Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-02-21
FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 81.
SENATE.

committee on foreign relations, ana
agreed to, expressing the high apppre-
citation by the Senate of the distin-
guished honor accorded by the Next
can government on the occasion Of the
obsequies of the late United States min
lister to Mexico, Mr.. Gray, and direct
ing the Secretary of State to for
ward copies of the resolution to the
authorities of Mexico.
The credentials of Benjamin R. Till
man, as Senator from the State of South
Carolina, to succeed Mr.. Butler, were
presented by Mr.. Irby, read, and placed
on file.
House joint resolution for the suspen-
sion of certain features of the law
authorizing the transportation of goods
through the United States to the free
zone of Mexico, so long as the Mexican
free zone law exists, was passed.
A proposition for an evening session
to consider bill authorizing the issue
of 81, 100000 of bonds for the increase
of the sewer system of Washington
was antagonized by Mr.. Allen, who
said, in the course of his remarks, that
if the United States Capitol was placed
in the city of Omaha within one hum
dred miles of the geographical centre
of the United States) he would guaran-
tee that the people of that city and the
people of Nebraska would pay all their
taxes without calling on the general
government for aid. 1t seemed to him
as if the American nation had become
a nation of "bond raisers." Everything
looked to the issding of bonds. The
President wanted bonds, the Secretary
of the Treasury wanted bonds, per-
haps half dozen propositions to issue
bonds had come from the republican
side of the chamber and as many
more from the democratic SIDE, but not
one had emanated from q populist.
The time had come, Mr.. Allen declar-
ed, when the government must retrace
its steps financially and cease the is
suauce of bonds. The Secretary of the
Treasury had ample authority to use
all the millions of silver coin and silver
bullion in the Treasury to meet cur
rent expenses, and he doggedly, per-
sistently and without reason refused to
exercise that authority. He would
not, by his vote, confer on the Secre-
tary of the Treasury authority to issue
an interest bearing obligation.
Every bond issue by the Secretary Of
the Treasury, to-day, Mr.. Allen assert
ed, was absolutely null and void. The
act of January IA, 1875, under which
be claimed to issue them, had been re.
pealed and was dead letter; aud
every such bond, if legally contested in
court, would be held to be void. Mr.
Allen went on to refer to the attempt
to pass silver coinage bill last Tues
day as a mere spectacular perform
ance.n There had not been the least
hope of that bill becoming law. cat
8 o'clock that evening"" he said, "the
war was being waged with vigor, and
with seeming determination to force
the bill to vote, but all of sudden,
the Senator from Colorado, Mr.. VOL
colt, offered a harmless sort of a reso-
luton, and the war was at an end.
The display had been made. 1t was
merely grand-stand play, spectacu
lar performance. )"
I. In another part of his speech Mr..
Allen asked whether it was possible
that, beyond the city boundary lines,
where the new sewers were to be laid,
some Senators owned property that
would be benefited. Still in another
turn of his remarks he alluded to the re-
ported accession to the ranks of the pop
ulsts in the Senate of sthe distinguish
ed and profound" Senators from Colo
RADIO and Missouri (Teller and Vest);
and he expressed the confident hope
that, before another year, there would
be sufficient accessions to the populist
party from both the republican and
democratic sides of the chamber to pre-
vent the issuance of more government
bonds.
AS Mr.. Aliens speech had consumed
all that there had been left of the
morning hour, so that there was no
time to have vote taken on the res
olution for night session, Mr.. Harris,
chairman of the District of Columbia
committee, who had offered the reso.
luton, gave notice that he would at
$50 day move that the Senate take
a recess till p. m. when he would
move to take up the sewer bond bill.
Mr.. George.-And Igive notice that
I will move to amend, by substituting
the bankruptcy bill.
(which notion" said Mr.. Harris,
"will not be in order"
Mr.. German called up motion which
he had made yesterday to reconsider
the vote by which the conference re-
port on the bill in relation to income
| tax returns was agreed to.
On this motion a somewhat lively dis
cus5ion ensued, Mr.. Sherman arguing
that the amendment made by the con-
ference committee relieving corpora
ton, of the requirement of reporting
salaries of employees, except where
specially called for, was made for the
convenience of corporations, and Mr.
Chandler intimating that it was the
work of agents of the "eleven billion"
railroad partnership who were hanging
around the doors of the two chambers
seeking to influence legislation.
These assertions were Indignantly re-
futed by Senators Vest and Allison,
members of the conference committee,
and finally the motion to reconsider
was on motion of Mr.. Vest, laid on the
table-yeas 81; nays 10.
The Senate then resumed considera-
ton of the Indian appropriation bill.
HOUSE.
Mr.. McCreary called up the confer
enee reDort on the diplomatic and con-