The record-union., 1897-12-08

the line.
During the debate General Grosvenor
of Ohio fired the first gun against the
civil service law, and this also brought
the friends and enemies of that meas
ure into action.
Johnson of Indiana, in a ringing
warning, declared if a bill to emascu-
late the civil service law were passed
it would meet the Presidential veto.
When the House met to-day it set
tied down to the customary routine.
Rev. Henry Couden, the regular Chap
lain, who delivered 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
sessions of the House, and for the
printing OF documents for the use of
the committees. These We're the Gus
toTnary requests incident to the first
week of the session, and We're granted.
The Presidents message transmitting
the report of the special commission
ON the Paris International Exposition
in 1900, and recommending a liberal
appropriation for our representation at
the exposition, was laid before the
House.
Dingley, from the Committee on
Ways and Means, then presented res
olution adopted by that committee for
distribution of the Presidents message
to the several committees having ju-
risdiction Of various subjects treated
Walker (R.) of Massachusetts, Chair
man of the Banking and Currency
Committee asked for a rereading of the
portion Of the resolution giving the
Ways and Means Committee jurisdic-
tion Of all the portions relating to the
revenues, the national finances, the
public debt and the preservation of the
public credit
Before the debate, which lasted over
an hour, had been concluded, the
House was plunged into a debate on
the currency problem.
Walker, after the reading of the res
olution, asked with some heat what
was left to his committee.
Dingley replied that all matters re-
lating to banking and currency under
the resolution would go to the Banking
and Currency Committee.
There seems to be a decided con-
f1ict of opinion as to what matters re-
fer to banking and currency" exclaim-
ed Walker, rather sharply.
Dingley protested that the language
of the resolution was identical with
that of former resolutions on the same
subject, but he was Immediately bonn
barded with questions as to the prac-
tical effect of the resolutions language.
Bailey of Texas, the minority leader,
wanted to know specifically whether a
measure to effectuate the recommends
tions of the President on the currency
would go to the Ways and Means or
the Currency Committee.
Dingley avoided a direct response
eff it is proposed to retire the green
backs in the manner recommended by
the President. where would it go?'' SIX
ed Bailey.
Johnson (R.) of Indiana pressed
Dingley along the same line
Il would leave the determination of
that question to the Speaker" at last
replied Dingley.
The House laughed.
at is to avoid this very thing" ex-
claimed Johnson, that I desire this
question to be made clear now. Does
the Chairman of the Ways and Means
Committee think bill embodying the
principle of the Presidents recon-
mendation affects the redemption
fund.-"
Il think it Does" replied Dngley.
''Then the gentleman indirectly an
swers our question:" exclaimed John
son.
By this time, it being apparent that
debate would be required to dispose
of the question at issue, Dingley and
Bailey arranged for thirty minutes on
q side
Walker then got the floor and indig-
nantly protested that if the questions
relating to our legal tender money,
which lay at the very foundation of
our currency and banking laws, were
to come under the jurisdiction Of the
Ways and Means Committee, the Com
mittee on Banking and Currency might
as we'll be dissolved
Cox CD of Tennessee, the senior
Democratic member of the Currency
Committee, seconded the protest of
Walker.
Wheeler CD of Alabama at this
point got the floor and used few min-
utes in plea for a Government armor
plate plant in Alabama.
He was followed by Grosvepor (R.)
of Ohio, who diverted the whole course
of the debate by an attack on the civil
service law, which was several times
enthusiastically applauded both by
members on the floor and spectators in
the galleries.
Brossus (R.) of Pennsylvania, he
Chairman of the COMMITTEES on Civil
Service. defended the law and the
Presidents Interpretation of it. He
thought any attempt to legislate upon
the question must be regarded as an
indignity to the executive.
Johnson (R.) of Indiana, after some
opening remarks about the stupen-
dous folly of appointing bimetallic
commission to roll over Europe, made
strong speech in defense of the civil
service law.
Cochrane CD of Missouri in a sa-
tirical speech, spoke of the injustice
of turning over subject, which Walk
er had freely admitted he knew all
about, to Dingley. who had fathered
tariff bill that had already produced
a 100000 deficit
Bland Cd of Missouri averred that
it was well understood that nothing
would be done with the currency prob
lem, and Bodine Cd of Missouri al
legged that the civil service law was a
humbug. The West and South opposed
The latter gave some amusing illus
trations of its operations and caused
a laugh by the statement that Mr.
Cleveland had been some time in the
White House before he discovered that
The limited States was not bounded on