The age-herald., 1900-03-14
LAST DEBATE ON
 FINANCIAL BILL The Conference Report Passed
 by the House. M M'KINLEY'S SIGNATURE NEEDED Sharp c luies During Some
 e ssne Speeches. FINAL 1fE WAS 166 TO 120 G-
 Before Adjournment the Speaker An. nounced Appointment of Clayton of Alabama to Succeed Underwood
 on the Judiciary Committee
NAL E Ere WAS 1se TO l2o

Washington, March 13.-The last legisla- tive step in the enactment of the financial bill was taken by the house of representa- tives today when the conference report on the bill was adopted by a vote of yeas 166, nays, 12O, present and not voting 10. The senate has already adopted the conference report so that it remains only for President Mckinley to affx his signature to the meas ure to make it law. Representative Over street. the author of the bill, will take it to the white house tomorrow, and the sig nature is likely to be affixed soon there- after Already arrangements have been made for securing the pen with which the president will sign the bill.
 The debate the report continued throughout the day, MT. Overstreet, of In- diana, opening and MT. Brosius, of Penn sylvania, closing in support of the measure, while Mr. Little of Arkansas closed in op- position with a severe arraignment of the bill The vote was on party lines except that nine democrats joined with the repub- licans in supporting the conference report. At the opening of the session a bill was passed for the relief of heirs of Officers | Philip McCluskey and John Hogan, of Mo- 1 bile, Ala.
 MT. Grow, of Pennsylvania, in personal statement, denied that he had ever said in | newspaper interview that the Porto Rican i bill was an outrage and robbery" Then under the order previously made the house proceeded to the consideration of inc conference upon the financial bill
 MT Oyerstreet of Indiana, who was III charge of the report explained in detail the notifications of the house and senate bills agreed upon by the conference. MT. Oyerstreet said that every principle con / tained in the house bill had been preserved in the conference report except the Pro vision relative to the taxation or natlohal hank franchises. The establishment od the gold standard into law was still Its all lm- portant and essential feature. The law would. he said, become the foundation or business property of the country
 Can't Redeem Silver Dollars
 'Has the secretary of the treasury the mower to redeem a silver dollar in gold un- der the amalgamated bill?' asked MT Sha- froth of Colorado. -
 "Te has not" replied MT. Overstreet, "and he did not have the power under the original house Dill.
 finder this bill will private obligations be made payable in gold! lhquireo Mr' Snodgrass of Tennessee.
 "IJnder section ? of the original house bill," replied MT. Overstreet, public ana private debts were made conformatlVe 10 the gold standard. That section is omitted
 
 ton in law whether it would not be retro spective: and second, because, having fixed the gold standard, and 1t being recognlzed by converting all public obligations lnto gold obligations there will be no necessity to legislate concerning private obligations, as they will invariably reflect the character of government obligations.
 MT. Williams of Illinois asked whether 1t would not be impossible, in case an inter- national ibimetallism agreement was reaeh- x-ip tha refunded thrtN- wear 2 per cent. gold bonds in gold and such being the case, whether the bill could be considered an encouragement 10 ihler- ma ational bimetallism
 1.-The bonds could be paid only in gold, responded Mr Overstreet. This bill holds out not the slightest hope of international timetaliism under present conditions. say frankly that this bill will make It practically and absolutely impossible ever to have International bimetallism at the ratio of 16 to 1"
 MT. McRae of Arkansas followed MT. Overstreet with a general argument in op- position to the principles embodied m the bill.
 "M was" explained he, speech prepared by him for delivery during the considera- tion of the original bill. He was prevented from delivering it at that time owing to a severe illness.
 Mr Lewis of Georgia also spoke against the conference report, particularly against the imposition of the gold standard, 'bhe arbitrary authority given by the secretary of the treasury to sell bonds and maintain the gold standard and the funding of the national debt.
 Frequency of Bank Failures
 Mr Fitzgerald of Massa chusetts spoke of the frequency of national bank failures, and, citing the Globe National bank case, asked what protection people had when the government bank examiner pronounced the institution all right at the time irregulard- ties were going on.
 MT. Eill of Connecticut supported the conference report; and Messrs. Maddox of Georgia, Noonan of Illinois and Snafroth of Colorado spoke against it
 MT. Little of Arkansas closed the debate against the report. He severely arraigned 'the infamies of this bilr' and the "stealth, deceit, fraud and corruption by which tllis conspiracy has forced its shiny course along the pathway of legislation, until now we are to witness in the light of day It's triumph over a free people" He declared it would mark the blackest page in our legislative history He closed as follows:
 'fThe forces of patriotism and integrity have selected their leader in advance of the convention, which will be ratified on ----->---~---~---~-------~