The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-01-22
Congressional Proceedings.

"WEDNESDAY, January 15.-In the senate
a joint resolution was passed appropriating
S75, 900 to defray the joint expense of locat-
ing the boundary between Alaska and the
British. American territory. The resolution
offered by Mr.. Mills of Texas in favor of the
coinage of silver and for other purposes
was taken up, and Mr.. Mills addressed the
senate. He said that the house bond bill
might be considered as fair representa-
ton OF an extreme view of the financial
subject as entertained by the people of the
United States, while the substitute reported
by the finance committee was, in some
measure, antagonistic to that view. The
criticism on the substitute was that it was
more an avoidance than a joinder of issue
on the principles presented in the house
bill. The real force behind the controversy,
and which has been urging it on for years,
was, he said, the national banks, which
claimed that the prerogative of coming and
issuing money which necessarily belonged
to the government, really belonged to them,
and that they must exercise the prerogative
of contracting and expanding the currency,
and of changing the stan ard of value as
might suit their personal interests. -
In the house Mr.. johnson of Indiana pre-
scented the report OF the elections commit
tee upon the contest of Robert III. Cheese
brough for the seat occupied by George b.
Mcclellan from the twelfth district OF New
York. The report recited the facts in the
case, which showed that Chesebrough had
abandoned the contest and it was accom-.
panied by resolution stating that McClel.
Ian had been duly elected and was entitled
to the seat. The report was agreed to and
the resolution passed. In committee OF
the whole the house then resumed the con-
sideration Of the general pension bill.
THURsDAY.-In the senate Mr.. Cullom OF
Illinois offered resolution, which was
agreed to, calling on the secretary OF state
for information as to whether naturaliZed
citizens of Armenian birth are allowed to
visit Turkey on business or to see their
families, and whether United States pass
ports held by them are recognized by the
Turkish governments also, whether the
families OF such Armenian naturalized citi-
zens residing in Turkey are permitted to
leave that country to come to the United
States; also, whether such Armenian nat
uralized citizens of the United States have
the same right to protection in Turkey as
those naturalized in Great Britain, France,
Germany or Russia. Mr.. Sewell of New
Jersey offered a resolution, the substance
OF which was, that the president has pressed
the Monroe doctrine beyond what was con-
templated at the time it was formulated,
and that neither congress nor the country
can support him in this. Mr. Sewell asked
that the resolution lie on the table for the
present. The bill offered January by
Mr.. Hale of Maine, to facilitate the con-
struction and maintenance OF telegraphic
cables in the Pacific ocean for the use of
inc government IN lus foreign intercourse
was laid before the senate and Mr.. Hale
made a speech in explanation and advo-
cacy. The bill, he said, committed the
government of the United States to sub
vention of net $250,0O0 per annum. 1t
embodied a plain business enterprise that
would bring the Hawaiian Islands close to
the United States, enabling the latter to act
wisely on the happening of any significant
event. Bright, keen, strong and accom-
plished Americans had gone to those
islands and had come to be leading figures
there. - Debate on the general pension
bill was resumed in the house in committee
of the whole.