The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-02-06
The Senate Free Coinage Sub
stitute Discussed.
BY MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE
Pearson Dedounces the Popu-
lists and Free Silver.
he RlDIcuLE's BuTLER's CALL
Urges North Carolina Republicans to
Stand by Their Party and Not
Join Forces With
Populists

Populists.
Washington, Feb. 5.-The debate on
the Senate free coinage substitute for
the House bond bill was scheduled to
commence to-day and there was a
good attendance, in consequence, in
the galleries.
The session opened with an attempt
to pass a bill to stop the ''pugilistic
festival billed to take place near El
Paso, Texas" on February IA. Mr..
Catron, the delegate fro New Mex
leo, asked unanimous consent for the
consideration of the bill which makes
it a misdemeanor, punishable by inn
prisonment, for men to engage in a
pugilistic encounter in the District of
Columbia or the territories of the Uni
ted States. A 'pugilistic encounter"
as defined by the bill is a fight be-
tween two or more men," with or
without gloves, at which an admission
fee is charged The bill had not been
reported by committee and Mr..
Bartlett (Dem., New York; interposed
an objection. but withdrew it when
Mr.. Henderson (Rep., Iowa. pleaded
the urgency of the case.
Mr.. Catron explained that it was
notorious that the preparations for the
series of fights now going on at El
Paso, Texas, could not take place there
but were to occur in the territory of
New Mexico. which was within three
miles of FL Paso.
Mr.. Catron also said that it was the
purpose of the managers of the fights
to supplement- them with bull fights,
and some Mexican bulls were now on
their way to the United States. In
view of the shortness of the time now
remaining (nine days. he warned the
House that if objection Ayere made
and the bill was sent to comm. ttee
it could notspas both houses and be
signed in time TO prevent the mills"
Mr. Knox rep, Massachusetts, OBJ
iected and the bill went to the commit
tee.
The regular order being then de-
manded the votes were taken on the
amendments TO the District of Column
bia appropriation bill to strike out the
appropriation for sectarian charitable
institutions.
Mr.. Hepburn (Rep., Iowa. tried to
move to recommit the bill, but the
could not be entertained, the ayes and
noes on the passage Of the bill having
been ordered on the demand Of Mr..
Crisp. The result was that many Re-
publicans who were dissatfed with the
action of the House in striking out
these items, voted outright against the
bill.
The Speaker then announced the
vote f35 yeas; 143 nays.
Sixty-one Republicans voted against
the bill. 1t was the first defeat sus-
tanned by the majority and was greet
ed with cheers on the Democratic side.
Mr.. Grosvenor (Rep., Ohio) moved to
reconsider. This was carried-189 TO
so. Mr. Grosvenor then moved To re-
commit the bill, with instructions TO
re-eyamine the bill and report on the
subdivisions under the head Of chari-
ties.
A short but hot debate closed the
struggle. Mr.. Crisp, in satiraticai
tones, to the accompaniment OF Demo-
cratic applause, congratulated the
House on its ability to transact public
business. He had, he said, consulted
members who had had long expert
ence in the House and had made some
inquiry himself and so far as he could
learn. this was the first time in the his
tory of the House that general appro-
priation bill had been defeated and
that, too, i'm a House with $50 ma
iority. II was, he said noteworthy
event. He called attention to the fact
that i'm the last Congress the present
Speaker frequently congratulated his
side on its capacity 10 do business.
Whatever had been the msdoings in
the last House il had never reached
the point of impotency where il was
unable to pass an appropriation bill.
IT had frequently been said that Con-
gress was a board of aldermen of the
District of Columbia. "You gentle
men," said he, addressing the Repub-
lican side, "have written yourselves
down as incapable of acting as board
of aldermen" (Laughter.)
Mr.. Grosvenor (Rep. Ohio) in reply
said that the difference between this
| House and the last was that this House
was capable of rectifying its mistakes.
| lie recalled, amid Republican applause,
| that the Democrats had passed a tariff
| bill and it had come back with 644
| amendments, mistakes and blundefs.
| Yet the Democratic House had swai-
lowed them at gulp and the punish
ment of the people was apparent from
the present proportions of the other
side. Mr.. Cannon (Rep. llls.) chair
man of the Appropriations committee,
denominated Mr.. Crisp's remarks as
Leather and prunillo." He explained
| that the bill was being recommitted
because for several days it was ap-
| parent that both sides were dissatisfied
| with certain features of it. So far as
| competency to legislate was concerned,
/ y I'll ut tLla