The Portland daily press., 1896-01-10
At THE CAPITOL.
Some Question as TO the Free
Coinage Passing Senate
SOUND MONEY ,SEFATORS THINK
THEY CAN STOP 1T.


THEY CAN STOP 1T.
The Day in Congress-NIr. Livingstone
Still Has Hold of the Lions Tail-Mr.
| Doing Some Lobbying-Changes in the
| House Rules etc., etc.
Washington, January 9.-Mr. Villas in
troduced in the Senate today bill which
was referred to the judiciary committee
withdrawing from the supreme court of
the United States jurisdiction of criminal
cases, not capital, and transferring it to
the United States court of appeals
In presenting some petitions favoring
appropriations for coast defenoes Mr..
Daniel expressed the opinion that the
public apprehensions as TO the danger to
the commandment Of American seaports
were overstrained, but he also expressed
the hope that the country would prepare
itself for whatever emergencies might
happen. He faovred the passage of Mr..
Squire's fortifcation bill.
The general pension bill for the year
ending June 80, 1897, as reported to the
House today by Mr.. Blue of Kansas,
carries an appropriation of S141, 1895, 800,
being S5S, $50 below the estimates, and
$55. 750 less than the appropriation for the
current fiscal year.
Among the bills introduced in the
Senate today we're: Mr. Frye, Republi-
can of Maine, to Teconvene the delegates
to the International Marine Conference
of 1889 for further consideration of the
rules to prevent collisions at sea; by Mr..
| Cameron, Republican of Pennsylvania,
directing the commissioner of patents to
issue tho Daniel Drawbaugh u patent for
his invention of the telephone. ALI tele-
| phones covered by the patent and now in
actual use, being exempted from the
royalty.
| A very careful canvass of the Senate on
the free coinage substitute to the House
bond bill, has been made, and it is
claimed as result of that canvass, that
a majority in the Senate in favor of free
coinage at this time, will be exceedingly
small Some so-called "sound money!
men go so far as to say it may possibly be
defeated. A conference was held yester
day by Mr.. German and MIR. Gray, repre-
senting the anti-silyer men on the Demo-
crat side of the chamb ber and Mr. Aldrich
on the Repu plican side. These three men
went over the situation in thorough
manner and came to the conclusion that
there was good reason to consider the
passage Of a free coinage hil! at this time
as the matter about which there is some
doubt. They declined to mention any
/ names, but it is givcn out that there are
26 or 2T Republicans who will vote
v1-S< hoe l,,4y n4,~,
oorats, making total of 40 or Al, within
three or four of majority against the
bill. The figures given are claimed to
comprise a list of votes about which there
is no doubt. Three Senators think that
sufficient doubtful votes may yet be won
over to defeat the bill.
Gen. Craighill and Captain Black of
the ordance department were before the
Senate committee ON coast defences today
and continued their statement of the
needs of the department. These meetings
will be continued from day to day until
the bill appropriating $S7, 100000 pre-
pared by Mr.. Squire is ready to be re-
ported
1t was shown by statements made be-
fore the committee today by officers of
the bureau of engineers, that there is
Immediate need Ey that department of
two and half million dollars to be ex-
pended for torpedoes and torpedo mines
for land defences.
Discussions Of the torpedo system by
the committee demonstrated that torpe-
does are of little value unless Sdefended
by guns, as they can easily be removed
by the enemy unless protected by
artillery. In case of sudden emergency
it would take at least year If the appro-
priations were made, to procure material,
manufacture the torpedoes and put them
| in, r,1a at ttn Of ho
United States. The chief OF engineers
advocated the expenditure of $12, 600, 900
during the fiscal year ending June so,
1897, this sum, it is said would not pro-
vide money necessary to be expended by
the ordnance bureau for guns and gun
carriages, but would cover the cost for
emplacements for guns and have the best
of torpedoes.
i The Senate committee on commerce to-
day reported to the Senate the following
bills: Fixing at 81 the fee for furnishing
certificates of title to vessels and extend
ing the time within which vest sis may
unload imported merchandise.
House Proceedings.
Washington, January 9.--In the House
today, Mr.. Livingstone asked unanimous
consent for consideration of the. following
concurrent resolution:
'That the President of the United
States is hereby requested to fort
ascertain whether Great Britain is ad-
vancing her outposts on the territory in
dispute between her colony of British
Guiana and the Republic of Venezuela,
or is reinforcing posts heretofore
established with troops, police or
ordance, and should the President be-
come oognizant of the fact that a British
military or police force is advancing to
invade or reinforce, or since the 18th day
of Decamhar last invaded OR reirifnrced