The record-union., 1896-12-09

Pickler R) of South Dakota, and op-
posed by Loud

Pickler (R.) of South Dakota, and op-
posed by Loud.
The latter gentleman said that it con-
OF Illinois, Johnson (R.) of California and
now exist. Any man or body of men
could select messenger to collect and
deliver their mail and pay him for it if
they wanted to do so. 1t was, besides
a dangerous measure.
The bill was passed-101 to IL.
The House then resolved itself into
Committee of the Whole and proceeded
to consider the general pension appro-
priatiOn bill. The provisions of the bill
were briefly explained by w. A. Stone
R.) of Pennsylvania. 1t carried total
appropriation of $141 ,2S3 ,SS0-less by
Sta. 900 than the appropriation for the
current year and the estimates of the
Commissioner No new legislation was
proposed in the bill.
Grow (R) of Pennsylvania, the VEN
cradle Representative and eX-Speaker
of the House, took occasion of the lib
erty allowed under the rules to make
a tariff speech. He took for his text the
statements in the Presidents message
relating to the Wilson tariff bill: The
only entire fiscal year during which this
law has been in force ended on the
Both day of June, 1896. In that year
our imports increased over those for
the previous year more than S6,o0O,-
600, while the value of the domestic
products we exported, and which found
markets abroad, was nearly SI0,OO0.-
600 more than during the preceding
year. Whatever may be it's Shortcom-
ings as a complete measure of tariff
reform, it must be conceded that it has
opened the way to a freer and greater
exchange of commodities between the
United States and other countries, and
thus furnished a wider market for our
products and manufactures"
In the two years and five months
ended December 1st," Mr. Grow said,
the deficiency in the revenues of the
Government amounted to over S1l0,-
100000; and yet the President made
no recommendation to Congress regard
ing the increase of revenue. He did
say, however, that no deficit that had
occurred or that was likely to occur
need excite or disturb us. Most placid,
comfortable frame of mind,' said Mr..
Grow. THE President evidently thinks
the creditors of the nation will not be
anxious SO long as the engravers and
printing presses of the country do not 3"
Mr.. Grow said he would not consider
the tariff in any partisan sense. but
as a simple business matter affecting
the revenues of the Government. If
the present law was not good for any
year, the first duty of Congress was
n hn
ment. He compared the workings of
the Mckinley and Wilson laws, and
sarcastically referred to the Presi-
dents assertion that the latter had
opened the way to a freer and greater
exchange of commodities" Protection,
he concluded, meant employment for
American laborers and revenue for the
treasury.
The pension bill being read for
amendment, those offered by Messrs.
Connolly (R) of Illinois and Curtis Or
of Kansas, providing respectively that
the rating fixed by the local Board of
Examining Surgeons shall be conclu-
sive as 20 the amount of the pension,
and apportioning the amount for clerk
hire in proportion to the number of
pensioners paid at each agency, were
ruled out on points of order.
Bingham (R) of Pennsylvania, recall
ing President Cleveland s statement in
his message to Congress four years ago,
that thousands of neighborhoods have
their well-known pension frauds, and
that recent developments by the inves-
legations of the bureau and the appall-
ing conSpiracieS to commit fraud" re-
viewed the work of the bureau in ex-
posing frauds since that message was
published. To Investigate these alleged
frauds, said Mr.. Bingham. more money
had been appropriated than the bu-
reau had asked. The result was that
in three full fiscal years there had been
less than 500 convictions for fraud in
connection with pension roll of near
ly 100000
The committee then rose, and the bill
was passed without amendment.
Speaker Reed laid before the House
a communication from Clerk Mcdowell
transmitting the documents in the con-
test of Thomas Z. Watson against J. G..
G. Black for a seat in the F'ifty-fourth
Congress from the Tenth District of
Georgia. 1t was referred to the Com
mittee on Elections No. l.
The House then adjourned until to-
morrow