The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-14
TOTAL ONE BIHLIoE
EXTRAVAGANCE OF REPUBLICAN
APPROPRIATIONS ROUNDLY
SCORED IN THE HOUSE.
A FIELD DAY OF DEBATE.
sUNHRH CIVIL BILL. THE BASIS OF
A GENERAL P0LETICAL CROSS
FIRE
FROM INCOMES TO CUBAN QUESTION
Tariff Bills, Judge Shiras' Change
OF Mind and the Supreme Court
VsSJched in Passing.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13.-This has
been a field day in the house. The sun
dry civil appropriation bill was before
that body for general debate. 1t was
used as a basis for an attack by the
Democrats on the vast appropriations
made by this congress. MIR. Sayers and
Mr. DOckery estimated they would ag-
gregate $l.045. 100000. The latter paid
a high tribute to Speaker Reed aud
acquitted him of all responsibility for
the large appropriations. The relative
merits of the Mckinley and Wilson bills
as revenue producers were also attack
ed and defended; the income tax de-
cision and Justice Shiras' change Of
position came in for a share of at
tention, and Mr. De Almond, of Mis-
souri, concluded the day with a bril-
liant plea for struggling Cuba, which
won from the house shouts Of approval.
An intimation was made that there
was to be an attempt to pass the sun
dry civil bill under a suspension of the
rules on Monday, but Mr.. Cannon, who
has charge OF this bill, denied this.
There is evidently a movement on foot,
however, to thus dispose of the meas
ure, but at present it seems to lack the
SlIeIlSlA " carry 1t. oOIuS Oh the IN
tereSts which were not taken care of
by the bill desire to make their fight to
overrule the committee on the floor
The house, without preliminary busi-
ness, went into committee of the whole
as soon as it met this morning. and
resumed the consideration of the bill.
Mr.. Cannon. in charge, asked unani-
nous consent that the bill be consid-
cred as having been read the first time.
Mr.. Hepburn CRep., Io) asked If the
purpose of passing the bill next Mon
day under suspension of the rules had
been abandoned, and if this was a
move to procure the first reading Of
the bill to avoid criticism made when
the river and harbor bill was passed
last year without it having been read
The question evidently nettled Mr.
Cannon, who replied that he was will
ing that the house should pursue to-
wards this bill any course the major
ity desired. He called attention to the
fact that but two weeks of the session
yet remained. and there were still to
pass. in addition to the sundry civil
bill, the naval appropriation bill and
the general deficiency bill
but you have not answered my
question" exclaimed Mr.. Hepburn.
Have you abandoned the purpose Of
passing this bill under suspension Of
the rules?"
There was never any such purpose"
replied Mr.. Cannon sharply.
SUNDRY CIVIL BILL.
A compromise was arranged and the
reading of the bill dispensed with. It
was agreed there should be five hours
general debate, two hours and a half
on a side.
Mr.. Cannon made the opening state
ncnt regarding the measure. 1t car
ried $50, 664 TAB, about 49, OO0, 600 less than
the estimates and about ST., 800, 900 more
than carried by the bill for the current
year. The increase was extraordinary,
but. he said, easy of explanation. OF
the increase SIS, 531. 900 was for river
and harbOr improvements, authorized
to be placed under contract by the
river and harbor bill of one year ago,
and Sl,620,120 for public buildings III
the course of construction, and $709, 400
for the expenses of the United States
courts. He said the committee recon-
mended no appropriation for Whining
ton, Del, because it had been found
that the work could not be done for
the sum authorized by the river and
accounted for the failure to appropriate
in this bill for the Oakland, Cal i'm
provement, which would cost $7OO, 900
more than was authorized. The same
was true Of the Kentucky river The
river and harbor bill authorized an ex-
penditure of 100000. 1t would require
81 .G00.000 to complete the project Other
improvements were omitted from the
bill fer the same reasons.
Mr.. Savers Oem.. Tex. taking the
sundry civil bill as a text. attacked
the record of this congress in the mat
ter of eXtrava giant expenditures The
appropriations for this congress- he
declared. would reach the unprecedent-
ed sum Of one billion and forty-five
million dollars. He asserted that it
would not he in the power Of the Re
puhicanS Of the next congress to pass
a. tariff bill that would raise revenue
. enough to meet expenditures. unless