The morning times., 1896-06-05
BIG ITEMS DISPOSED Of
Conference Report on the Dis
triCt Bill Submitted.
STILL HANG ON CHARITIES
Senate Has Receded from SS7O,96O
and the House Agrees TO SAG, 722.
The Items still In Dispute Involve
S54S, ,496-Points on Which Agree
ment Has Not Been Reached.

The first conference report on the District
appropriation bill was yesterday afternoon
presented in the House by Mr.. Grout, who
said the largest items in dispute had been
disposed OF. Several matters, including
those relating to charities, We're still under
consideration. - -
The request for a further conference
was agreed to by the House aud Messrs.
Gruut, Pitney, and Dockery were renamed
as confereeS.
The statement submitted shows that the
Senate, by its amendments, added to the
bill 81 1855 ,119.03. or this sum, Under
the terms of the conference report, the
Senate will recede from 1870 $50; the
House Will agree to Si46 ,722.09, and
S54S. 1876. "a is involved IN The amendments
on which the conference committee has
been unable to agree.
The amendments still in dispute are as
follows:
pprepriating S202 $50 for payment
for property condemned for the extension
Q. sixteenth street.
Regulating the use of underground cleo
trio or cable street railwaysby other street
railway companies
Approprating S6 900 for paving Connec-
ticut avenue and Columbia road, and
requiring that Connecticut avenue shall
be extended straight from LIE Roy place
10 the DlSlTiCU Hue
GAS AND ELECTRIC LIGHTS.
Appropriating for andregulating the price
OF gas and electric lights.
AppFopriating S226, $40 out of the Dis
trict revenues, and re-appropriating u like
like sum out of the general treasury Tor
completing the Washin gton Aqueduct tunnel.
Regulating telephone charges III the Dis
trict of Colu ui6ia.
Requiring that not exceeding $500 .000
OF the surplus revenues of the District be
applied in payment of the water debt OF
the District.
The conference committee ismaking every
effort 10 sift these items in dispute down so
that none will he left but those referring
to local charities. 1t is not believed the
House will be called upon to express its
opinion by vote on any proposition until
that alone remains.
The question involved in the charity items
is not one of money, but method OF distribu-
tion. The sums added in the Senate iu-
crease the total as fixed in the House by
only a few thousand dollars. But the
Senate insists that there shall be no change
il, the plan heretofore pursued OF dividing
this money among the various well estab-
lisbed charitable institutions.
The House, on the other hand, is deter
mined that these funds shall be expended
under direct governmental supervision and
no portion gwen 10 any StdDflSlnent which
is directly or indirectly or a sectarian
character.
NO SOLUTION IN SIGHT.
The House has twice empha tically eX-
pressed its Sc utment on the subject OF sec
tartan charities aided by public appropria-
tons. The District bill was defea ated when
placed on its passage by coed working
majority because it contained sCme aPpro-
t1riationS which were Construed Spf.t.l-
rian, After the objectionabl bic items had
been eliminated. upon the recommittal of
the bill for that purpose, an amendment to
reiusert the old schedule as a substitute
for the committees proposition to give
lump sum, equal to the total amounts he re-
tofore carried in separate items, to the
board OF chil[lren's guardians, was rejected.
In consequence Of these votes in the
House the charity question begins to as
sumc something of phase approXimating
the old stock debating society topic as to
the results attendantupon irresistible mo-
tion coming in contact with an immovable
body.
1t is almost sa fe to predict that the House
will not yield on the point OF sectarianism.
and there appears to be no solution in
sight unless the Senate shall yield or an
entirely new compromise proposition be
submitted Many members have very little
love for the Senate and will at no time be
found in a conceding mood. They will
insist on non-sectarian appropriations for
charitable purposes in the District or ncne.