Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-12
SENATE AND HOUSE.
ILLUSTRATION OF LOOSE BUSINESS
METHODS OF CONGRESS.
DEBATE ON MONEY QUESTION.
Matter of Making Arizona Bonds
Payable I'm GoId-Rcport i'm Wat
sOn-DIack Casc-Morgan snrcnstic
with reference to Cleveland.

WASHINGTON, IL. -, ftDtudly IL
A curious illustration Of the extreme
ly loose business methods of Congress
was furnished in the Senate to-day,
when Mr.. Vest reported back from
the Committee on Commerce House
bill which had been referred to that
committee. and stated that the same
bill precisely had passed both houses
at the present session, had been ap-
proved and signed by the President, and
was now law.
The diplomatic and consular appro-
priation bill, carrying an aggregate Of
81, ,695. .3OS. was passed, after some caustic
remarks by Mr.. Morgan on an item of
$1,000 for a minister plenipotentiary 10
the States Of Nicaragua, Costa Rica,
and Salvador. Two of these States, he
said. had, according to newspaper re-
ports, formed, with Honduras a new
government called the Greater Republic
Of Central America, sending minister
TO Washington, who had been formally
received by the President, and closing
their respective foreign offices, so that
an American minister could hold no
diplomatic relations with them indi-
vidually But Of this change the Presi-
dent OF the United States had no. con-
descended 10 give any information TO
Congress or the people.
Mr.. Morgan spoke Of this state OF az
fairs as having brought about very
awkward complication, but he said that
he had no proposition to make about II.
Neither had Mr.. Hale Repuolican), OF
Maine, who was I'm charge or the Dill,
and who recognized the force of Mr..
Morgan's observations. but said that the
Committee on Appropriations had
thought It better TO leave the usual item
in the bill, and let the State Department
arrange the difficulty in the way that
might seem best to il.
An agreement was reached to have the
vote on the conference report on the
immigration bill taken at p. NJ. next
Wednesday,
At half-past 1 the Senate went into
executive session on the arbitration
treaty. and continued 70 sit with closed
doors till 4:45 p NJ, when it adjourned.
House of Representatives.
A misplaced semicolon in the bill
providing for the refunding of the bond
ed Indebtedness of the several Ter
ritories was the innocent cause of
wholly unexpected debate on the none
tary question in the House to-day, last
ing two or three hours. Two or three
years ago Congress authorized Arizona
to sell some gold" bonds, upon the
request of NJ. A. Smith, then the Dele
gate from that Territory, because the
Territory could get better terms for
such bonds than for ''lawful-money"
bonds. The bill under discussion autho-
rized the refunding Of these particular
bonds in gold bonds. but the presence
of a semicolon I'm the text suggested 10
the mind of Mr.. McMillin OyemocraD,
of Tennessee, the possibility that the
bill could be so construed as TO war
rant the issue of gold bonds for all the
bonds issued by Arizoifa. From a decla-
ration by Mr.. Payne Republican), of
New York, that he could see no harm
that would result If all the bonds were
made payable i'm gold. a lively discus
sion sprang up. in which members took
part. and which took a wide range. The
most important statements in the
course Of the debate were those OF Mr.
Knox Repubican) Of Massachusetts
in charge of the BILL that the country
was upon a gold basis. that 1t would
doubtless continue on that basis; that
IL would not initiate an international
bimetallic conference, and that there was
sufficient statesmanship in the Repubi-
can party TO provide for the largest pos
sible use of silver, and that 1t would
not be through the unlimited coinage OF
that metal.
At Mr. Knox's suggestion, the semi
colon was replaced by a comma; on
Mr.. McNnlin's suggestion, the bonds,
other than the Arizona gold bonds
named, were made payable in lawful
money of the United States and the
bill was then passed.
The sundry civil appropriation bill for
the year ending June 30, 1898. was re-
ported by Mr.. Cameron Republican), OF
Illinois. and placed on the calendar.
Mr.. Bartlett UemocraD, Of Georgia
presented the unanimous report of Elec-
tions Committee No. /. upon the contest
of Thomas Il. Watson VS.. j. c. c. Black
from the Tenth District of Georgia, IN
favor of Black, and stated that he would
call II up at the first opportunity.
The bill making appropriations (a total
Of 50 253. $3.50. for fortifcations, for the
wear ending June 30, 1898, was consi-
dered and passed
The post-office appropriation Dill was
taken up in Committee of the Whole
and discussed for an hour, without ac-
tion. The House then, at $40 p. NJ, ad-
iourned.