The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-04
LEGISLATIVE Committee.
Report Read at the National r. p
Meeting.

REPORT Read at the National Il. p.
Meeting.
The following report Of the National
legislative committee OF the Travellers PRO
tectivo Association was read at Louis
VILE:
The second session Of the Fifty NTH con
gres5 was scarcely less important than
that which Immediately preceded it. War
and rumors of war took precedent over
everything else. We. as commercial
body, are interested in the following bills
now pending, viz; The Sherman bill bet
ter known as the anti-scalpers bill The
establishment OF a department of COM
merce, manufacturers and labor establish
ment of an American legation building in
the City al Mexico.
Your chairman made four trips to Wash
ington In interest of these bills. Our as
ISOLATION indorsed tho Torrey "bankruptcy
bill, for which was substituted senate bill
1888. This new bankruptcy law in which
business men of the entire country are
Interested was approved by the president
on July l. ana went into effect immedl-
aIely, with this provision however that
no petition for voluntary bankruptcy shall
be filed within one month OF the passore
OF the act, and no petition for involuntary
bankruptcy within four months. 1t is also
provided that proceedings commenced I'M
der any State insolvency law prior % the
passage or the act shall not DC enoeted
by 1t,
The passage or this act Is regarded as
one of the most important achievement 4,
OF congress. The subject has neon so
long before congress aud had occasiauel
so much bitter controversy that clrly in
the session 1t was doubted IL sGtis-
factory law was possible. The agreement
between the two houses was necessarily
a compromise, and one in which it Is now
thought the interests OF the creditor anc
the debtor have been equally regarded
one OF the principal objections to the last
National bankruptcy law, which caused
some opposition in both houses to the
present act. was that II was admittedly
harsh and drastic In man. OF its provis-
ions, In the present law great care has
been taken to eliminate features II this
character. The purpose Of the conte!ees
IN this connection, as set forth In the CON
ference report, was to enable every honest
debtor TO secure a discharge from debt
upon surrendering all his property not
exempt by the law of his lonicne from
seizure and commence life anew. Al tbe
. So'A'N NAiHf tue law Is guarded nv rnlSOn1-
bly, involuntary features framed 10 pre-
vent debtors from running INTO debt.
Svasting the property obtained upon credit
. or applying il all 10 the payment of one
creditor in preference TO others eoual-
ly deserving Of protection These are the
purposes which the act is intended to serve.
tOscher with tho greater one Of sunoly-
ing uniform system applicable 10 all
sections OF the country
The Sherman bill better known rs tro
ami scalpers bill was passed by tho r use
but defeated in the senate aud as ono az
our exchanges remarked. THE bill would
now he q law had thcre been no .,sr ,hat
had the Firty-ntth congress. which is rnv
o part o. history, wrought alonG peaceful
lines the so called ticket broker and his
min iral influence would rN-' he elimiaainl
FRI n the carrying situation"
IL was time big VITA import 10 the
peaceful republic OF the Weston w,.,d
The lesser veritles Of life and some Of rs
virtues were lost sight OF in the one
sui eme purpose which animated ,,pry
plt-ict's hreast+-to overthrow Tho ensms
ard TO set a suffering people free tJtt,-
wonder then that a mere questl IN ~ in
tesnal policy. which may be dealt with AZ
ans time, was not taken up until the Paris
convention had been ratified and the army
bill placed on the statute books S, you
| see the United States senate, where The
anti-scalping bill met ITS death blow. was
especially pressed for time during the clos-
ing days of the session On its acton blnc
The fate of a people and the frut, Of
victory
BY the indoreation of this bin .; the
Or abe convention you placed vow ,egls-
lative committee in very awkward posi-
ton, FOR only one year before AZ Nash
yilie convention You instructed your chair
hest efforts in defeating said neas1,e
which YOU declared a. that time that "tbe
passage of this bill would he OF srrnt
dstrment to the commercial traveller as
well as to the best interests OF she NIB
lie"
80 long as ticket brokerage has been
Tor any years recognized as a Iezitl-
ma's calling we see no valid reason Why