The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1895-03-07
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.


session will necessarily have to be hurried.
The time will come, and it ought to come
soon, when it will be considered disgraceful
for Congress to delay action upon the great
appropriation bills until the last hours OF
closing session. But that time will not
come until fact now well known to few
shall be known to the entire country-that
these bills are purposely delayed by men in
Congress, in order that amendments may be
manipulated in conference and legislation
secured which could never be obtained when
there was time for investigation and calm
deliberation. 1t is popular delusion that
Congressional legislation is shaped by four
hundred and forty odd men, but that which
goes through the conference mill, and it
nearly all does, is shaped by less than a
dozen men when action is delayed until
timid objectors can be frightened into
silence by the use of the extra session
bugaboo. This applies particularly to the
legislation now pending, which includes the
most important of the appropriation bills
and various more or less important financial
amendments thereto
The killing of the railroad pooling bill can
be credited to the much abused Senate rules
The lobby had it all fixed to hold a Sunday
session yesterday and pass the bill, but
when an attempt was made Saturday to
carry out the programme, Senators Petit
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of their intention to exercise their privilege
under the rules to talk during the remainder
of the session, if necessary, to prevent a
vote being taken. That broke up the pro.
gramme and the Senate by vote of AZ to
"a decided not to take up the pooling bill.
The lobby has not abandoned hope of
getting the bill through during the closing
hours of the session, and as its friends are
among the shrewdest parliamentarians in
Senate they will do so If given al opportu.
nifty.
Senator Mills is in dead earnest shout re.
pealing the law under which Sl62, 600, 900
of bonds have been issued by the present
administration. When he first gave notice
of his intention to offer such an amendment
to the Sundry Civil Appropriation bill it
was thought that he did so while mad and
that he could easily be persuaded not TO
offer the amendment. Not SO, however,
His mind was fully made up from the first
that the law should be repealed, and his
amendment" And all laws which author.
lze the Secretary of the Treasury to sell
bonds of the United States fer any purpose
are hereby repealed has been formally
presented, aud he declares his intention to
have it voted upon, if possible; and ex-
presses the opinion that it will pass the
Senate. But Others do not share that
opinion.
A new amendment to an appropriation
bill provides for the payment of two cents a
pound bounty upon such ortion of the
sugar crop of 1893 as had not been paid up
to the date the new tariff went into effect
and eight tenths of one cent pound on the
crop OF 1894. As President Cleveland told
delegation OF sugar men who called on him
not long ago, that he favored the payment
OF this bounty it is presumed thai he inau
ence of the administration viii e cxerted
Ia favor of this amendment. Il may get
through, but it will certainly he bitterly
opposed, particularly in the House.
There was secret meeting of some of the
prominent members Of the Bmotsllic League
held here recently, and rumor says it was
for the purpose of discussing plans looking
wards a silver Presidential ticket next
year. A number of prominent silver men
IN Congress, including Senators Teller and
W"lcott, did not attend this meeting, and
rumor says they are not ia sympathy with
the plans discussed, nor with some other
views held by those who control the league.
Senator Wolcott has offered an amend
ment to the Sundry Civil Appropriation hill
authorizing the President, whenever any
European country shall take the initiative
to appoint three men TO act with Joint
House and Senate commtte. Of six mem.
bers as delegates to an international none
tary conference.