eulogies on the late Represent
alive O'Neill OF Pennsylvania. 1t j.
expected that the vote on the bill will
be reached by Tuesday at the farther
est, and Mr.. Bland is confident it will
pass.
REPRESENTATIVE HoUCK DEAD
Representative George w. Houck of
Ohio died suddenly in this city this
evening.
FREE WOOL AMENDMENTS,
Senator Pettigraw Is. Dak.) says he
is going to test the senate upon one
feature of the tariff bill which he be-
lieves will carry. He intends first 10
move for duty on wool and if this is
not carried he will offer an amendment
placing all wool and woolen manu-
| faturers Oh the free list. He thinks
the latter proposition will carry be-
cause it will proba bly, receive the sup
port of all Northwestern men in the
Republican party as we'll as all Popu
lists and many Democrats, enough at
least to carry the amendment through.
The South Dakota senator said he
would like to secure protection foI
wool, barley, flax and some of the other
agricultural products of his state, but
he does not anticipate that the amend
ments he proposes to offer will receive
any consideration.
OLD WAR SHIPS.
| Naval authorities at Washington DC
not construe the wreck of the Kear
sarge as any reflection on the nava
policy of the government in kee pins
old ships in commission. Representa-
tive Amos Cummings, chairman of the
house committee on naval affairs, says
Both the Kearsarge and Hartford
were kept in the service as matter o
sentiment The public would not lister
to their being condemned aud broker
up. They were keptson duty just a
Great Britain keeps the old ship Victo
of Nelson's squadron. AT the pres n
time the naval committee his an esti
mate aggregatng $500 100 tor improv
ing and undermining the old Hartford
OF this $150,000 is for new batteries
$150,000 more for new machinery, aut
100000 for repairs to the ship. [
would practically amount to making
the old ship over again, and Their
would be no justification for sucI
work if it were not for popular senti
ment for preserving Farragut's oil
flagship.
BUILDINGS RENTED BY GOVERNMENT
An investigation of the policy o
renting buildings for the government
has been sta, ted by the house con
mlttea on public buildings aDC
grounds. Representative Combs On
W introduced q resolution last tai
which was called forth by Ford
theatre disaster and which provide
for complete Investigation of the sub
iect. How many buildings are rented
at what rates, number of clerks en-
ployed, rent paid and condition [
buildings are some OF the points to b
looked into. Several OF the largeS
government bureaus in Washingto
are housed in rented buildings, anon
them the census bureau, geoloSici
survey, interstate commerce commi'
sion, civil service commission, sixt
: auditors Office. department of labC
= and records of the pension office OF tn
war department. which was In Ford
theatre building when it fell il
TARIFF BILL IN THE SENATE.
r Members of the house who hay
been most active in tariff legislatio