The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-04-23
time this session Speaker Reed was late
in orriyipO at tba non;tnl

in arriving at the capitol.
Clerk of the House Mcdowell called
the house TO order and announced that
in the absence of the speaker speaker
pro tenn, would be elected
Mr.. Hull of Iowa was elected. and took
the chair. He had been seated but few.
minutes when Mr.. Reed appeared, and
amid much laughter and applause, said:
"The house will be in order"
Although this was suspension day un-
der the rules, Mr.. Cannon. chairman of
the committee on appropria tions, insist
ed on proceeding with the general de-
ticiency bill and on his motion the house
went into committee of the whole for
its consideration. This was the last of
the regular appropriation bills.
When the items relating to indemnity
to be paid to Frederick o. Dawson, wife
and daughter, for loss of property and in
jnries inflicted in Nebraska, Mr.. Mercer
(Rep.) OF Nebraska called attention to
the great vigor with which Great Britain
had pressed this case, $4,000 having
been claimed from the state of Nebraska
He commended the vigilance of the Brit
ish government in the protection of her
subjects. and said it was in strange con-
trast with the action of our government,
but he thought that the testimony showed
that the Dawsons were as much to
blame as the McCartys in this case. 1t
was a brawl on the highway.
Mr.. Hit, chairman of the committee
on foreign affairs, said the testimony
showed the women to have been out
rageously mistreated. AS result of the
injuries the daughter was today suffer-
ing from chronic epilepsy
Mr.. Hopkins Rep.) of Illinois thought
inasmuch as the people were residing in
Nebraska, with view to making it
their permanent home, although they
had not been naturalized he thought
they should not be permitted to invoke
the protection of the British government
after becoming involved in a brawl
Mr.. Cannon said that the claim was
recommended by the state department.
1t was matter of national honor. We
had eXacted heavy indemnities from
China.
Mr.. Livingston Dem.) of Georgia,
called attention to the fact that we were
now preparing to make Il claim against
Spain for the Imprisonment of Bishop
Diaz of Cuba.
Mr.. Hainer Rep) of Nebraska said
and thought the indemnity should be
paid. The item was passed without
amendment.
Mr.. Willis Rep.) of Delaware offered
an amendment authorizing and direct
ing the president to invite the CONNER
cial nations of the world to meet in in
ternational conference for the purpose
of fixing an internatioal ratio for the
coinage of gold and silver.
Mr.. Cannon promptly interposed a
point of order to cut off debate and was
sustained. He said that substantially
such Legislation already existed, but it
had not been executed.
Mr.. Willis called attention to the differ
ence between existing and proposed leg
islation. A prolonged discussion of APP
preparations and expenditures was pre-
cipitated by Mr. Hopkins, who asserted
| that it cost S734,0 ZOO more to collect
| S169. 100000 from customs last year than
it did to collect $192,00O,000 from Gus
toms in the last year of the Harrison
administration. A deficiency of $780,
for the collection of customs was re-
ported in the pending bill.
Mr. Hopkins thought the change of
the system from a specific to an ad valo-
rem. made by the repeal of the Mckinley
law and the enactment of the Wilson
law, might be responsible for the great
| increase in the cost of collecting the GUS
| toms.
"Would you prefer the Mckinley law.
with its $10.000,000 sugar bOuntyT
asked Mr.. Sayers Dem.) of Texas.
"As against the present law, yes, one
thousand to one" replied Mr.. Hopkins,
amid Republican applause.
| Mr. Dockery Dem.) of Missouri asked
the Republican side what effort they had
made, with $50 majority, to repeal the
so-called Wilson German bill which they
| denounced. He taunted them with hav-
| ing done nothing. He recalled the cam
paign book of blank pages circulated by
the Republicans in 1894, entitled: "What
Congress Has Done," and denounced
the 'do-nothing'' record of this congress.
He asserted that the Democrats could
circulate similar book in the coming
campaign.
"What has this congress done" he
asked. "What has been done to bridge
the chasm between inadequate revenues
and increasing expenditures? Where is
the Dingley bill? Pigeon-holed by the
votes of the five Republicans"
"How many Democrats voted to put it
there?" asked Mr.. Brumm jRepD of
| Pennsylvania.
"All of them, of course" responded
Mr.. Dockery. Democrats are opposed
to- increasing taxation"
Proceeding, Mr.. Dockery ridiculed the
majority for making no effort at currency
legislation, which the business interests
of the country demanded. The policy of
this congress, he said, was one of delay.
That policy had been declared by the
speaker at the opening of the session,
when he announced himself against
''crude and hasty legislation"
Mr. Dingley chairman of the ways and
means committee. was stung by Mr..
Dockery into reply. The charge that
nothing has been done must be looked at
in the light of the situation. The house,
senate and president together made legis-
lation. Unless they concurred no legis-
laton was possible. The house alone
of those three factors was under Repub-
lican control. In the house the Republi-
cans were responsible. They were not
responsible for a Democratic and Popu-
| listic senate and the influence of Demo
cratic executive.
eve did everything we could under
the circumstances" said Mr. Dingley,
with great earnestness. "here and at the
other end of the capitol against the
united opposition of the Democrats and
Populists. The only thing to do is to
appeal to the people and let them say
whether they shall have president who
will block our way or who will cooperate
with us in giving the treasury sufficient
revenue and restore prosperity to the
country" Republican applause.)
| THE gentleman says the Democrats
and Populists killed the so-called Dingley
| hill in the senate Was II NOT nippon-