The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-15
HOlpE PASSES VsEELAND BILL Adopted by a Close
 Vote. CUT AND DRIED AFFAIR The Democrats Voted SoIidIy
 Against the Measure. Minority Leader Williams Dcnounces the Bnn as Infamous and Inci-
 dentaiIy Cast Ciurs on the
 Republican Members.

washington, May l4.--Tne Nreelano currency bill was passed in the House by vote of 1s4 ayes and 145 noes.
 There was slim attendance of members when the House met today. It was expected that the fact that the currency question was to be debated would be sufficient to bring out almost the full membership but of the S90 members there were present only prompt to make point of no quorum and this suggestion necessitated a roll call.
 While the call was in progress mem- bers came in rapidly and by the time 1t was concluded, large majority of the seats were occupied. The call dis closed the presence, of 3o2 members, greatly in excess of a quorum and about the largest attendance since the opening day of the sesison.
 Mir. Vreeland, of New York. offered a resolution to suspend the rules and proceed to the consideration of the vreeiand currency bill, debate to con- clude at o'clock. The report was accorded to the minority to offer as substitute the Williams bill. When the reading of the resolution had been con cluded, Mir. Prince, of the Republican insurgents" made point of order that the resolution was not privileged, but Speaker Cannon sharply informed him that 1t made no difference whether 1t was or not, that the motion was to suspend the rules and he overruled the point.
 Mir. vreeiand called attention to the Democratic filfbBster of the past month as the result of their demand for certain remedial legislation and said that the majority now had right to expect a large Democratic support of the Republican measure.
 Mir. Prince, of Illinois Republican,. was vehement in his denunciation of the rule. saying 1t was an insult to the Committee on Banking and Cur rency He called on the membership to join with him in voting against the resolution.
 An Infanaena Blia.
 The minority leader. Mir, Williams, in replying to Mir. vreeland, contended that notice already had been served on the Democrats that they were leg islativeiy disbarred for the rest of this session. He contended that if the Will Hams bifl was the best currency prop ositon ever devised, the Republicans would not give it serious consideration. The vreeland bill, he characterized as an infamy.
 we decline to be deposited in that cavity" he exclaimed. Mir. Williams insisted that the Democrats were not opposing the vreeland bill because 1t was a Republican measure.
 Who stands for it?" he inquired. "Nobody-nobody but the Republican machine in this House."
 So far. he declared, the majority had failed to prove that they had either brains or patriotism enough to bring in a bill that would improve present conditions. He concluded by telling the Republicans that the responsibility
 he
 MT. Burton CO., said he had read the Williams bill and 1t was objectionable In many particulars. It came with poor grace, he said, for Mir. Williams to question whether the Republicans had the brains or the patriotism to bring In a measure.
 "Confessedly." he declared, address ing the Democrats, you have not the qualifications to bring forward a meas ure yourselves and we. at least. are willing to share in a measure which we are willing to. submit to the House and country"
 He deplored what he said was "a most lamentabIe difference of opinion among the Banking Committee"
 The vote on the rule was then taken and 1t was adopted. 174 to 14e. The Democrats voted solidly against 1t and had the support of the following Re- publicans: Brum (Pa.). Prince (nl) Waldo (N. Y.). Murdock (Kas0. Weems (O.), Carey (wis.). Cooper (Wis.), I.indburg. (Minn.). Calderhead (Kas), Darraghh (Mich.). Fowler (N. J), Hill (Monn.). Krusterman. Nelson and Morse (Wis)
 for discussion. In supporting 1t. Mir. overstreet (Ind.). called attention to the provision for emergency currency and said a doubt was raised in his mind that the country could rest upon the predictions of anybody as to the recurrence of panics He said that if the Vreeland bill had been a law when n e. panic of last fall arose, the panic would not have lasted three days. He strongly advocated the creation of the currency commission for which the bill provides.
 In the opinion of Mir. Ollie James (Ky.) the bill, instead of quieting the storm. was the fomenter of one. New CT in the history of the government. he ueclared. had so much power affecting the property and interests of the peo- ple, been lodged in the hands of one man, the Secretary of the Treasury. That power, he contended, could be as- serted in a "campaign war" when it was a return favor for some large campaign contributions. the Secretary could provide largely for the New York banker ny accepting dLOlIloi ny "S0t- aver securities he put up. while the Democratic applicant from Kentucky would be told that his securities were no good.
 BilI is Denounced.
 The bill was denounced by MT. Pujo, Louisiana, who said it's title more prop erly should read. The disested Vree- land bill for the purpose of enhancing tha value of undigested securities. :" The bill was characterized by MT. Will liams Miss as being for the purpose of curing a political emergency in the Eepublican Party and not for the pur- nose of remedying the financial emer- eancy. of the country.
 Mir. vreeland, the author of the measure, declared that there had been no round robin" work to bring sup mort of the measure in the House He said that no association of bankers OF manufacturers had been asked for res oiutions in it's favor. He charged that for weeks systematic efforts had been made by those opposed to the bill to effect it's defeat.
 The work of the Banking and Cur rency Committee, of which he was