The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-10
THE DINGLEY BILL
Taken Up in the Senate on
Motion of Senator Allen.
Action Led to a Short But Very
Spirited Debate.
House Has Three Hours Session and Passes
Some Unimportant Bills.

Some UnimpOrtant Bills.
Washington, Dec l0.-The senate yes.
terday by the decisive vote of 35 to u,
adopted motion to take up theDingley
tariff silver bill. Unexpected and sur
prising as this action was, II did not have
the significance which the vote itself ap-
pears to convey. Immediately following
IL, Mr.. Aldrich of Rhode Island. one of the
Republican members Of the finance COM
mittee, moved to recommit the bill to
that committee, and this motion was
pending when the morning hour eX-
pired, and the entire matter lapsed as
though no vote had been taken.
Neither the bill nor the Aldrich motion
to recommit enjoys any privilege or pre-
cedence as a result Of the action. IL
served, however, for some lively parlia-
mentary fencing between Mr.. Allen
(Pop, Neb.), the author of the motion,
and Messrs. Chandler, Hale and Aldrich,
as well as for an exposition of the un-
certain and shifting elements within the
senate when a vote is precipitated on an
important public question. The debate
was at times sharp and personal.
Mr.. Allen is very blunt in his express
sions, and he taunted the Republican
senators for shrinking on the Dingley
bill after conducting a tariff campaign.
1T has gone out from the powers that
be. in the Republican party" said Mr..
Allen at one point, that with the in
coming administration we are to have
an extra session Of congress for the pur-
pose of revising the tariff laws"
Thus Mr. Allen ran along, touching on
many points that have hitherto been re-
served for caucus consideration.
Mr.. Chandler reminded Mr.. Allen that
not only had tariff won, but free silver,
by the United States alone, had lost in
the recent election, and he urged Mr..
Allen to aid in genuine effort to exc
cute the will of the people. Mr.. Hale
took occasion to state with 6gankness
that the Republican senators expected
an actual majority in the next senate.
which would make tariff legislation more
easy of accomplishment than 1t is now.
Mr.. Aldrich's first move was to have
the bill referred back to the finance
committee with instructions to strike
off the silver amendment, but later he
accepted the suggestion Of Mr.. Harris
to omit the instructions. 1t was In this
form that the question OF recommittal
was pending when 2 o'clock arrived and
cut off the debate.
The vote on taking up the bill Is not re-
garded as furnishing a record or a stan
dard on which future calculations can
be based, as party lines were broken
1t was not felt to be direct issue on the
tariff or the Dingley bill, but as an adroit
move calculated to call for the explana-
tions from the tariff forces
Early in the day three sets of vigorous
resolutions for Cuban independence
furnished an interesting feature They
came from Mr.. Cameron of Pennsyl-
vania, Mr.. Mills of Texas and Mr.. Call
of Florida, and while differing in terms
all breathe the same spirit of recognition
by the United States of Cuban indepen-
dence.
The house held three-hour session
yesterday and passed a dozen bills OF
minor Importance.
Among them were the following: To
extend for five years the vine in which
the University of Utah shall occupy
lands granted to it: to authorize the use
Of the abandoned Fort Bidwell military
reservation in California as training
school for Indians; to confirm certain
CASH eHtflcS lOT puDllc ldnuS In ARKANSAS
made under the graduation act of 1854
to provide for the location and purchase
Of public lands for reservoir sites in
Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming;
to protect settlement rights where two
or more persons settle on the same land
before survey; to adjust the accounts Of
John Y. Williams, formerly agent Of the
Fort Hall Indian reservation; to author
ize Flagstaff, AriZ., to issue bonds for the
construction Of water system; to au-
thorize any member Of the legislature Of
New Mexico to swear in the presiding
officer; to grant to the widow Of the late
Brigadier General Joseph B. Carr pen
sion Of $75 month, and to increase the
pension of the widow Of General John
Hough to $50 a month.
The house also agreed to the senate
amendment approving certain acts Of
the legislature of New Mexico for the
issue of bonds so as TO validate $112, 500
of bonds Of Santa Fe county. The
Shafroth bill for the protection of forest
reservations from fire was defeated. A
resolution for the distribution of the
presidents message among the various
committees entitled to jurisdiction Of
the several topics was adopted.