The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-04-09
THE F|FIY-FOURTH CONGRESS
HOUSE PRACTICALLY CONFLICT
ED CONSIDERATION OF THE
SUNDRY CIVIL BILL.
1REASURYS CONDITION DEBATED.
Republicans Attempt to Defeat Small
Appropriation on the Grounds of
a Defcit-Radical Cuban Resolu-
ton Introduced in Senate.

Washington, April 1.-The house today
practically completed the consideration of
the sudry civil bill.
In the course of the debate on an amend
ment to appropriate $4,000 for cOmmenc-
ing the erection of new military post
at Spokane, Washington, Mr.. Cannon,
the chairman of the appropriations COM
mittee, made an appeal for economy on
the ground that the conditions of the
treasury were such that no new project
should be entered upon by this congress.
He was supported in this appeal by Mr..
Grosvenor of Ohio, who, in some plain
spoken words, insisted that the necessities
of the situation must govern.
He called attention to the fact that dur
ing the first 10 months of the operation of
the present tariff law the receipts had
been exceeded by the expenditures &c.,
10000. This, of course, brought on
political discussion in which Mr.. Patter-
son Dem.) of Tennessee defended the
amendment and attributed the financial
distress to Republican legislation. The
amendment was adopted despite Mr.. Can,
mons appeal.
Mr.. Blue Rep.) of Kansas made some
| indirect charges against the board of man
ayers of the Soldiers home which were
replied to by Mr.. Steele of Indiana one of
the managers.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
Washington, April 1.-Some minor bus.
mess was transacted Mt the opening ses-
sion of the house today, after which the
| sundry civil bill was taken up. An
amendment making an appropriation for
the expenses of our representation at the
meeting of the international prison con-
| ference was adopted.
| Mr.. Sayers Oem.) of Texas offered an
amendment to appropriate $4,000 for
the purchase of the house in Washington
in which ex-President Lincoln died, and
which is now rented by a. historical soci-
ETY.. Adopted.
Mr.. Hyde (Rep.) of Washington, offer
ed an amendment to appropriate $4,000
of the $30O,O0 carried by the bill for the
construction of military posts, to COM
mence the erection of permanent buildings
at the military post at Spokane, Wash.
The site of the post, of over 1000 acres,
he said, had been donated to the govern
ment by the city of Spokane.
MIR. Cannon, chairman of the apprOpri-
ations committee, opposed the amend
ment on the ground that the condition of
the treasury would not warrant the ex-
penditure
Mr.. Grosvenor of Ohio expressed re-
greet that the chairman of the appropria,
tons committee felt it encumbent on him
self to make such an announcement. He
pointed out that the receipts under the
present tariff for the first 10 months were
S4S1 ,OO0,OOO, over $76,000,000 below the
expenditures, and cOntrasted the receipts
under that law with the receipts under
the law of 1880, when they aggregated
$56O,OOO,0O0 for the first 10 months. The
condition of the revenues brought about
by the domination of the party that con-
demned legislation for the protection of
American industry and undertook to ex-
change for revenue only. Prosperity to
the treasury and the people would not
come as long as the present tariff remain
ed on the statute books.
III the income tax had not been declar-
ed unconstitutional" interposed Mr.. Tai
bert (Dem.) of South Carolina, there
would have been no deficit"
"Oh, Mr.. Chairman, replied Mr.. Gros-
venor I'VE might have gone out on the
nigh seas and committed piracy to pro-
cure money. The one is robbery, the
other unconstitutional"
Mr.. Hyde's amendment was carried
64 to 37-despite the appeal of Mr.. Can
non, to stand by the committee.
Mr.. Cannon secured the tellers, but was
again defeated, whereupon he gave no
tice that he would demand a vote when
the matter reached the house.
MIR. GrOsvenor's remarks drew fire out
of Mr.. Patterson Dem.) of Tennessee
lie would have replied, he said had il
not been for the fact that the gentleman
from Ohio (Grosvenor) appeared as the
advance agent of the coming Mckinley
| administration.
When Grover Cleveland retired in
1889, Mr.. Patterson continued, the credit
of the government was unquestioned by
the world. He attributed the financial
ills that followed to the silver purchasing
: act of 1890, which reducerd gold receipts
at the custom house to less than 4 pei
cent. From that day the house had beer
in distress and he insisted that it was
not fair to say that the results of law
during such period were normal. With
much vehemence he declared that the
financial issue was paramount.
The friends of the Ohio candidate, said
} he, could not relegate this question to the
rear. They had straddled the question
and now came before the country saying
that the sole remedy for existing condi-
tons was the further taxation OF the PEG
pie. But he warned the Republicans that
they could not escape the main issue, in
which the whole commercial world was
interested and he predicted that if the
Ohio candidate was nominated on the
Ohio platform he would be defeated.
"Oh, if my fellow Democrats" said he
to his colleagues, "but felt as ! do"
This appeal was greeted with derisive
! jeers from many of the Democrats.
II know you will laugh" he continued
"but l insist if the Democratic party
would stand for tariff reform and sound
money it would regain the considera'
ton of the people and be retained IL
power"
Mr.. Grosvenor replied in witty
speech. When an ambassador came
from a foreign country, he said, he wal
asked to produce his credetials to show
, whom he represented. Who, he asked
did the gentleman from Tennessee repre-
: sentf
HI ronrocaut tho administration nj