The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-01-01
CONGRESSIONAL.

WEDNESDAY. December %. - Nei her
house was in session The ways and means
committee from the hous, was ia session
several hours.
THURsDAY.-The senate WAS not in SEES.
sion. - In the house Mr. Dlngey Of
Maine reported fro the conn ittee on
wa s and means bill to temporarily in
crease revenue TO meet the EXPENSES of the
government and pro ide against def
cheney, together with u statement Of tho
reasons why the bill should ba passed.
Mr.. Crisp of Georgia led the democratic
attack upon this measure, in which he was
supported by Mr.. Mcmillan of Tennessee
and Mr.. Turner of Georgia. MIR. Hender.
son of Iowa and Mr.. Dalzell OF Pennsyl-
vania supported the measure, In speaking
on the question, Mr.. Henderson said " The
gentleman FIR Georgia (Mr. Crisp) has
said this was a bill 20 tax the people. My
God, the house of representatives has
not the power to vote to pay back to the
people the millions of which they have been
deprived since the democratic party came
into power on the 4th of March. 1893. They
talk Of speed. Do they stop to consider the
rapidity with which the democratic policies
have emptied the treasury? They talk about
war. The republicans have made no declara-
ton of war. 1t is true, as has been said,
that the president sent a declaration
of war to congress-, and tn go days after
ward filed his petition in bankruptcy with
the same body. The republican party is not
in favor of war; neither il it afraid of war.
But the country should take notice of the
fact that II has not yet exercised its judg-
ment upon the question. The president
asked for an appropriation with which TO
exercise his executive fun ction and the
republicans promptly said; Take your
money let no one under a misapprebeu.
sion run away from that tempest in teapot"
The discussion ran largely ON political lines.
At the conclusion Of The debate the bill was
read a third time and on the question of its
passage the yeas aud nays were Called re-
sulsing: Yeas, 205; nays 81. The vote was
on strictly party lines, the populists voting
with the democrats against the bill. Mr.
! FRIDAY In the senate MI Hill of New
| York introduced a joint resolution directing
| that any bonds hereafter issued under the
laws now in force MAY, in the discretion of
! the secretary of the treas Try, be made pay
able IN United States gold coin Of the present
weight and tineness, or in standard silver
| dollars, at the option of the holders OF such
| bonds; but no bond containing such OPP
ton shall bear rate of interest exceeding
three per cent per annunI, payable q ar
! terly. Mr.. Hill addressed the senate at
! length in support of the resolution. Mr..
! Teller of Colorado made a sarcastic and tell
i ing reply. The public press, Mr.. Teller
said, reported that there was to be another
| bond iss ne, and that that issue would not
| be as favorable at this time as the last one
was, because the government was in greater
distress now than year ago. Against all
that he protested. The securities of the
United States we're the git-edged securities
| in every market of the world. At the proper
time he would express his oDinion on the
executive department, from the president
down to the tidewater waiter, who now as
sumes to speak IN the financial matter. Mr..
Hale of Maine introduced a joint resolution,
which was passed, authorizing and direct
ing the secretary of the navy to accept the
ram " Katahdin " and make her part of the
United States navy He asked present con-
sideration of the joint resolution; stated
the facts in the case-how the ram fell a
little below the contract requirement of
speed; and said that both the president
and the secretary of the navy were in favor
of her acceptance and wished to authorize
it. Adjourned until Monday. - The
fight was renewed in the house over the
bond bill. Mr. Crisp of Georgia again led
the democratic faction in opposing it, and
Mr.. Henderson of Iowa and Mr.. Dingley
of Maine spoke in its support.
Continued in another column