The San Francisco call., 1897-12-08
Already the House Is in
/ the Throes of De-
bate.
DlNGLEY STARTS THE
BALL ROLLING.
Controversy as to Which Com
mittee Shall Consider
Currency Problems.
GROSVENOR ASSAILS THE
CIVIL SERVICE.
Modification of Resolution Ter.
inmates the Talk Between the
ContendIng Leaders,
Special Dispatch 10 THE CALL
CALL OFFICE. RIGGS HOUSE
w WASHTNGTON Dao =

The session OF the House to-day, though
1t lasted but two hours, witnessed very
lively sklrmlsh over the question of dis.
Erlbutlng the Presidents message to the
Aanous committees clothed with iurisdIc-
tiol 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 ali along the line. During
the debate General Grosvenor of Ohio
fired the first gun against the civi-service
law, and this also brought the friends and
enemies of that measure into action.
Johnson of Indiana, in a ringing warn
ing, declared that if bill to emasculAte
the ciVil-service law were passed it would
meet the Presidential veto.
Eventually Dingley, in difference to the
opposition OF the mem bers of the Bank
ing and Currency Committee, agreed to a
modification of the order of distribution,
so as to send to the Ways and Means Com
mittee all matters relating to the "reve-
nues, the bonded debt OF the country and
the treaties affecting the revenues" The
resolution was then adopted.
After the session Chairman Walker
claimed he had won a decisive victory
and that his com mittee, under the order,
would have Jurisdiction of measure to,
as he expressed it, convert the greenbacks
into gold certificates.
But N EN- pers of the Ways and Means
Committee insisted that the changes of
verbsge IN the order would not affect
their jurisdiction and that measure such
as the President suggested. if introduced
in the House, would be referred by the
lyar IN boj
The House settled down to the Gus
tomary routine to-day. Rev. Henry
Couden, the regular chaplain, who deIiv-
cred the invocation, asked for the divine
blessing upon the President in his hour
OF trial and anxiety.
After the reading of the journal. leave
was asked by several of the more i'm
( portant committees to sit during the ses-
SONS of the House, and for the printing
\ Of documents for the use of the COM
mittees. These were the customary re-
quests incident to the first week of the
session, ana were granted.
Inc Presidents message, trans miJting
the report OF the special commission on
the Paris International Exposition in
1900. and recommending a liberal appro-
priatIOn for our representation at the ex-
position, was laid before the House.
Dngley. from the Committee on Ways
and Means, then presented a resolution
adopted by that committee for the dlstri-
button of the Presidents message to the
several mmittees having jurisdiction of
various subjecus treated.
Walker (R.) of Massachusetts,, chair
man of the Banking and Currency Com
:nittee, asked for a rereading OF the por-
ton of the resolution giving the WAYS and
Means Committee Jurisdiction of all the
portions relating to the revenues, the ma
al dah he
preservation OF the public credit. A de.
bate followed upon what the language OF
tae resolution meant. and the Issue to
the Jurisdiction OF he currency problem
a. between the Ways and Means and the
Banking and Currency was sharply raised.
Before the debate, which lasted over an
hour, had been concluded, the House was
plunged into a debate on the currency
problem. Mr.. Walker, after the reading
of the resolution, asked with some heat
what was left to hls committee.
Dingley replied that all matters rela-
ting TO banking and currency under the
resolution would go to the Banking and
Currency Committee.
There seems to be a decided conflict
OF opinion as to what matters refer TO bank
ing and currency" exclaimed Walker
rather sharply.
Dingley protested that the language OF
the resolution was Identical with that of
former resolutions on the same ubject,
but he was Immediately bonn barded with
questions as to the practical effect of the
resolutions language.
Bailey of Texas, the minority leader at
tackled the flank Of Din gley. He wanted
10 know specifically whether a measure
10 effectuate the recon mend tions of the
President on the currency would 90 to
the Ways and Means or the Currency
Committee.
Dinglev avoided direct response.
: retire ha praop.
backs in the manner recon- ended by the
President where would it go2" asked
Bailey.
johnson Or. of Indiana pressed Dingley
along the same line.
II would leave the determination of that
question TO the Speaker" at last replied
DIngiey. The House laughed.
ut IS to avoid this very thing" ex-
claimed Johnson, ''that l desire this ques
ton to be made clear now. Does the
chairman of the Ways and Means Com
1nittee think bill EN- bod wing the princi-
ple of the Presidents recommendation
affects the redemption fund p
II think it does" replied DingIey.
"Then the gentleman indirectly answer:
our question" exclaimed Johnson.
By this time it being apparent that de-
haze would be required to dispose of the
question at issue, Dingley and Bailey ar
ranged for thirty minutes on SIDE.
Walker then got the floor and indig-
uantIy protested that if the questions
relating to our Iegal-tender money, which
lay at the very foundation of our cur
rencY and banking laws, were to come
under the jurisdiction OF the Ways and
Means Committee, the Committee on
Banking and Currency might as well be
dissolved. If it were to be shorn OF its
, responsibilities, why continue 1t! lie
avowed that in the last Congress his com
mittee had been steadily disregarded.
4 lis members had cooled their heels In the
4 Speakers lobby, ne said, and when al
Mast thew were allowed to bring in Dill,
The previous question had been demand e. eo
without permission for debate. and nc
had been allowed to address the House
only by unanimous consent.
Cox CD of Tennessee, the senior Demo
cratic member of the Currency Com
nittee, seconded the protest OF walker.
The Presidents recommendations as to
national bank circulation, he said, were
iuextricaDiy interviewer with the proposi-
ton to retire the greenbacks. If the Bang
ing and Currency Committee were to DC
anything he submitted that Its hanos
should not be tied. He expressed the