Year: 1878

MITE POLICY on sIIVER, TIE TARIFF, AND


TAxEs-REPUB!IcANS MORE UNITED.


iBY TELEGRAPH 10 TIE TEiGuNGl


WASHINGTON Jan. o. The general political ont
look in WashinGton is as uncertain rs at any time
durinc the recess The few Republicans who have
returned seem to expect that there will b. truce
between the jarIing factions of tlcir party,
and that even if the understanding between
tbe President and the Republican leader.
in the Senate and House is not as cordial ns we'll
wjshers for the party would desire, policy will lee
adopted on both sides the effect OF which vii be 10
cause divisions gradually to disappear The Demo
Gratis are more united than tie Republicans
though their differences of less serious charac-
ter and are likely TO be forgotten whenever fu's-
ton arises which shall divide members Of Congress
PARTY lines.


Very few signs are discovcrablc OF greater unan-
uty than has heretofore existed in either party on
the questions Of currency tarlil and internal taxa
ton Neither, al present, seems likely to have ANY
definite line OF action either Of tue important! top
les which are sure to engage the attention Of Com
prcss. An effort will be made to rally the
Republicans, especially o. the Senate, under
the leadership Of their abcst man foI stand
against public dishonor, and in defence Of
the National credit, but whether this attempt VIII
be crowned with success or not is more doubtful
than could be wished. The more probable event s


sort of guerilla warfare, in which members % both
parties viii engage upon the Resumption Act and the
silver question, and ihat the country will Lave 10
look to the President to save it from the disasters
which Congress if left 10 Itself WOald bilng
upon its credit. No early vote is expected III
the Senate upon the silver question The friends Of
The Bland Bill as it passed the House, assert that
a decided majority OF the upper branch OF tine M
tional Legislature is in favor OF its passage without
amendment although some Senators t'irk that the
notifications, proposed by the Committee on FL
nance, limiting the coinage from T2,OO0'p0o to
$1.OO0,000 month AID giving to the United
States any profits That may accrue upon the issue OF
silver dollars, will be adopted.


The bill to repeal the Resumption Act already
passed by the House VIII not be considered i'll thc
Senate until the silver question is ont of tic way,
and is not therefore likely TO be discussed ii that
body for several week il may be for months


Careful inquiry leads to the conclusion that
the present Congress is unfayordLe to sabsi-
dies A considerable number Of Democrats in
the present House. who would otherwise
vote for Government aid to railroad ard other
schemes believe il to be wiser to postpone action on
such subjects until after the elections next Fall The
Texas and Pacific Bn mag possibly be reported from
the Committee on the Pacific Railroads in the House,
but there is even some doubt about that.


The tariff is a question upon which little can
now be said. The President and Secretary Of the
Treasury as they announced in the message aud
annual report are in favor of restoring the duty
tea and coffee in order to raise more revenue, Of
which the Treasury is much in need. Considerable
opposition oXsts in Congress 10 the restoration
of this tax and il is doubtful il any bill having that
for its object gets through both Houses during the
present scsciOn


Nh Fernando Wood, chairman Of the Committee
on WAYS and Means, hopes to report bill from his
subcommittee next week for the consideration of
his associates but it Will he month or two before
the measure comes into the House. 1t is given out
that the number of articles on which duties are to
bc levied according to The new bill will be greatly
reduced that the free list will be abol-
ished and that new schedule OF all
articles upon which duties are TO be levied
will be prepared. A list of about 200 articles,
which stand alone, and from each OF which the
Government derives revenue of less than $1,000,
has been prepared in the Treasury Department, and
will probably be sent to the Committee on Ways
and Means for its information. BY articles which
stand alone, is meant those not belonging
to n class For instance, very small revenue
is derived from the duty on blankets, but it is not
contemplated to place blankets on the free list since
they belong to the import class OF wooen goods
The Ways and Means Committee has reached no
conclusion yet nrcgard TO the whiskey tax, and that
on tobacco and any change in these taxes is likely
to provoke long and excited discussion In both
Houses of Congress. ,


some talk has been INDUCED in within the past