The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-02-15
Debate Grew So Heated thai a Personal
lnceunter Was Expected.
M'RAe AND HOPKINS tut PRINCIPALS
n Hand I'm the Wordy Bnttie over
sunday Ci,ii Biii.

center Ct the stage during tile deOa'c Oh
the sundry civil appropriation bill in the
! honsr today Much excitement ATTENDED
| The debate.
/ Mr. AfvRac an Arkansas Democrat,
cut the appropriation Of S57lo Tor rent
of the custom8 h-use, and with this no
Ion as basis. Mr. Jones (Va.j launched
a fierce attack upon the nianner and cir
cumstances OF tho sale and the vast
prcite which he claimed the bank made
out OF the transaction. Secretary Gsge
was sharply criticized and several refer
Iences were made 10 thu letter wrd:ou by
I Mr. Hepburn to Secretary Gage agropos
the political claims Of the bank.
Mr.. Cannon and My. Hpflns defended
| he customs house transaction and The
| latter turned the tables On the democrats
+. by springing upon them series Of let
/ ters written by prominent demCcra 5, IN
GLIDING Senator Jones GArk) to the sec
retary OF the treasury unGo the Cleve
land administration asking Ste d p0sit Of
! & -veruinen' funds In banks with demo
/ cratic procliVities.
| His center uhot was a letter written ty
Representative Richardson (Tenn.), now
/ the democratic leader of the house, in
/ behalf OF bank at Murfreesb no. Tenn.
/ Mr. McRae tAfk) Indignantly ohaigel
I that fhS letters were private letters and
I had been furnished to divert attention
I from the sale OF the customs house He
and Mr.. Hopkins had HIT words and for
moment il looked as II there would BE-
q personal encounter. In the end Mr.
McRae's amendment was lost--S1 to 9S-a
strict party vote, and another amendment
offered by Mr.. Richardson 10 provide that
the rent should not be paid until the
ip 70, 1a Old one bnu m Cd nm
the government to he bank failed n a
tie vote.
Before the consideration Of the suniry
civil bill was resumed today some rou Inc
business was transacted. Bills were
passed to authorize the Louisville ana
Nashville Railroad company to c instruct
bridge across the Talahatchie river in
Alabama for the relief OF settlers under
the public land laws upon lands within
he limits of the indemnity land grant
to The Northern Pacific railroad to au
thcrize the Mobile and West Alabama
railroad TO construct bridges acr;ss the
Warrior and Alabama rivers, Alabama; to
authorize Calhoun county. Texas, 10 con-
atruct a free bridge across Port LaVacl
Texas.
The senate amendments to the bill for
the Great ton of a committee 10 select a
site and adopt plans for a memorial
statue 10 General L. s. Grant in this city
were adopted.
n bill also was passed for he relief OF
II. +. Mclutceh, L. 5. ~, retired,
The house then went into committee
of the whole and resumed the cQnsidera-
tion OF the sundry civil appropriation
bill
Mr.. McRae fArk) moved to strike out
he appropriation OF S3u,0I4 for the rent
OF tho old custom house New York City,
and reviewed the transaction relating
10 the sale to the National city bank,
saying that $4,000 Was withheld so the
title would not pass to he bank and It
thereby escaped taxation
MIR. Cannon. MIR. Hill Comm and
others defend&i Secretary Cages action.
contcndlng that as TO the taxes under
Inc New York laws II made no difference
whether the tile Is n tie bank or the
government. Several New York demo-
cratic members denied this statement.
Mr. Jones (Val read a message from
the treasury department 10 answer to an
Injury of Mr. MeRae TO the effect that
$4,000 remained unpaid aud the terms
OF the act which authorized the New
York custom house sale, that II drew
interest," al the rate Of per cent, pay
able at the pleasure Of the purchaser,
not. however. later than the dGte OF the
completion OF the new custom house.
Mr. Jones said the new custom house
would NOT be completed for ten years
During those years he said the bank
would obtain $4,000 annually for the
rent OF the old custom house. would
save $4,000 taxes would have the use
OF $5,S2O,00N, which at 4 per cent would
be equal 10 Sl2S 900 He lcurcd that tho
bank would obtain 100000 in ten years;
almost enough TO pay FOR The slsc be-
sides having the use Of the tfnited states
funds deposited with the INK In con
clusior. Mr. Jones declared jh1t she
Transaction was a fraud upon the gov
ernmant and n he secretary Of The
treasury allowed it to continue he would
be pdrtceps crim,nls 10 Tho fraud,
Why should he government. which
has Si5.OoOooo On deposit with he Ma
tional City hauk pay interest TO that
btnk@" asked Mr.. Richardson,
lac geniemin Is playing TO the gal
iories' replied Mr. Cannon The gov
ornmea IS not paying interest rs mat
ter Of favor. II IS raging the rent Il
/ agreed 10 under the law. The United
States deposits its funds wherever
bank qua'ines as a depository by de-
posting in The treasury bonds, doil9r flr
dollar II becomes part Of The treasury
for that purpoae."
Mr. Horkips tnl) declared that every
aci OF the secretary Of the treasury was
not only IN eNAct accordance with laN
but also based on sound Business prln-
Iclp,es, Neit,er had the bank c9ped
:, any OF Its taxatien by reason Of the con-
tract, for. whilc the building was nos
FAXED. be money paid for II was tax~d
He threw bomhshell irto the discus ion
by Producing copies of le.ers watch hc
said had hecn written by premlnen; dent
ocTatlc leaders under q democratic "a.
mnistratlon Ssking that certain banks
nc made goyernmeni repositories be-
eause Of the political associations Of
\ ihcir mansgers. Mf Hopkins said thu
Hepburn letter 20 Secretary Gage WIS NOT
the onlr one Of taai kind. Ho read copies
o. several testers from Senator Jones
and Representative Breeknrldge OF Ar
kansas and Others. one OF these asked
that the German National bank OF Little
Rock, Ark, be made governments de-
pqsltory, dding' III Is exclusively dem
eeratie 40 its management"
but d9eS II saw they contributed to
he campaign fund.-" asked Mr., Richard
! son.
NJ. Hopkins read another le ter ye.
terring u tie bank authorities seeking
oFsrment ! dep sits. wh'cs said: They
aee al reliable dem ,cgats."
n vas signed by Senator Berry OF Ar
fsnsls. To this was affixed 81 concur
~, Il Jones'
But Gees tho letter sneak Of c,ntribu-
tons 10 } ranpaign hniT" persisted Mr..