The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-08

| of the house today, though it lasted
| but two hours, witnessed a very lively
| skirmish over the question of distrib-
| uting the presidents message to the
| various committees clothed with jurlS-
diction over the subjects dealt with.
! The conflict of authority came between
| the ways and means committee and the
| banking and currency committee. The
battle ragged all along the line. During
| the debate Gen. Grosvenor, of ONO,
| fired the first gun against the civil
service law, and this also brought the
| friends and enemies of that measure
| into action. Mr.. Johnson Qnd), in
ringing warning, declared that, If
| bill to emaSculate the civil service law
| were passed, it would meet the presi-
Dental veto. Eventually Mr.. Dingley,
in Difference to the opposition of the
members of the banking and currency
committee, agreed to a modification of
the order of distribution so as to send
to the ways and means committee all
matters relating to the revenues, the
bonded debt of the country and the
! treaties affecting the revenues" The
resolution was then adopted.
After the session Chairman Walker
and that his committee, under the or
der, would have Jurisdiction of a meas
ure to, as he expressed it, convert the
greenbacks into gold certificates. But
members of the ways and means COM
mittee insisted that changes of YER
biage in the order would not affect
| their jurisdiction.
Mr.. Dingley, after the routine pre-
liminaries, from the committee on ways
| and means, presented a resolution
adopted by that committee for the dis
tribution of the presidents message
to the several committees having juris-
diction of the various subjects treated.
Mr.. Walker (Rep., Mass.), chairman of
the banking and currency committee,
asked for a rereading of the portion
of the resolution giving the ways and
| means committee jurisdiction of all the
portions relating to "the revenues, the
national finances, the public debt and
the preservation of the public credit
! A very considerable debate followed
upon what the language of the resolu-
tion meant, and the issue as to juris-
| diction on the currency problem as be-
tween the ways and means and the
| banking and currency committees was
| sharply raised.
Before the debate, which lasted over
an hour, had been concluded, the house
was plunged into a debate on the cur
! rency problem. Mr.. Walker, after the
re-reading of the resolution, asked
with some heat what was left to his
! committee
Mr.. Dingley replied suavely that all
| matters relating to banking and cur
rency under the resolution would go
to the banking and currency commit
tee.
There seems to be a decided con-
f1ct of opinion as to what matters
refer to banking and currency" ex-
claimed Mr. Walker, rather sharply.
Mr.. Dlngley protested that the Ian
guage of the resolution was Identical
with that of former resolutions on
the same subject, but he was immedi-
ately bombarded with questions as
to the practical effect of the resolu-
tion's language.
Mr.. Bailey (Texas) the minority
leader, attacked the flank of Mr.. Ding
| ley. He wanted to know specifically
whether measure to effectuate the
/ recommendations of the president on
the currency would go to the ways
and means or currency committee.
Mr.. Dingley avoided direct re-
sponse.
IF it is proposed to retire the green
| backs in the manner recommended by
the president, where would it go?''
asked Mr.. Bailey.
Mr.. Johnson (Rep., Ind) pressed Mr..
Dingley along the same line.
Il would leave the determination of
! that question to the speaker" at last
replied Mr.. Dingley. The house
| laughed.
Mr.. Walker then got the floor and
Indignantly protested that, if the
questions relating to our legal tender
money, which lay at the very founda-
! ton of our banking and currency
! laws, were to come under the juris-
| diction of the ways and means COM
mittee the committee on banking and
currency might as we'll be dissolved.
If it was to be shorn of it's RESPONSE
bility why continue it? He aVoWed
that in the last congress his commit
tee had been steadily disregarded It's
members had cooled their heels in
the speakers lobby, he said and, when
at last they were allowed to bring
in bill, the previous question had
| been demanded without permission for
| debate, and he had been allowed to
| address the house only by unanimous
consent.
Mr. Cow Oem. Tenn.). the senior
Democratic member of the currency
committee, seconded the protest of
Mr. Walker.
Mr. Grosvenor (Rep., o. diverted the
whole course of the debate by an at
tack on the civil service law, which
was several times enthusiastically ap-
plauded both by members on the floor
and spectators in the galleries. At
the outset, he repudiated the idea that
opposition to the civil service law
involved an affront to the president.
Congress was empowered to deal with
the subject, and the president had
referred it to congress. He heartily
agreed with the president that there
were places in the classified service
which ought to be exempt"
II am glad" said Mr.. Grosvenor,
ito go that far with the president,
even if I am compelled to part COM
pany with him when he says the civil
service system has the official sanction
of the people"
Mr.. Grosvenor declared that he had
kept in touch with the sentiment of the
country, and that if the question were
submitted to the people west of the
Allegheny mountains, it would be bur
led under their overwhelming condem-
nation. His remarks in denunciation
of life tenure in office" were met with