The herald., 1896-02-19
IN THE HOUSE
The Agricultural Bill Passed Seeds Ordered
to be Distributed

The Agricultural Bill Pas ssed- eds Ordered
to be Distributed
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1S.-The house to-
day passed the agricultural appropriation
bill. 1t carries $3,l5S.l92. The section
of the revised statutes for the purchase
and distribution of rare and uncommon"
seeds, which Secretary Mo ton declines to
execute i'll the current appropriation law,
was repealed, the appropriation for seed
was increased from $I3O,O00 to S15O,O00
and its execution was made mandatory
upon the secretary.
Mr. Cousins of Iowa introduced his
amendment to reduce Mr.. Mortons salary
from $4,000 to $4,000 until lie expended
the appropriation in the current law, but
the amendment was ruled out on point
of order.
Several amendments to the meat in
spection act of 1891 recommended by
Secretary Morton, which would have given
him additional power to enforce regula.
tions and have strengthened the law by
the imposition of penalties for violations,
were stricken out.
Bills were passed to permit the Kansas
and Fort Scott railroad to extend its lines
into the Indian territory; to dispose of the
Fort Klamath hay reservation, and to
grant the Columbia and Red Mountain
railroad right of way through the Col
Vile reservation.
resolution was adopted directing the
committee OH ways and means to investi-
gate the effect of the difference of exchange
between gold and silver standard countries,
upon the manufacturing industries of the
United States. Notice was also given that
the contested election case of Van Horne
VS.. Tarsney would be called up next Tues
day.
Mr.. Newlands, who presented the ways
and means investigation resolution. stated
that the chamber of Commerce of San
Francisco has called the attention of the
country to the invasion of products from
oriental countries, especially Japan.
California has already felt the effect of
this competition. He recalled the invas-
ions of the Chinese and their absorption of
every industry which they had attacked
which had led to their exclusion. The
Pacific coast, he said. was now threatened
with the invasion of the products of the
cheap labor of the oriental countries. He
gave some Information regarding the cheap
prices at which Japanese watches, brushes,
cottons, woolens, etc., were being sold in
the San Francisco markets. Even bicycles,
he sa1d, were being imported and sold for
S1S apiece. He described how bicycles
couh be manufactured in Japan for $12 in
sAvee and sold here for S12 in gold. The
iufease in the price of silver, he thought,
would take from the oriental countries the
advantages they now possessed.
The house then went into committee OF
the whole and resumed the consideration
of the agricultural appropriation bill.
Mr.. Cousins, OF Iowa, in criticisinR Secre-
tary Mortou's course, characterized it as
the ''grossest usurpation of modern times" !"
He declared that the secretary had SUBJ
orned employees with salaries of $500 each
and had actually used $1,000 of the ap-
preparation Of last year to defeat that
legislation. He stated that these ''cor-
rupted and suborned' officials had already
let the cat out Of the bag by writing to va
rious seed houses saying there will be no
distribution of seeds this year.
1.-The secretary" said he. "pats the
house on the head, strokes the gray heards
of the senate, scowls at the president and
says there will not be any seed distribu-
ton this year of our Lord. not if he knows
| himself. Uaughter.)
This is no longer government for the
| people," he declared. ut is government
by Pierpont Morgan and J. Sterling Nor
! ton.''
Mr.. Payne, Republican of New York,
| made point of order against a provision
| in the bill ITO compile the records of the
| tests of dairy COWS at the Columbian expo
sition and to prepare the same for perma-
nent preservation"
Mr., Richardson, Democrat of Tennessee,
intimated that this provision was intended
to boom certain herd of dairy cattle.
Mr.. Connolly, Republican of Illinois, on
the other hand intimated that there was an
attempt to smother the results of those
tests in the various breeds of cattle which
we're afraid to enter the competition.
The chair sustained the point of order,
and the provision was ruled out. The
amendments to the act of 1891 for the in
spection of live cattle. hogs, carcasses and
products thereof, which had been incorpor-
ated in the bill, we're stricken out on motion
of Mr.. Baker, Republican of New Hamp-
shire. The amendments refused clear
auce to vessels exporting meats not
found sound upon inspection and
| provided for the certifcation and
stamping of cattle, sheep and swine
found, free of disease and made counterfeit
| ing of such certificates of stamps punisha-
| BILE by fine of $1,000 and Imprisonment
not exceeding one year. The secretary of
agriculture was authorized by one amend
ment stricken out to make regulations tr
prevent the transportation of condemned
carcasses of meat from one state to an.
other or to foreign countries. An amend
ment to print 10000 copies of the report
of 1892 on diseases of cattle was ruled
out. The bill as amended was passed.
Mr.. Lacey then called up the bill to ex'
tend for five years tile time for blngine
suits to vacate and annul patents to public
lands under the railroad land grants. The
bill extends the time five years.
Without action on the bill, the house al
o'clock adjourned.