The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-16
THE SILVER Debate is ON
Two Long Speeches Against the
Further Issue Of Bonds.
EX-SPEAkER GROW HEARD
lie Enters Vigorous Protest Against tho
Encroashmcnt Of the President Upon
the prcrosativcs Of tho iIOuse-The
Pension Bill Discussed.

against the further issue of United
States bonds and In favor of the use
of silver money: the first was made
by Mr.. Mills democrat. Texas) ana
the second by Mr.. PETER tPopulist, Kan
sas) Mr.. Mills speech was bitterly de-
mandatory Of the national banking
system, and was an arraignment of the
financial policy Of the president and or
the secretary of the treasury; while
Mr.. PETER denied that there was any
authority In existing statutes for the
issue of United States bonds. Although
the Kansas senator spoke for two hours
and a quarter he did not conclude all
that he desired to say. prsferring to go
on with the remainder of his speech
tomorrow.
on the same general subject joint
resolution was introduced by Mr.. Pugh
democrat. Alabama) being u repro
duction of what Is known as the stan
ley Mathews resolution. declaring all
government bonds payable. principal
and interest, at the pleasure OF the gov
ernment. In standard silver dollars.
Mr.. Pugh said that he would ask vote
on the resolution tomorrow without de-
bate but subsequently, on account of the
absence Of several senator's. he said
he would not ask vote until Monday.
tomorrow. with the understanding that
adjournment tomorrow would be till
Monday.
Mr.. Grows Protest
As was the case on Tuesday, the most
striking event of tOday's proceedings
i'm the house occurred just previous to
adjournment. The venerable eX-Speak-
er Galusha A. Grow, representative at
large from Pennsylvania, moved
thereto by colloquy between Messrs.
Pickler, Rep, S. Dak.). and w. A.
Stone. CRep.. Pa.). az to the probable
action of the president upon general
revision of the pension laws. protested
earnestly against the encroachment by
the head of the executive department
of the government. or by any of his
clerks, upon the prerogatives of the
house.
Apropos to this cOlloauy. the vener-
able eX-SDeaker Grow tRep., Pal, ad
dressed the house briefly upon the ne
cessity of resenting the encroachment
upon its prerogatives by the executive.
He said:
Under the long established parliament
airy law 1t has always been regarded as
an invasion of the prerogatives of parlia-
ment for any one to defer its discussions
to the opinion of the king on any question
pending before It,
A member--Is Mr.. Cleveland "the king?
Mr.. Grow--In reference to matters Of
this kind he occupied the same relation
10 the houses of congress that the sover-
eign In Great Britain does to parliament
The president exercises the veto power:
and, II we do not have on any given meas
ure the twO-thirds vote necessary to over
come that. he Is, so far, the king.
In the last congress we had before us.
on one occasion. a bill headed "the bill Of
the secretary of the treasury" What has
that officer to do with presenting bill
in this house? We have had here at
tempts by the secretaries of the different
departments TO Influence legislation: they
have sent in here letters to be read with
reference to pending measures. and in
one case letter was read here from the
president of the United States having ref
erence to a measure then pending In the
house and just about to be voted upon.
/ trust such practices will be discontinued.
This house owes II to itself to make the
president understand that he has nothing
to do with the action OF this legislative
body till bill formally passed Is pre-
sented to him for his approval (applause) /;
only In that contingency. has he the right
to express his approval or disapprOval.
Nor has any one Of the heads Of de-
partments, except the secretary of the
treasury the right to communicate his
views unlimited to this house. That OFF,
Ger may report to this house OH important
questions affecting the revenues; but
when he sends here a bill headed "the bill
of the secretary OF the treasury the
house owes 1t to Itself TO return that bill
to him and to say that he cannot invade
In that way the prerogatives of this body,
any more than can the president Of the
United States by his having a letter read
here just on the eve Of vote upon an inn
portant measure.
! am well aware that the majority in
tAHn Nrnt al tnl- ns.ta
from the present executive; 1t Is not in
that view that ] am raising this question.
| simply submit that the legislative de-
partment of the government owes it TO
itself to resent any attempt on the part
of the executive or his clerks to influence
the vote of this house on pending legisla.
tion. (Applause)
devoted to the discussion of the PEN
sion appropriation bill, various Republi-
can members criticising the administra-
tiOn of the pension bureau. Mr.. Walsh
(Dem., N. " united with his colleague,
Mr.. Cummings, in assuring the house
that the Democrats of New York ap-
proved liberal pension policy. He in
vOked the chivalry of the members
from the South, which, he said, has
never been appealed to in vain. to vote
for the bill and the amendment pro-
posed by the committee and thereby
aid in making comfortable the widows
of those who had met them in the field
In open and honorable conflict.
Mr.. w. A. Stone, (Rep., Pa in charge
Of the bill, gave notice that he would
tomorrow ask the house to consider the
bill under the five minute rule, with a
view to reaching q vote before adjourn
ment.
Mr.. Mcclellan Seat
In the morning hour the house adopted
resolution reported by Mr.. johnson
(Rep.. Ind) from elections committee
No. 2, confirming the right of George
B. Mcclellan to the seat he holds In the
house as the representative from the
Twelfth New York district the contest
therefor having been abandoned by
Robert II. Chesbrough, the Republican
candidate.
Senate bills were passed amending the
land grant forfeiture act SO as to permit
purchases Of lands included within the
forfeited grants, to purchase segre.
gated tracts up to a maximum limit Of
32O acres. and to grant an American
register to the steamer Miami. rebuilt
from the British steamer Nerito.
Waiting for Mr.. Jones.
A special meeting Of the senate com
mittee on finance was held this after
noon. 1t was of short duration. ant
was due to the desire Of the Republican,
to have an early report on the tariff bill
All the Democratic members were pres
| ent but Mr.. Vest and they announced
their intention of voting adversely OF
| the motion to report the bill in am
shape. Mr. Wolcott expressed himsel
as favorable to the report of the bill a!
| II came from the house but no one wa.
able to say how Mr.. Jones. of Nevada
stood. At first Mr.. Jones was favOrabl,
| to the bill as II came from the>house
but he has been quoted as saying
| he would insist on his Is per cent. ad
dition to the house bill in the suga
| .nS~Awa~ ooA cha v2ouss t,ltOn ne did M