The record-union., 1896-05-03


lation of the Treaty Relating to
Behring Sea Claims Passed
WASHINGTON, May 2.-After de-
bate continuing over five days, the
House to-day, by a vote of loi TO 81,
passed the bankruptcy bill reported by
General Henderson from the Commit
| tee on Judiciary and managed by him
throughout the debate. 1t is Substan-
TALLY what is known as the Torrey Dill.
Although the debate was supposed TO be
under the five-minute rule upon amend
ments, the House induiged several men,
bers beyond that limit while they eX-
+ pressed their views on the measure.
These were notably Messrs. Hepburn
| (Rep) of Iowa, who opposed the bill,
and Grosvenor (Rep.) of Ohio, Bartlett
| Dem) of New York and Ding
| ley (Rep) of Maine. who ad-
vocated its passage. Action upon the
bill was confined altogether to the sec
ond section, which defined acts of bank
ruptcy. The ninth and last clause of in
voluntary bankruptcy as reported by
the committee was, on motion by Spald-
ing Rep.) of Michigan, stricken out 1t
read: Having suspended and not re-
sumed for thirty days and until a petit
ton is filed, while insolvent the pay
ment of his commercial paper for or
aggregating $500 or over"
The House, after the reading of the
journal, proceeded in Committee of the
Whole to the final consideration of the
bankruptcy bill
An amendment proposed by Spalding
(Rep) of Michigan was agreed to. strik-
ing out of the bill the clause describing
as an act of bankruptcy the failure of
a debtor to take up while insolvent COM
nercial paper to the amount of $500 for
a period of thirty days after date of pay
ment and until a petition is filed.
Hepburn Rep) of Iowa made a vigor-
Gus attack upon the bill. His point was
that politically it would be bad thing
for the Republican party for the House
to pass the BILL His second point was
| directed against the bill ITSELF which
ne said was fraud upon its face and in
/ its provisions. AS a matter of fact
| Hepburn said the bill was intended to
! give the creditor another grip upon his
debtor, which he did not have when the
| debt was contracted-now debt col
Letting measure and nothing else The
/
eral demand for the passage of the bill.
Grosvenor (Rep.) of Ohio, respond
ing in part to Hepburn's remarks, advo-
Gated the passage of the bill as tending
to restore credit, which restoration was
essential to general prosperity
The consideration of the bill was in
terrupted to permit Hit (Rep) of Illi-
nois, Chairman of the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, to call up and have
passed the bill passed by the Senate
yesterday appropriating $4,000 to pro-
vide for the fulfillment of the stipula-
tIons of the treaty between the United
States and Great Britain dated Febru-
ary 3, 1896, regarding the settlement of
the Behring Sea claims. The commits
sion authorized by the bill is to sit in
San Francisco and its processes to COM
pei the attendance of witnesses shall be
executed by the Circuit Court for the
Ninth District
The discussion on the bankruptcy bill
was continued for an hour more. Ding
ley (Rep) of Maine being the last TO
speak. He urged the passage of the bill
on the ground that the country needed
and demanded a uniform bankruptcy
law in the interest of creditor and
debtor alike.
An amendment offered by Mahon
Rep) of Pennsylvania was agreed to-
rs to 49-requiring the creditor to give
bonds to cover damages and costs occa-
stoned by his action before beginning
proceedings against a debtor to force
him into bankruptcy.
Broderick's amendment substituting
for the nine causes of involuntary
bankruptcy three of fraudulent and
criminal nature only was defeated-92
to 49,
So, also, was the amendment offered
by w. A. Stone (Rep.) of PENNSYLVANIA
to wipe out altogether the involuntary
features of the bilI-102 to 70
Various efforts were then made to
strike out separate causes of bank
ruptcy, but all met with objection.
At o'clock the bill and amendments
were reported to the House.
Bailey Oem.) of Texas pronosed his
bill, providing for involuntary hank
ruptcy only as a substitute for tbe
pending measure. Rejected
Broderick (Rep.) of Kansas nronosed
a substitute which is known as the
Georgia bill, bill reported by the Sem
ate committee, with certain amend
ments proposed by members of tbe
House. 1t was also a measure provid
ing for voluntary bankruptcy. with
limited involuntary features. Rejected.
w. A. Stone Rep) of Pennsylvania
moved to recommit the bill with in
structions to report it to the House
with the involuntary feature eliminat-
ed, save with respect to cases of actual
fraud. Lost-SS to 116.
The vote then required on the massage
of the BILL and it passed-yeas 157,
nays 81.
The announcement was received with
applause accompanied by a, few scat
tering Kisses.
General Walker Rep) of Virginia
called up the unanimous report in the
election case of Thorpe Rep) VS. Nc
Kinney Oem.), from the Fourth vir-
ginia District, recommending the adop-
ton of resolution that Thorpe and
not Mckinney was entitled to the seat
The report was agreed to, and Thorpe
was sworn in by the Speaker.
AT 5:l0 O'Clock the House adjourned.
Not including Alaska, Brazil is larger
in extent thanethe JJnited Sta4as