The herald., 1897-03-21
ECONOMISTS EMBARRASSED
By Prompt Demand for Extra Mileage and
Stationery
The Minority in the National House o
Representatives Is Eloquent. but the
Majority Passed bills
Associated Press Special Wire.

manning left over appropriation pllis
according to yesterdays schedule, the
agricultural bill carrying sS,1s2,902 and
the Indian carrying $7,67o,220.
The sentiment of the house against the
proyision in the Indian bill opening To
entry under the mining laws the lands
in the Uncompahgre reservation in Utah
containing gilsonite or asphaltum de-
posits, which was inserted in the bill by
the senate, was that it was stricken out
by unanimous consent.
After the appropriation bills were
passed a resolution for extra mileage
and stationery for this session of con-
gress was adopted. The debate on the
resolution was rather lively and ques-
tlon as to whether Mr. Holman had TAX
en- the extra mileage voted by the Fifty
third congress was voted greatly
to the embarrassment of the eco
nomist. He declined to answer it on
the ground that it was impertinent."
When the house met today it was still
operating under the order of yesterday
for the disposal of the four "left over
appropriation bills, the Indian and ag-
ricultural bills still remaining to be acted
upon but the agricultural bill was first
taken up under the rule adopted yes
terady
Wadsworth IN. Y. Rep)., the old chair
man of the agriculture committee, in
\ charge of the bill, contented himself
with simply stating that the bill carried
IS, 1872, 902.
Champ Clark (Mo. Dem)., then took
the floor and signalized his return to
congress with characteristic speech
which kept the house in an uproar OF
laughter and applause for fifteen min
utee.
The longer a man lives the more he
learns, was the first proposition he laid
down. He declared he had changed his
mind about the United States senate.
First to last he had said many unkind
things about the senate. During the dog
days of 1894, when the senate was hold
ing up the tariff bill, he had even favor
ed the abolition of that body. Today
he said he wanted to retract everything
he had ever said in derogation of the up
per branch of congress.
II thank God" said he, that the sem
ate of the United States still remains
deliberative body. Democratic ap-
plause.) l undertake to say that yes
terday and today have witnessed the
most astonishing and exasperating per-
formance which ever took place in the
American congress"
he api oceeded to argue, that the rules
proved drastic enougd; so that the whole
government of the house had now been
turned over to the triumvirate COM
posing the committee on rules.
During the last campaign" he shout
ed, addressing the Republican side, you
wandered over the face of the earth de-
nouncing 100000 American citizens as
Anarchists. Gentlemen of the majority
you are the Anarchists. What is an
archy? Government without rule, the
government of this body today" Demo
cratic applause.)
He warned his political adversaries
that there would be day of reckoning.
"The Republican party" he said, has
always been long on promises and short
In performances. You said the people
would be swamped to the chin in pros
perity If Mckinley was elected, even be-
fore the last administration went out,
for which / also thank God Democratic
applause), but the prosperity you prom
ised seems to be in a state of suspended
animation while you hesiege careworn
president trying to break through the
hypocritical SWIVEL service rules"
He created much amusement by asking
what the house was going to do after
the senate entered upon the real consid
Grafton of the tariff bill
what are you going to do?" he asked.
"Sit and look at each other and con-
stitute yourself a mutual admiration
society? Why not give the 14S new
members a chance to try their oratory?"
Clark was cut off by Speaker Reeds
gavel just as he was in the midst of a
glowing eulogy of Reeds quorum count
ing rule, which he said would prove the
cornerstone of his fame.
Williams of Mississippi OemocraD
said that beyond emphasizing the nov
city of the methods there was no reason
why there should be opposition to the
pending bill, which was an economical
and intelligent one.
The bill was then passed.
The last bill was the Indian appropria-
tion, of which Sherman of New York
(Republican) took charge. He explained
that the bill had been thoroughly con-
sidered in the last congress.
While it contained some features he
did not approve, Oh the whole it was
most excellent measure.
The item relative to the Uncompahgre
reservation was one of those he spec-
fed as Objectionable to him.
Cooper of Wisconsin (Republican)
criticised this paragraph which he said
would open up to those who could get
there first the richest asphaltum and
gilsonite deposits in the world.
Sayers asked if the house conferees
had not been informed that a combina-
tion existed to seize these lands ana
that unless this amendment was agreed
to there would be no bill.
Sherman said the statement had been
made that there was a combination. He
admitted that the house conferees had
received an ultimatum a. to this ;tenl
"Then l beg the house to reject the
BILL" said Sayers.
Grosvenor pointed out the Importance
of the asphaltum discovery on this res
ervation without either supporting or
opposing the items in the bill. He said
THE asphaltum on the islSs of Trinidad
was owned by a single combination
which paid S1.25 a ton to the c~cwn of
England
The asphaltum cost delivered in New
York $40 q ton yet it sold by the COM
bination for from SIS to $40 per ton. He
said the deposits on this reservation, If
they are as rich as they were repre-
sented to be, were of the most vital i'm
portance to the people of the United
States, because this asphaltum would
come into competition with a product
which was selling at from four to seven
times its cost
Sayers said he believed Cleveland was
right when he refused to sign the bill
with this provision in it. He declared
cit was bare-faced robbery, and that
every member who voted for it would
be to that extent responsible
Cooper declared these deposits were
worth millions. The land should be sold