The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-05-15
OUR lMPO4ENF SENATE
Republican Caucus Dis
>cussing All the Things
1t Cannot Do.
AFRAID OF THE TARIFF
Cuban TOmfoolery Again-Partisan
Blows at the National
Credit.

WASHINGTON. May 15, 1896.-The Re
publicans of the Senate We're in caucus
this morning for little more than half
an hour, but adjourned without having
taken action Of a positive character on
any OF the matters that came before it,
The steering committee was instructed to
ARRANGE an order of business and report
% another caucus to be held next
The Dupont case came up for discussion
but not on its merits The talk about
motion to be made this afternoon to
session OF congress appears to have been
confined wholly to the newspapers, for
Il lo was not mentioned at the caucus. 1t
was understood by the caucus that the
Senate some two weeks ago provided thai
at five o'clock this afternoon the final
vots was to be taken and the question
settled definitely one way or the other.
Inc arrangement OF pairs was provided for
and an effort will be made to have every
Repuol!can present or properly paired.
Mr sherman precipitated a discussion
OF the bill to repeal the free alcohol clause
of the Wilson bin but the debate on that
measure ea va Vas confined to its preliminary
would like to see the measure pass be-
cause OF the saving of revenue that would
be MADE as result of such action. Some
but did not like the idea of bringing 1t
about in the shape of an amendment to
measure against which there was no OPP
positions. others were opposed to the repeal
Mr.. Platt, of Connecticut, was the par
tlcularl exponent of the antagonism to this
II Mr.. Sherman persisted in his efforts
to bring up the bill he would ernhroil the
Senate in discussion of the whole tariff
question and effectually block any hope
the people or members of Congress might
have of an early adjournment In this
view OF the case Mr.. Chandler concurred
flaHF1 t4I@r, N
man that under no circumstances could
ne secure the final passage of the repeal
Dill The advocates of repeal were re-
minded of the various amendments that
mad been made, among them that of Mr.
Platt, providing for the re-enactment of
the Mckinley law, and the suggestion was
those amendments would be prolific in
debate. Although Mr.. Sherman admitted
nothing nor, pledged himself to any plan
the caucus adjourned that he would NOT
again try to take the repeal bill up for
consideration.
oluticn in the Senate today which went
over until tomorrow, instructing the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations to inquire
as to the rights of the United States un-
der treaties with Spain in respect to the
trial OF American citizens arrested in
cuba, and under sentence of death .by the
spanish military tribunals; and also di-
recting the Secretary of State to send to
the Senate literal copies of the original
text of the Cushing protocol of July -
1877, and copies of correspondence on
sucn s9a protocol and on its bearing towards
the persons captured on the Competitor
Mr.. Callinger offered resolution declar-
ing that the widespread business depres-
sion and rapid increase of the\ public debt
demonstrates that the existing tariff law
does not produce sufficient revenue and
that a revision of the law is imperatively
demanded in the interests of the people
of the United States He asked that III
ia q IN n hfc 1o1l
as he desired to address the Senate either
ON the resolution or on some bill that
may be before the Senate before the ad-
journment of the present session.
resolution heretofore offered by Mr.
Aldrich (Rep., r. II, directing the Fin
anee Committee to inquire whether
fering from or are threatened with inju-
rious competition through importations
OF oriental products; and. if SO, to in
such competition possible, was taken IN
and agreed to, with an amendment Of
fered by Mr.. Mills (Dem., Tex.), instruct
ing the committee. to report also the labor
cost of products by the unit of quantity
in both countries.
In pursuance of previous notice, Mr..
Bacon Dem., CAD addressed the Senate
ance of bonds or other Understanding
obligations of the Government by the Sec.
retary of the Treasury or other officer of
the Government without the authority of
Congress.
He argued that Congress, either by
action or non-action. would be respon-
sible, if more bonds were issued Under
the law by which 262, 600 900 of bonds had
been sold in the last three years If the
session closed with that law unrepealed.
Congress would be saying to the peoDle
that it approved of the law and also
that it approved of what the Secretary
of the Treasury had done under it in
the past, and would approve of
what he might do in the future. He
argued that a delegation of the powers
of Congress over the finances Of the eoun-
try was a violation of the letter. and
of tho spirit of the Constitution. Under
the existing law that autocratic power
over the finances was exercised not only
in the absence of popular consent, but in
opposition to the wishes of the people
and of their chosen representatives From
the foundation of the government every
issue of bonds had been made under au-
thorit given by Congress. And
the act 1875 under which s9S2. :
100000 of bonds were issued was
no exception to that rule; be-
cause it was only intended to exchange
one form of indebtedness for another
form-that was. to issue bonds in order to
cancel gTeenbacks 1t was never in
tended to clothe the Secretary of the
Treasury with unlimited power to issue
bonds at his discretion.