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BIRMINGHAM STATE HERALD. VOLUME 22: B IE MING HAM, ALA, FEIDAY, DECEMBEE 27, 18951 NUMBEE 41. PARTY LINES DRAWN TAUT The Revenue Measure Receives Republican SDpport AND 81 DEMOCRATIC NAYS Consequently Passes the House by a Heavy . ^ Majority. ORIGINATORS CALL IT NON-PARTISAN Packed Galleries Fasten to a Spirited De bato From 1:30 Until 5 O’clock. General Synopsis of the Discussion. Washington, Dec. 26.—By n vote of 205 to SI the house at 5:30 o'clock passed the bill reported by Mr. Dingley from the committee on ways and means to tem porarily increase revenue to meet the expenses of the government end to pro vide against a deficiency. The bill was reported to the house im njedtately after the reading of the Jour nal. and then Mr. Henderson, republican, of Iowa, reported a resolution from the committee on rules providing for debate on the bill until 5 o'clock, a vote to be then taken on Us passage. In anticipa tion of this programme the galleries were crowded to the doors, even the diplotnalic gallery being occupied by a representa tion of the official foreign colonies resid ing in Washington. On the floor were over 300 members of the house, ana interspersed among uicm several senators. The rule was antagonized by Messrs. Crisp, McMUlin and Turner of Georgia on the ground that it afforded no opportunity for amendment and not sufficient time for debate, and advocated by Messrs. Dalzell and Henderson, who argued that the situation admitted of no delay. It was finally passed—yeas 213, nays 85. Several republicans were recorded as voting against its passage. When this had been disposed of there remained three and a half hours for the discussion of the bill Itself The debate was par ticipated In for the republicans by Messrs. Dingley, Dalzell, Hopkins, Gros venor, Arnold, Knox and Deliver In sup port of the bill, and by Messrs. Crisp, Wheeler, MCMillln, Dockery and Turner, democrats, and Mr. Bell, populist, against the bill. The opposition was based on the theory that the remedy pro posed—an increase of revenue—was not what was needed, that there was money enough in the treasury to meet all claims for two or three years to come, even if the present rate of deficit were maintained. It was also contended that the bill was a general revision of the tariff. Republicans Insisted that more reve nue was the key to the situation, and de nied that the bill was In any sense a gen eral tariff measure. It did not represent republican Ideas on that subject at all, was intended only as a temporary reve nue measure to meet a pressing exigency, and its passage was advocated on the high ground of patriotic duty in the hour of the republic’s peril. That measure having been disposed of a joint resolution was passed, offered by Mr Cannon, republican, of Utah, provid ing for the transfer of territorial prop erty to the new state. As soon as the journal was read Mr. Dingley. chairman of the committee on ways and means, rose and reported from that committee the bill to temporarily in crease revenue to meet the expenses of the government and provide against a deficiency. Having been read by its ti tle. the speaker declared that the bill was referred to the committee of the whole. Mr. Crisp, representing the minority of the committee complained that the mi nority had had no opportunity of prepar ing and submitting their views ("if they have any,"a republican member Interpos ed in a low voice). The minority had ask ed,Mr. Crisp said.for time to obtain esti mates from the treasury department as to the effect of the proposed measure apd had been refused. They had asked gentlemen of the majority If they had any estimates themselves on which they had based the bill, or whether they had the opinions of experts, and they ad mitted that they had ndt. Then the mi nority had asked for a reasonable time to prepare a minority report, and that was also refused. After Mr. Crisp had made this protest Mr. Henderson of Iowa rose and reported from the committee on rules a rule that It will be immediately In order to call for debate on the bill Just reported, and to have the debate close at 5 p. m., when the vote shall be taken. He stated that the other bill agreed upon by the ways and means committee would not be brought up till tomorrow. The one now before the house was in no sense a general revision of the tariff, but it was legislation to provide promptly and effi ciently sufficient revenue for the govern ment. Mr. Crisp objected to the proposed rule as preventing the consideration of what he called "a general tariff bill.” If the rule were adopted no amendment to the bill would he in order. "Under the crack of the whip of repub lican leaders members were not to be al lowed to criticise ihe bill or to otter any amendment to It. The house was called upon not only to pass the Mil, but to pass It without any sort of consideration. Members were to be chained to the char iot. There was no suggestion from any source that there was not a sufficiency of revenue And yet. under the whip and spur, without having the bill sent to the treasury department to Invite the Judg ment of experts as to its effect, it was to be driven through." said Mr. Crisp. Mr. Dalzell, a member of the committee on ways and means, supported the pro posed rule. Mr. McMillln taunted the republicans who supported the proposed rule with selling their birthright for a mess of pot tage. He also spoke of It as "a perfidious manner of dealing with the measure. (Ironical laughter from the republican pending bill, he said, would tax the people $44,000,000, or at the rate for the time allowed for debate of $11,000,000 an hour. In conclusion he exclaimed: “Go ahead, gentlemen. There was a power that checked you once before. There is a power that will check you again." (Ap plause from the democratic and sarcastic laughter from the republican side.) Mr. Turner said that it was Idle per haps on this occasion to Indulge in epi thets, and perhaps it would be unprofit able to make comparisons, but it might not be amiss to pause and ask gentle men to consider the situation. The presi dent had last Friday sent a message In forming congress of the gravity of the financial situation, and has, in his annual message, suggested a remedy. The sec retary of the treasury, In his able re port, had given assurance that the reve nues of the government were sufficient to meet all its ordinary expenditures. Not only that, but the secretary said that there was a surplus in the treasury that would reach through two or three years. The great party to which he (Mr. Turner) belonged believed that-though there might momentarily be a deficit there was no question of a sufficiency of revenue. The president asked for financial legis lation and the pending bill was offered as an answer. The president had asked for bread and they gave him a stone. They had presented as remedial legisla tion a proposition, to further tax the American people. Mr. Henderson again took the floor, and in. reply to the speeches on the demo cratic side declared that the action r.i the house today would show, whether the republican party was prepared to take the responsibility or not (republican ap plause), whether the country was pre sided over by a republican or by a demo cratic executive, whether it was threat ened with ballots or bullets, whether there was a treasury deficiency or a treasury surplus, the republican party never shrank from its duty to the coun try. (Applause.) Mr. Crisp declared that the purport of the proposed rule was to prevent the of fering i ' amendments by democrats which some republicans might feel in clined to vote for In the interest of their constituents. That was Its sole ob ject. The discussion on the rule tying closed the vote was taken and the rule was agreed to, yeas 213, nays 89. The vote was on strict party linos ex cept that Messrs. Connolly, Illinois; Heiner, Pennsylvania: Llnney, North Carolina, and Wilber, New York, repub licans, voted "no" wdth the democrats. The bill was then read In full, and at 1:30 the debate upon it commenced, with three and a half hours to run, the time to be divided equally between the two sides of the house. Mr. Dingley. republican, or Maine, chairman of the committee on ways and means, opened the debate on the side of the majority. He said that when the president's special message was read at the clerk's desk last Saturday Inform ing congress that there existed a serious condition of the finances of the country and of the federal treasury, and appeal ing to the senate and house not to take a recess until relief was afforded, every member felt that there was imposed upon the house not only a special responsibil ity, but an urgent demand for Immediate action, and that it was the duty of the house to remain in session until some measure of legislation was passed that would afford relief to the exigent state of the treasury. The committee on ways and means had taken the matter up and prooeeded to consider what measures of relief should be proposed The first thing that had attracted the attention of the committee on ways and means was that for two years and a half there had been a constant deficiency of revenue, until that want had become chronic. He knew that gentlemen on the other side claimed that the revenue was sufficient, hut the fact was that from July 1. 1893, up to today there had been an insuffi ciency of revenue to cover the current expenses of the government to the ag gregate amount of 8123,000,000. The de ficiency for the current year was over 818.500.000, and for the current month of December the deficit approximated 83.000. 000. What, then, did the gentlemen mean, and what did the secretary mean In saying that there was not need of ad ditional revenue? They mean that with the proceeds of the sale of bonds and the use of the greenbacks received for them the receipts exceeded the expenditures. It seemed to him and to the majority of the commit tee on ways and means that the first course to be taken was to legislate so as to provide sufficient revenue to meet the expenditures of the government. Mr. Dingley went on to dlrcuss and to uphold the bill In detail, and said that If It became a law it would not only In crease the revenue by over 840,000,000, but would also give to the business Inter ests of the country the moral influence of a government which wos solvent, which paid Its debts and whose credit was second to no government on the face mi me em m i j»u iii;u 11 list',; Mr. Crisp said that the bill. In order to be responsive to the request of the presi dent. ought to be In line with tb" sug gestions that came from that source. He Insisted from Secretary Carlisle's report that the cash balance In the treasury on December 1. 1895, was $170,000,000. being $98,000,000 In excess of the gold reserve and $77,000,000 In excess of any sums nec essary to build up the gold reserve. There was. therefore (quoting from Mr. Carlisle), “no reason to doubt the ability of the government to discharge all Its current obligations during the present fiscal year, and have a large cash balance at Its close, without imposing additional taxation in any form on the people." His friend from Maine (Mr. Dlngley) knew—no one better—that there was In the trensury today, over and above the gold reserve, more free money -three times over—than any deficiency which might occur during the fiscal year. It was not aquestlon of borrowing money to meet expenses. The money was already borrowed, and was in the treasury, and the question was whether it should be used now, or whether the house should rush, posthaste, to impose additional burdens on the people In order to pile up money In the treasury . Mr Crisp went on to taunt the com mittee on ways and means with report ing a bill for a horizontal rise In duties, after all the ridicule which had been cast on Mr. Morrison's bill for a horizontal cut. and he said that the effect of the pending measure was to declare that the McKinley tariff bill was 60 per cent right and 40 per cent wrong. (Laughter.) He quoted Mr. McKinley’s criticism of the Morrison bill as patchwork and a proof Of Indolence, and said that on the Issue of the pending measure the parties would go before the people In the next presiden tial campaign, and he had no doubt that the people would respond, as they had always responded, in favor of them selves—that was, In favor of lower taxes ■ (Democratic applause.) Mr McMtllln. democrat, of Tennessee, Ing measure. Mr. Payne, a member of the commit tee on ways and means, said that the re publicans In the house being ready to meet the responsibility which was on them today, had presented a bill to in crease the revenue. Two years from now, however, they would meet the re sponsibility of that hour and would pre sent to the house and senate and to a republican president a bill for the pro tection of American labor and American agriculture and write it on the statute book. (Applause.) Mr. McMtllln, democrat, of Tennessee, a member of the committee on ways and means, argued against the bill, and re minded the republican side of the house of the wise warning given by the present speaker In the republican caucus which nominated him, In these words: "His tory will accord us praise for what we did' in the Fifty-first congress, and may it accord us praise in this congress for what we def not do.” What the house was doing today was one of the things to which that warn ing was applicable, and the country would give them more praise for ab (Continued on Fifth Page.) LANGUAGE OFJHE CABLE Spanish Armies Repulsed by In surgent Vanguards. .'fcA.il 1 - COLONEL PRATT KILLED Twelve Soldiers Convicted and Shot at El Roque FOR POISONING THE RESERVOIR WATER Zeitouo Falla Before Attacks of the Turkish Troops and the Government Is En quiring Into Outrages at Harpoot. Key West, Fla., Dec. 26.—Advices re ceived from Ci^ba today Bay that a bat-; tie occurred yesterday afternoon between the vanguards qf the insurgents and Spanish armies and that the Spaniards were repulsed. Cqlonel Pratt, who com manded the Spanish vanguard, was killed. Martinez Campos was present and directed the retreat of the Spaniards to Jovellanos. Campos' forces are now entrenched at that place expecting to be attacked by Gomez's main army. Cam pos has armed all the civilians in Jovel lanos and is forcing them to do military duty. Advices received by Cuban lead ers via the steamer Olivette confirm the report of the capture of the town of El Roque by the Cubans. The Spanish regiment stationed at El Roque surren dered without firing a shot. All of them, were paroled except twelve who we#e charged with having poisoned the water in the reservoir of the town. They were tried, convicted and shot. After taking all the arms and provisions found in the town the insurgents set fire to them and then left, going in the direction of Quintana and Jovellanos. They also destroyed the sugar plantations near San Vicente and La Antonia. The vanguard of Gomez's forces, under the command of Lacrete, has entered the town of Quin tana, between Matanzas and Colon, and destroyed by fire the largest sugar plan tation on the island. The train that left Colon for Matanzas was detained at Quintana by the in surgents. Columns of smoke could be plainly seen from Jovellanos. The sup position is that all plantations in that district have been destroyed. Maceo and his forces have encamped at the plan tation A1 Harmola, and Gomez has es tablished his headquarters at the plan tation La Espano, belonging to Romero Robledo, of the Spanish cabinet. All telegraphic communication .be tween Las Villas district and Havana has been destroyed by the Insurgents and no trains have passed over the road since, Saturday last. The railroad stations tit Madana and Toca, belonging to the United Railroad company, have been de stroyed by fire. The insurgents under Nunez have en camped at the plantation Revido, and destroyed all the cane. The forces of Antonio Maceo and Quin tin Bandero compose the rear guard of the army under Gomez The Spaniards prohibited all public en tertainments on the 25th and ordered all saloons closed at 12 o’clock at night. Lacrete with a large force is march ing towards Guinea. The insurgents assert that no crops will be gathered this year. Gomez has noti fied Campos that it is his intention to de stroy all the sugar cane to prevent its being gathered. Officially Confirmed. Constantinople, Dec. 20.—The capture of Zeitoun by the Turkish troops is offi cially confirmed. No details of the fall of the plaee are given. Izzet Pasha, who recently addressed a large report to the sultan pointing out the deplorable condition of the country, has been placed under arrest and Is now awaiting trial by court-martial. His trou bles are due to the report, which the sul tan refused to read. When Izzett Pasha found that the sultan refused to pay any attention, to his report he resigned his office of chief equerry, but the sultan refused to accept his resignation. Five times was the resignation repeated, but the sultan refused to allow Izzet to re tire voluntarily. An official report has been Issued stat ing that the government is making on In quiry into the outrages at Harpoot. It denies that any missionary property was burned In the presence of the troops. On the contrary, it says that the officials used the troops to the utmost of their ability to protect the missionaries and other foreigners and thereby prevented the burning of a large part of the mis sionary buildings. A company of troops, the report adds, Is still guarding the mis sionaries' property. Fled to the Hills. London, Dec. 26.—The correspondent In Constantinople of the United Press telegraphs under date of today that it is reported there that Zeitoun, which was In the possession of the Armenians, has fallen before the attacks of the Turkish troops, and that many of those who were holding the place against the forces of the sultan have fled to the hills. Manitoba’s Beply. » Winnipeg. Man., Dec. 26.—The full tetkk of Manitoba's reply to the dominion gov ernment on the separate school questloar is made public. The Manitoba govern ment positively . refuses the proposal tn establish a system of separate schools any form._ OFFICERS DISMISSED. .* ! The Lexow Committee Charges Failed tar Hold Qood. New York, Dec. 26.—Iu the court of oyer and terminer this morning Indict ments against a number of members of' the police department, which were found as a result of disclosures before the Lexow committee, were dismissed. Colonel Fellows made the motion to that, effect, which was, he said, the result of, consultations between himself and Ex Surrogate Rollins and Austin Q. Fox.! who ttfere appointed special counsel to' prosecute the police cases. Justice In-! graham, who presided over the last ses-1; sion of the court of oyer and terminer, acquiesced in the recommendation of tile district attorney. The others,Colonel' Pel lows said, would be brought to trial speedily. 8choo! of Militia. Ottawa, Ont.. Dec. 26.—The government has decided to at onoe establish a school of militia instruction In Montreal. Sev eral Informal delegations waited upon the authorities in this connection, and the government decided to accede to their demands. TOMPKINS mm SENATE Chairman of the State Executive Committee Will Resign AND ASK GREATER HONORS Will Measure Political Lengths With Gov ernor Oates. AN EARLY CALL WILL BE SENT OUT And a Meeting Held to Fecoive Ilia Resig nation-Candidates for the Jefferson Solicitorship—Groans of t Old Granny. Montgomery, Dec. 29.—(Special.)—A eajl will be Issued In a few days for the democratic state executive committee to meet In this city on January 21. It Is au thorltalvely announced that one of the prime reasons that the committee has been called to meet so much earlier than usual is that Col. IT. C. Tompkins desires to present his resignation as chairman. Colonel Tompkins considers that it is improper that he should remain at the head of the committee, being, as he Is, an avowed candidate for the United States senate. Secretary Thomas H. Clark regards It as only fair that all parties In interest should have full notice of the terms of participation In the primaries, and he be lieves, with others here, that the earlier that proposition Is decided the better It will be for all concerned, and for the party as well. The democratic national committee will meet on January 16, and the state committee’s meeting five days later will make the third week in the Candidates on the Hustle, new year full of interest to Alahsmlnns. Mr. Lee C. Bradley, Col. S. W. John and Mr. H. H. Brown, all of Birmingham, were in the city today, to confer with Governor Oates relative to their pros pective candidacies for the Jefferson county solicitorshlp. A very large num ber of letters and petitions have been presented to the governor in the Interests of the several gentlemen, and also in be half of Messrs. John McQueen and H. P. Heflin, who are also prominent candi dates. It Is believed that the appoint ment will he made in a day or two. Murder Near Greenville. Near Greenville, flfty miles south of here, yesterday the body of Hob Wil liams, a negro, was found dead in a pub lic road. His head had been crushed In, and he had evidently been murdered. A negro named Kllas Thornton was arrest ed today, charged with the murder, al though the evidence against him so far Is purely circumstantial. Robbery is be lieved to have been the motive for the igiirdor . Williams had been working at Rolling, near Greenville, and Is supposed HP have been on bis way to Greenville to speml Christmas with relatives there, when he was killed. He left Bolling with $45 In pockets, and when his dead body was found yesterday the pockets were empty. Violent in Its Madness. The Montgomery Journal prints the following editorial leader this afternoon: "The Montgomery Poeiofflce has be come violent In: Its madness. It sees that Captain Johnston is going to be nomi nated. and it Is this very thing against which It has fought for so many years. It sees Us waning glory depart, and as it rants and raves It gives utterances to expressions which explain and point to the seat, of Us disease. Instead of allow ing Itself to enjoy the sacredness of Christmas day. and following the injunc tion, 'Peace on earth, good will to men,’ the Postofflce closeted itself to ponder over Its waning glory and pending mis fortunes, and having wrought Itself Into 4k paroxysm of despair, gives vent to the following furious assault upon Captain Johnston: ll line 1UBlUllii.ef legdrus nun as ari Insincere trimmer who Is always looking for the currency that he may Jump to the front of It yelling louder than the loudCBt Irrespective of party principles, or party consequences, or the general good. He Is constantly on the alert for some policy or movement upon which he can ride into leadership Irrespective of Its soundness or ceihsequences. Hls eye la Invariably single to hls own politi cal welfare. He never strikes one lick for the party without calculating that he Will count two for himself. The result of this Is. of course, that hls cunning never amounts to craft; that hls smart ness never attains the proportions of sagacity: that hls rashness never be comes boldness. Hls coup d'etats have Invariably turned out to blunders and hls pathway has been marked by failures.’ “This hysterical outbreak on Christmas day. which found Its way In the Mont gomery Postofflce personal grievance or gan on the following day, shows only what the Journal has too often pointed put, that the Personal Qrlevance Is In ia bad way. Its hatred of Johnston borr ders on madness; tmplicable In Its rage, senile In Its stupidtty, and vile In Its purs poses and unrelenting In savagery.” Negro Day at the Expo. Atlanta, Ga., Dec. 26.—This was negro day at the exposition, and large numbers •f the race braved the severe weather to •ttend. r Very Interesting exercises were held at *h auditorium. Governor AtkinEon and State School Commissioner Glenn deliv ered interesting addresses. Prof. W E. Holmes of the Atlanta Baptist seminary •cted as chairman. Prof. R. R. Wright g>f the Georgia Industrial school for ne itroes delivered an address on the his tory of negro education1 In the south, and isalah Montgomery, negro commissioner sof Mississippi, delivered an address on (behalf of the commissioners of the negro exhibit. ,B The board of directors this afternoon Voted to terminate all salaries and wages <at the exposition with December 31. The jiast day was made directors' day and stvoman's board day, and souvenir tickets rwlth a likeness of Mrs. Joseph Thomp rtjon. president of the woman's board, tbave been ordered printed. GORMAN CALLS A CAUCUS. Democrats Will Not Impede Reorganisation of the Senate. Washington, Dec. 26.—Senator Gorman has issued a call for a caucus of demo cratic members of the senate, to be held tomorrow morning at 11 o'clock, for the purpose of acting upon the report of the committee charged with the duty of fill ing vacancies on committees and mak ing minority assignments. The policy of the democrats will be to not Impede the reorganization of the sen ate. The republicans have acquiesced In an understanding that such reorgani zation shall not be operative until Janu ary 1, Inasmuch as all employes have been paid for the present month, and confusion would result from an Immedi ate transfer. It is not thought that a di vision will be called for when the reso lution determined on by the committees Is laid before the senate, although It Is not improbable that some one may desire to put the senate on record. If the yeas and nays are called for the democrats will vote against the republican resolu tion, but the republicans, having more votes than the democrats, will have a majority of a quorum and carry their programme through. This will probably be done Monday next, the senate, under the present understanding, not intending to be in session Saturday. PRESIDENT-CLEVELAND SCORED A Pastor Creates Stir in His Congregation by Abusing the President . Hagerstown, Md., Dec. 26.—The Rev. Henry Evans Cotton, rector of'St. John’s Episcopal church, In his sermon yester day morning made a violent attack upon President Cleveland, for whom he had voted for president, though the pastor is a republican. “Hour by hour,” he said, "the presi dent's utterances stand Impeached by the honest common sense of the people. Bit ter disapproval has come to many who felt that with his great gifts he might have lifted the nation to higher, surer planes of action; but he has been dragged from his place as a statesman down to the level of the political leeches lhat sur round him. By one breath of his mouth he threw’ millions of the people’s money Into the maelstrom of financial ruin; In another breath he piteously. Invokes his congress to avert the crash he has called down upon our heads, and millions of lives are disturbed by the horrible possi - bilities—Cod grant, the impossibilities— of cruel war.” The pastor’s words created a great stir in the congregation. THE IRON TRADE REVIEW. * _ The Early Months of '96 Will Doubtless See a Rise in Pig—Reports of Numer ous Inquiries. Cleveland, O., Dec. 26.—The Iron Trade Review today says: While holiday dullness is upon the iron market in all its departments and seem ingly intensified by contrast with the his tory made in the year just closing, there are reports from all quarters of inquiry, much of which means early business. Hesitation, rather than stagnation, is still the word. Here and there a buyer, who must know the cost of his raw ma terial for the next six months, because of pending contracts with the consumers of his product, is taking hold at current prices, and these are so close in nearly all cases that the transactions Involve little or no risk. The truth is forced home upon many producers that the principal basis of labor cost is out of proportion to current prices, and It would not be surprising, if the market contin ues at the present level, to see In January a movement for such a readjustment in wages as has been taking place In the product. Sales of Ressemer pig Iron the past week have been at $in.75 at valley furnaces, and It is intimated that $10.50 is a possibility. The fact 'hat the buy ers who took considerable blocks of metal a few months ago, with dSJIverles In December and the early months of 1806. have paid a price per ton for the cancellation of their contracts, leaves the Iron on the furnace companies’ hands. To get this iron out of the way the makers have been content to realize cost, having already been paid their profits by the original buyers. Foundry irons do not show like weakness, because they were free from speculation, hut prices are lower, at $13.50 at valley furnaces for No. 1. and $13 for No. 2 Is current for small lots. What could be done on con tracts for the first half of the year will only he known as inquiries come up. There Is a report that the present $1.60 basis for furnace coke will be continued, and that it will not only be the circular price but the actual price. There is also a report that the $2 programme will be carried out. It is believed that any con tracts made will be limited to thirty days. CONTRACT AWARDED. Newport News Company Will Build the Battleships. Washington, Dec. 26.—Secretary Her bert today, with the approval of the president, awarded the contract for the construction of battleships Nos. 5 and 6 (the Kearsage and her unnamed mate) to the Newport News Ship Building and Dry Dock company of Newport News, Va„ at its bid of »2,250.000 for building each ship according to plans prepared by the navy department. The secretary closes a long communication to the presi dent setting forth his reasons for taking this course Instead of awarding one to San Francisco at a greatly Increased coat, or accepting the proposition of the Cramps, as follows: "To me It seems clear that the depart ment cannot undertake to say that a bid by a responsible and competent com pany, fairly made after due considera tion, Is lower than a fair price for such work. This company Is bidding, not only for one of these ships, but for both, and It Insists upon Its right to build both: For the government to reject the bid under these, circumstances, and insist upon paying a higher price for the ships or foi one of them, to be built elsewhere, ony any such ground as that the bid of the Newport News company is below the market price would be a ruinous policy * The government Is entitled to have Us ships built at the lowest price at which It can procure the doing of the work, and the policy would dictate the encouragement Instead of the discourage ment of low bidding.” MISTAKEN REPORT. Patton A Co., the Lumber Merchants, Are Still Solvent. ■Albany, N. Y., Dec. 26.—There were many rumors floating about the city to day concerning the financial standing of Patton & Co., lumber merchants. Henry Patton, one of the members of the firm, was seen today at his office, and said: "The report published this morning was largely a matter of fiction, and I wish to say that we have not made an assign ment, and are paying bills as presented, even this morning. In regard to our financial matters, we are In consultation with our friends, and hope to be able to straighten out any difficulty that may have arisen. As to the Forest report and Beaver river concerns, they are solvent. Our clerks are now at work on the books, and our exact standing will soon be known/]_ Snow Storm Raging. St. Louis, Dec. 26.—Specials from cen tral Indiana and Illinois say that a very heavy snow storm Is In progress. Along the Wabash river valley the snow Is already 6 Inches deep. The Wabash river rose 15 feet within five days, and Is stl)l rising. TO INCREASE PENSION ROLL Seven Thousand Pension Bills to Be Referred. MR. PEFFER OFFERS A BILL For the Protection of the Wives of Dissipated Pens oners. TARIFF PROPOSED BY REPUBLICANS V - Admit le Superiority of the Last Tariff o At ver the McKinley Bill—Mr. Jus $ ce Shiras Besponaible for the £ Defleienoy. ■«« - ,“l ;3P shington, Dec. 25.—(Special Oorre spoi.Jence.)—Thut the present congress will increase the already over-burdened pension roll seems to be a foregone con clusion, if the number of bills Introduced at this time Is to be taken aa evidence. The calculation is that over 7000 pension bills will be referred to the committee on' invalid pensions during the Fifty-fourth congress, and from a resolution Intro duced In the house last week to allow Mr. Jones' (of Virginia) seat to be contested, who, it will be remembered, in the Fifty third congress, by raising the point of no quorum at the Friday night sessions of the house, kept many a bill for pensions from becoming a law, together with the fart that Mr. B. A. Enloe of Baum in vestigating committee fame, is no longer a member of the house, It looks as if there will be nothing to prevent the re publicans from duplicating their acts of the Fifty-first congress. Senator PefTer Introduced the following bill: He it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the United States of America, in congress assembled, That in any and all cases where male pension ers of the United States desert or aban don their families, or where such pen sioners are addicted to habitual drunk enness, or where for any reason or cause such pensioners do not use their pension money for the support of their families and do not suport them, and when they have no other sufficient means of sup port, the commissioner of pensions, on Such facts being made to appear by com petent testimony and on application of the wife of any such pensioner, shall pay! the money due such pensioner from time to time to his said wife so long as such condition of failure or neglect to support continues. Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force on and after the first day of the first calendar month after its approv al by the president. The bill has occasioned considerable merriment among those who have read it, though there is much merit contained therein. The scoffers say that In the backwoods, whenever it is found that an old soldier is drawing a {tension, all the old. maids and widows for miles around make a "dead set” for the pen sioner, and that after marrying him in n ie cases out of ten the woman turns out to be such a shrew: that it Is no sur* prise that the old soldier is “driven to drink,” and if Senator Pefter's bill be comes a law it will result in a regular bunco game with all the maiden ladies and bereaved widows in the rural dis tricts. • The Proposed Tariff Measure. The tariff bill proposed by the repub licans as a relief for the treasury Is, to say the least of it. an admission that the tariff act passed by the last congress is far superior to the McKinley bill, and is also an admission that In two years' time the present tariff law will raise enough revenue to support the government. This acknowledgment by the republicans brings to the tore ths late lamented Income tax, and It Is conceded by every one that, In a word. Mr. Justice Shlrae is responsible for the deficiency In the revenue. Internal Revenue Commissioner Mil ler, In conversation with prominent democrat a few days ago. said that had the income tax not been declared uncon stitutional by the supreme court the gov ernment would have received $50,000,000, and perhaps $60,000,000. from It the first year, and that In five years would have received nearly $100,000,000. Thus it Is seen whnt burdens the people bear, for had the commissioner's predictions be come true we could have abolished the customs houses and raised sufficient rev enue to run the government from the income tax and the whisky end tobacco tax. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED By the New York Produce Exchange Touohlng the Financial Question. New York, Deo. 26.—The members of the New York produce ej change, at a meeting at noon today, unanimously passed the following resolutions: Whereas, The members of the New York produce exchange with concent view the depletion of the gold reserve, re sulting In distrust of the government’s ability and determination to meet Its obligations, tending to gravely Injure all business Interests and disastrously affect values; therefore, be It Resolved. I'hat we strongly urge upon congress the necessity of taking. In ac cordance with the recommendations con tained In the recent message of President Cleveland, such Immediate action at this time as will meet the exigencies of ths case and restore public confidence in tbs financial ability and Integrity of our gov ernment, and we appeal to the patriot ism of our representatives to see that ths action taken Is free from any polltloal bias or party prejudice, which might endanger Its success; and the president of the ex change Is directed to transmit a copy of these resolutions to the president of the United States senate and the speaker of the house, and to each member of the New York delegation In congress. CONGRESSIONAL CONTESTS. Committee No. 2 Will Take Up Cases in Order. Washington, Dec. 26.—House committee on elections No. 2, of which Mr. Johnson of Indiana Is chairman, met today and decided as far as possible on a pro gramme of business. Under the present arrangement the contested election cases, eleven In number, will be disposed of In the order they were referred to the com mittee. This will bring the three Louis iana cases up first, then the one Mary land case, then the one Missouri casa then the three New York cases, and last the three North Carolina cases. On Tuesday next the committee will meet for the purpose of hearing prellmh nary motions regarding the cases only. ,