Evening star., 1898-01-12
Galleries o.; thsi House Almost De-
a serted.
URGENT DEFICIENCY BILL TAKEN UP
Debate yer transportation Of
Bullion.
THE HA WAIIAN TREATY

The civil service debate having been con-
cluded yesterday interest In the proceedings
Of the House of Representative was vis-
IDLY decreased today. The galleries were
almost deserted. and the attendance on the
floor was very light. Mr.. Cannon, chair
man of the appropriations committee, call
ed up the urgent deficiency bill.
The bill was considered in the House
in committee Of the whole
Mr.. Bell Coli raised the point of order
that the provision attached to an appro-
priation of $4,000 for the transportation
of bullion between the assay offices and
the mints was new legislation. This pro-
vision required the depositor of gold at
the assay offices to pay the cost of trans
portation hereafter.
The Speaker informed Mr.. Bell that
points of order had not been reserved
against this bill. whereupon Mr.. Bell NOV
ed to strike out the prcviso. He argued
against this proposed change in the policy
Of the government. Heretofore the gov
ernment had always paid the cost of trans
porting gold from assay offices to the mints.
HE said the purpose of the change was to
relieve the government from the cost of
transporting gold from the Klondike, but
he argued that if the government of the
United States declined to pay the cost of
transportation the gold would go to for
e!sn mints 1t was, he said another blow
aimed at the western miner. There was no
reason why the government had not the
same interest in securing the gold produc-
tion of the country now that it had had
in the past
Mr.. Shaforth (Col) in the same vein
argued against the proviso. Not content
with the gold standard. he said, this was
an attempt to discourage the production
Of gold and still further appreciate its
power and value.
Mr.. Cannon pointed out the fact that
lrfry for ~
cost of transportation from the assay
offices TO the mints had only existed since
1879.
If the law was continued until an assay
office was established on the Yukon the
government would have to pay the mint
price for gold in the Klondike and then
pay the cost of and assume all risks in
cident to transporting it to the San Fran
bounty on gold mining. Why should II
exist? 1t was a. plain business PROPOSE
tion. and he protested against trying to
conplicate It with the financial question.
discoveries in the Yukon furnished the
best reason why the existing law should
not be discontinued The government
should offer every Involvement to miners
to bring their gold 10 its mints.
Mr. Sayers ,(Tex.) supported the pro-
posed change in the government policy.
There was no moresreason he said. why
the government should give a bounty to
wheat growers. ..-
He wanted the members representing
cotton growing districts to reconcile their
opposition to this pEoviso with their duty
to their constituents. No other country
paid the freight on bullion
Mr. Livingston GaD denied that this
proposition in any way affected the finan-
cial issue. He favored 1t.
MIR. Kelley IS, d., Mr.. Dockery (Mo)
and Mr.. Bland -tMo.) opposed the proviso.
The latter in his remarks said the pres
ent law was a. Iart-of the resumption act
of 1879. 1t was intended to encourage and
facilitate gold production. Coupled with it
as the law providing for the sale of bonds
to provide gold" The encoura cement OIL
gold production was the cheaper and bet
ter way to procure gold This proViso was
in the interest of bond sales.
After some further remarks by Messrs.
Simpson (Kan.) and Underwood (Ala-)
against the protiso, Mr.. Bells motion to
strike out the proviso was defeated-59 to
Go. on a rising vote.
The yeas and nays We're demanded.
The vote resulted: Yeas. 10; nays, 125,
and Mr.. Bells motion was lost.
SENATE.
Mr.. Chandler of the committee on naval
affairs introduced in the SeEate today a
resolution. for which he asked immediate
consideration, asking the Secretary of the
Navy to furnish the Senate list of the
DS,
together with those who are at sea and
these who are on shore duty and those who
are on waiting orders.
Mr.. Allen (Neb.) said that he would be
glad to have included in the information
asked for the number Of retired officers of
the navy. 1T Is well known" said he,
that a vast army Of naval officers has
men who have been graduated from the
Naval Academy, or are about to be grad
uated Many of these retired officers are
anxious to resume active service, and I
would like to know whether the committee
proposes to do anything in that regard
Mr.. Chandler objected to tacking any
thing else to his resolution, and it was
adopted presented.
At 1928 pm. the Senate, on motion of
Mr.. Davis (Minn.). chairman of the COM
mittee on foreign relations, went into ex-
ecutive session.
Senator Davis Resumes.
Senator Davis resumed his speech in
favor of the annexation of Hawaii in the
executive session of the Senate today. He
took up the question Of the strategic i'm
portance to the United States of controll-
ing the islands. attempting to show that
in case of a conflict between other powers
in the orient or this country and some other
power the Islands would be invaluable to
the United States.
The anneXati0nfstS in the Senate are
somewhat discouraged over the detection
of republican senators. They had counted
upon securing the solid party vote for the
treaty with the exception of Senator Nor
rill, but they now admit that the proba-
bilities are that they will lose three or
four from that side unless some Of the
members change their present intentions.
They do not yet concede the defeat Of the
treaty nor do they evince any purpose to
cut short the taebate with the purpose OF
taking up the subject In other form in
III ShOuld he
evident they cannot win. They say that
on the contrary the5e will give the subject
it's due consideYa tionsw hatever the outlook,
and will insist Jill tAe end upon yea and
record. Ip
Mr.. Allen III Opposition,
Mr.. Allen of Nebraska followed Senator
Davis in onposition to the treaty