The San Francisco call., 1896-02-12
BILLS PASSED
IN THE HOUSE,
They Include Measures in
the Interest of the
District.
ARGUMENT ON COINAGE.
Consideration Of the Bond Bill
and Its Substitute Pro-
ceeds Slowly.
AN EVENING SESSION HELD.
De Armond of Missouri Hurls Some
Sarcasm at Hall, His
Colleague.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 11.-Under
the arrangement made yesterday the Com
mittee on the Affairs of the District of
Columbia had an opportunity to-day to
clear the calendar of measures reported by
it, Under the leadership of Chairman
Babcock (R.) of Wisconsin the House
passed the following bills:
To incorporate the National University
ian old institution); to extend the time
within which the Maryland and Washing
ton railroad (the new electric line Joining
Baltimore and Washington) may be COM
pleted; to regulate the issue of licenses to
billiard and pool rooms; to regulate the
trials before the Metropolitan Fire and
Police boards; to authorize the reassess-
ment Of Waterman taxes after being de-
clared illegal by the District courts; to in
corporate and regulate medical colleges:
to regulate the practice of medicine and
surgery.
The remainder of the session was de-
voted to the further discussion of the bond
siIver-coinage bill.
De Almond CD of Missouri and Ogden
CD of Louisiana advocated unlimited
free coinage, and Hill (R.) OF Connecticut,
Lacey (R.) of Iowa, and Burton (R.) of
Missouri opposed it. The latter, however,
advocated the coinage of the silver bullion
in the treasury.
A conference report on the bill to ap-
point chaplain at West Point Academy
was presented by Hull (R.) of Iowa, and
agreed to.
A report was presented from the Commit
tee on Rivers and Harbors by Hooker (R.)
of New Y ork, and agreed to, calling upon
the Secretary of War for information in
his possession as to the cost and best plan
for constructing works at the outlet of
Niagara River, which will tend to raise
the level of water in the great lakes, the
subsidence of which is now about five feet
below the normal. level.
Under the agreement made yesterday
the House proceeded to consider business
reported from the COMMITTEE on District
of Columbia, following which Hull (R.) of
Iowa reported the conference agreement
on the bill to provide tor the appointment
OF chaplain at West Point and it was
adopted. The bill provides for the ap-
polntment by the President of a chaplain
from either civil life or the list of army
chaplains for that station who shall re-
ceive the salary of mounted captain.
Consideration of the bond silver coinage
bill was then resumed in committee of the
whole. Hill (R.) of Connecticut opposed
the Senate free-coinage substitute. He
said the matter of free coinage of silver
was for the Democracy to settle. Free
coinage would not be an issue this year ex-
cept in the Democratic National Conven-
| tion and there it would be crushed 30
death in one more dying struggle for
| spoils and place.
De Almond Cd of Missouri, rising to
support the Senate substitute, paid his
compliment at some length, and with
| scarcely veiled sarcasm to his colleague
(HalD for his change of position on his
question, as announced in the latter's
speech on Saturday. He said if the gen.
tleman had before making that speech, in
which he said that the trouble with the
people was due to the cowardice of the
| politicians, gone to the people of the Sec
ond District of Missouri and surrendered
his commission because he could no longer
represent them on the platform upon
which they had sent him to Congress he
would have given an exhibition of courage
that all men could have admired. But he
| WOulc nave ueeH MS OWN SUCCESSOR
Discussing the matter OF consistency
De Almond suggested that men ought not,
| when one of their fellows announces a
| change of opinion and consequent course
OF conduct, at once jump to the conclu-
sion, therefore, that he has scared to a
position above the heads of the mass of
his fellow beings, when q little investiga-
ton might prove that he had fallen below
the level which the average mass of man.
kind occupies Other speakers were
Lacey (R.) of Iowa and Burton (R.) of
Missouri In opposition to the Senate SUBJ
stitute. and Ogden CD of Louisiana in
favor of it.
AT $50 the committee rose, and the
House, on motion of Dingley (R.) OF
Maine, took recess until 8 o'clock.
| The debate upon the bond free coinage
bill'at the evening session was devoid oi
usual interest. Harris (R.) of Ohio, Brown
(R) of Tennessee, Howe (R.) of New
York and Fowler (R.) of New Jersey
spoke in opposition to free coinage ot
silver, and Otey CD of Virginia ano
Baker (P.) of Kansas, in its favor.
G. w. Stone (R.) of Pennsylvania, with 8
predatory statement that advocates of fres
coinage were prone to quote the condition
of Japan as evidence of the prosperity thai
attended the use of silver as standard
money, sent to the desk and had read {
paragraph in recent letter from Toxic tt
the New York Herald written by John A
Cockerill. to the effect that so far from be
ing prosperous, Japan was on the verge O
season of depression and hard times.
At 10 o'clock further recess was taker
by the House until 10 80 to- N orrow morn
| ing.