The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-12
LIVELY TILT IN THE HOUSE.
Mr.. Walker Scores Mr.. Dinsley
and MI. DalZpll.

War claims amounting to 81 200. 900 were.
under the rules, the subject of debate in
the House yesterday, and when, at
O'Clock, the House took a recess, the bill
was not half finished. and its further
consideration was deferred until next Fri
day. The debate would have been slow
and devoid of interest if it had not been
for the antagonism created by the oppo-
sition of Mr.. Dingley of Maine and Mr..
Dalzell Of Pennsylvania. the latter at the
outset making Il point of order that it
was not competent for the Committee on
War Claims 10 report a measure which
contained $40 claims as one bin, inasmuch
as each claim was separate bill.
Mr.. Payne of New York, in the chair,
overruled the point of order, and the clerk
read the bill, which showed that the
claims were distributed as follows:
Alabama. so; Arkansas, Sc; Georgia, AZ;
Illinois, !; Kansas, 3; Kentucky. Sc; Lou
isiana, p; Maryland, 20; Mississippi. 1O9;
Missouri, 81; New York, /; North Caroli-
IA, 10; Ohio. 2; Oregon, /; Pennsylvania.
1; South Carolina, 2; Tennessee, $50; Vir-
ginia 66: West Virginia. 46.
After debate of a general character had
been in progress for some time Mr. Ding
ley made speech against the bill, de-
claring among other things that it ought
not TO pass now because the condition of
the Treasury was such that it could not
stand legislation of such a character. Mr..
Dalzell backed up all that Mr.. Dingley
had said, and asserted that the bill should
not pass, because II was simply the judg-
ment of the Court of Claims and evidence
should be had by the House to support
the claims. and also that the House had
no right to mass $40 separate bills as one
Dill In addition to these specific objec-
lions he protested on general principles
Mr.. Walker of Massachusetts, Chair
man of the Committee on Banking and
Currency. took exception to the remarks
he had heard Messrs. Dingley and Dali
eel utter, and. kicking over his Repub-
hcan traces, he sailed into these gentle
men like a hurricane. He declared the
Government should pay its honest debts.
He had become tired of seeing his Repub-
Hcan friends each Friday, through par
hamentary tactics, delay the payment of
honest claims against the Government
He asserted that Mr.. DalzelFs protest
went to the point that the Government
should not be honest and decent in deal
ing with its citizens, and facing both Mr..
Dalzel and Mr.. Dingley. the indignant
member from Massachusetts declared that
IL lnSEe was not SuiIClent money IN the
Treasury 10 pay honest claims with, that
they, Messrs. Dingley and DaIzell. were
responsible for that condition, for the
Treasury was what they had made it, He
added that there was no good reason why
the Treasury should not have money
enough to pay its debts, for the country is
rich. and properly taxed would bring
about fun treasury. He intimated that
the failure of the Dingley bill caused the
shortage in the Treasury.
Gen Grosvenor of Ohio asked the Dem
ocrats why they had not passed the war
claims during the Fifty-third Congress,
when they We're in power and then as
serted that if the Republican majority
should pass the claims every Democratic
stump speaker next fall would denounce
them as extravagant for having done so.
An effort to obtain delay was made by
Mr.. Moody of Massa chusetts. who offer
ed as an amendment to the bill a provi-
sion for the payment of the old French
spoiiauon claims. A point of order was
made against the amendment, which, af-
Ter discussion, was sustained and the
amendment was thrown out. vote will
probably be taken on the bill next Fri
day.