The Portland daily press., 1895-02-28
Postmaster General Dissell Has
rendered His Resignation.
SENATE WILL VOTE TODAY ON
SUNDRY CIVIL BILL.
Senator German Charges the Secretary of
the Treasury With Misstating I'm
portant Facts-The Amendment to
Issue 800, 900, 600 of 5 Per Cent Ger
tifcates Withdrawn-Yesterd DO


ings in the House.
Washington. February 2T-The Senate
considered the sundry civil appropriation
bill today. the German amendment being
pending for the issue of one hundl ed million
dollar. three per cent certificates of in
dehtedness and requiring United States
bonds TO be offered to the public twenty
days. A point of order was made against
the amendment.
Mr. Hill moved to amend the amendment
by adding land hereafter all treasury and
United States notes that may be redeemed
shall not be reissued. but shall be can
celled.''
The point of order was submitted to the
Senate and discussion ensued, during which
Mr.. Gornan said that the Secretary of the
Treasury in answer TO the Senate stated
that during this calendar year of 1895. he
would have revenue enough 10 meet the ex
pend itures OF the government. Mr.. German
thought that the Secretary made mistake.
and declared that with all the revenues he
would get this year the Secretary would
have deficiency of over thirty million
dollars for the calendar year, and defic-
iency of sixty million dollars for the fiscal
year ending June 80. 1896.
Mr.. German said it would not do for Con-
gress to adjourn leaving the treasury de-
partment with the open declaration made
by the President that. i'll an emergency, h~
would continue to sell bonds. Inat IS too
expensive. 1t was piling up public debt
in a form d1stasteful to the people.ssIf Con-
gress refused or failed to provide sufficient
money otherwise, then, under the consiruc-
tion of the law given by the treasury de-
partment and the President (Which oonstruc-
tion Mr.. G Gorman thought was not warranted)
the responsibility would be upon the SEN
ate. He wanted to make provision for Ger
tifcates of indebtedness running only two
years. and rcdeemable at the option of the
government, so there could be no excuse
hereafter for the department to sell twenty
year bonds or thirty year bonds.
Mr.. Platt. Republican of Connecticut,
asked Mr.. Gorham to state the amount of
surplus in the treasury arising from money
borrowed.
Mr.. r.Gorman-The first of January. 1895, we
had only eighty-saven million dollars in the
treasury to meet the appropriations of
Congress exclusive of gold to redeem green
backs. The Secretary estimates that his re-
oeIpts from now on will be sufficient to meet
ordinary disbursements provided he can use
the balance in the treasury in the shape of
| eenbacks, for which he has paid gold.
| In that think he is mistaken. i do not be-
lieve that if permitted to use every dollar
| of receipts he will have enough money to
meet the current expenses of the govern
ment by sixty million dollars without taking
| into account tho amount due OIL former a p
preparations. Up to this date two hundred
and fifty million dollars OF appropria tions
| (including the sinking fund.- are suspended.
| AS matter of course, il the payment for
| public works. rivers and harbors, for navy
| and other pLrposs are suspended, and if
| the enterprises which congress mas deter
| mined to be necessary paralyzed there
will be forced balance in the treasury in
| 1896. 1t will be simply by piling up debt
| obligations from sixty to eighty million
more. Mr.. Gorman stated that the recei pts
| from customs, in nternal revenue and misce-
| Ianeous. January. 1895 to launaTy, 1896,
we're estimated by the Secretary of the
Treasury at $3.50, 100000, and the expendi-
lures for the same period at $3.50, COO. .000.
| That was a mere guess, and the question
was whether it was correct. Ii any Senator,
| Mr.. German said, would take up the treas
ury receipts for the last three years and
would average them per month, he would
| find that the Secretary's estimate was
| twenty i've million dollars greater for the
whole year than the average receipts. Mr..
German gave 1874. 600 as the amount of
appropriations made by the House at this
/ session, whic was sixteen million dollars
more than the Secretary's estimate of the
expenditures. He had no doubt that wi
the additions made by the Senate the total
appropriations of the session would be at
| least four hundred millions, and that would
| show deficit of forty-two millions. The
! truth was, Mr.. German said. the secretary
made an estimate year ago, in which there
| Was mistake of sixty millions on the
wrong side, and the mistake was adhered to
| ever since. The fact stared him in the face
that the treasury was running behind half
/ million dollars day. Mr.. German believed
! that The tariff bill of 1894 would give sur
| plus of from forty to fifty millions year,
but not this year or perhaps next year. Mr..
German appealed to thea Senators to
abandon. for the time being all theories and
ideas as to currency and simpy provide GER
| tihcates of Indebtedness to prevent the sale
of long bonds.
Mr.. Teller, Republican Of Colorado, said
that if the amendment was ruled to be in
order there could be no passage of sthe
sundry civil bill within a reasonable time,
and moved 10 lay the amendment on the
table.
Mr. German, the author of the amend
ment, referred to the remarks made by GER
tain Senators to the effect tLat the amend
ment was not desired and the statements
made by other Senators that they would
persist in discussing the entire financial
question. lie said in view ofAthe determi-
nation of the Senators ON both sides. and
with view TO facilitating the business OF
the session, he was instructed by the COM
mittee Oh appropriations to withdraw the
amendment.
Mr.. Mills, Democrat of Texas, offered an
amendment repeating all laws that authorize
the Secretary of the Treasury to sell United
s,ates houds for any pur pose.
A point Of order was made by MIR. Aldrich
and sustained, and Mr.. Mills's amendment
was excluded.
Several small amendments We're made to
the bill, including the appropriation OF
81 h11f1r 80