Morality is offered a sacrifice on the altar of money and numbers. Individuals, swallowed soon in the greedy whirlpool of strife, are pushed back and held under by the law's arm, while others, undistinguished from them by aught of the essentials of civilization, by aught but a temporary and local concentration, are buoyed above the treacherous water.

The ravages of war are easily reckoned: the soldiers are inscribed and the battles are chronicled; but who keeps tally in the battle where the field is the world and the soldiers are the millions living and the infants unborn? I have always heard that a record is kept somewhere, and that stupidity has its recompense as well as vice.

As the endless chain of legislative interference links itself together, step by step we wander from the path of natural development, turn back when half way up the great political ladder, and, rung by rung, descend toward Socialism.

Price 5 Cents.

Devoted to the record of the facts and considerations which show that Individual Liberty is good for the people of the United States:

And that, therefore, Legislative Regulation is injurious for them.

IN MEDIAS RES.

In Congress.—Tariff; Naval Appropriations; Pensions; Imported Liquors; Geological Survey; War Claims; Public Lands; Silver; Customs Administration; River and Harbor; Public Buildings; New Legal Tender; Agricultural Appropriations; International Railway; International Bank.

SENATE.

On May 26th, after Mr. Carlisle had taken the oath as senator from Kentucky, a resolution was offered by Mr. Plumb for further instructing the Finance Committee, and this led to some debate.

The instructions were, that the committee should prepare a statement showing, in parallel columns, the tariff rates under the present law, the rates of the bill just sent up from the House (McKinley bill), and the rates proposed, in the place of either or both of these, by the Finance Committee itself. And wherever this committee may recommend an increase of the present duties, it is instructed to report its reasons for the augmentation.

Mr. Sherman urged in objection that it would be impossible to report reasons for every one of the three thousand items or so; (thereby suggesting that the rates would be increased in this number of cases.)

Mr. Plumb insisted that the reasons were required inasmuch as the intention was to fix the tariff for a period of ten or twenty years; and that members must be provided with reasons to explain to their constitutents

why they had voted for an increase when the expectation had been that the duties would be reduced.

After the amendment formulating Mr. Sherman's objection had been rejected.

Mr. Reagan moved to amend the resolution so as to require the preparation of a column showing the equivalent ad valorem duty in cases where the proposed duty was specific; and when this had been further changed so as to require the statement to show the ad valorem equivalent only "when practicable," the amendment was agreed to.

Mr. Hawley then moved to require a statement of the reasons for a reduction of duties, in cases where reduction was proposed; and this amendment, together with the whole resolution, was adopted.

After the resolution, calling for information as to the landing of an armed force from a revenue cutter at Cedar Keys, Fla., had been passed,

The Senate proceeded to the consideration of the Naval Appropriation bill, and the debate was resumed on Mr. Cockrell's amendment to strike out the clause requiring the construction of three war ships, at $4,000,000 each.

The discussion was continued by Mr. Cockrell and Mr. Hale, in course of which the latter disclaimed sympathy with the recommendations of the Board of Naval Policy, and insisted that neither the Secretary of Navy nor any Senator contemplated embarking on the vast scheme of naval construction elaborated by the Board.

Mr. Cockrell declared that if the proposed coast defences were constructed, the standing army would have to be doubled, and he continued to the effect that the cost of the army was now $44,000,000, but would then become $82,000,000-all that we might terrorize other nations. The United States should not persist in the folly of generations, but should throw its influence on the side of peaceful arbitration. The temptation to these useless and extravagant expenditures was the surplus; but the Senators would do well to remember that the surplus has already disappeared.

After further debate, participated in by Messrs. Reagan, Stewart, Voorhees, Butler, and others,

Mr. Blair moved to amend the provision for the three battle ships, by inserting the words: "The provision shall not be available until the government of Great Britain shall have been requested by the President to withdraw all her naval forces from American waters, to dismantle her naval stations in both North and South America, and in adjacent islands, and shall have either declined or neglected for one year to do so."

After much desultory discussion this amendment was rejected, as was also that of Mr. Cockrell.

An amendment (by Mr. Butler) appropriating $200,000 for a dry dock at Port Royal, S. C., the total cost not to exceed $500,000, was agreed to, and then the bill was passed.

The resolution (Mr. Mitchell) instructing the Pension Committee to report a measure providing more liberally for the widows, orphans, and dependent relatives of deceased soldiers was adopted.

May 27th, Mr. Cullom offered a resolution calling on the Secretary of Treasury for information concerning the transportation of goods in bond and domestic goods over the Canadian Pacific Railroad, but consigned to a port in the United States; - the transportation involving the transshipment of the merchandise at Victoria.

Mr. Washburn intimated that the resolution covered an intended raid on the Canadian railroads, and objected to its consideration then. Laid over.

The consideration of the bill subjecting imported liquors to the laws of the several States was then resumed, and the substitute reported from the Judiciary Committee was taken up.

This bill provides that with the termination of the continuous transportation, liquors shall cease to be considered as subjects (sic) of commerce and shall be deemed part of the common mass of property within the State, and therefore subject to its power and regulations.

A long debate ensued, but the bill went over without action.

May 28th, Mr. Sherman reported an amendment to the Consular and Diplomatic Appropriation bill, authorizing the President to appoint three members of an international (American) railway commission; to detail

army and navy officers to act as engineers under the direction of the commission; and appropriating $65,000 for the work.

The consideration of the Imported Liquor Bill was resumed, but was interrupted by the report of House and Senate Conference Committee on army appropriations. The matter of contention was the question of canteens, and the compromise agreed on was embodied in a provision placing these under the laws of the States in which the several army posts might be located. No action having been taken, however, the Senate returned to the liquor bill..

Mr. Blair offered to amend so as to place imported liquors under the laws of a State as soon as they entered its confines, though still in transit, instead of after the completion of the transportation. This was rejected, and after various arguments on the wisdom of prohibition and on the constitutionality of the proposed law (Morgan, Pierce, Turpie), as well as on the relative merits of different kinds of whiskey (Edmunds), the bill again escaped a vote through lack of a quorum.

May 29th, Mr. Teller introduced the following joint resolution: —

That it is the determined policy of the United States Government to use both gold and silver as full legal tender money, under the ratio now existing in the United States, or which may hereafter be established by the United States alone, or acting in accord with other nations. Ordered printed.

Mr. Stewart, rising to a question of personal privilege, conducted a spirited attack on the management of the Geological Survey a bureau which he characterized as a mass of humbug and foolishness, "a great lying-in hospital for lame ducks." He asserted that the director of survey was the chief of an extensive and powerful lobby, exercising a great and demoralizing influence over the conduct of Congress. (The controversy relates to the diversion of a sum of $200,000 from irrigation, the use for which it was appropriated, to the use of the Geological Survey.)

After consideration of the bill fixing a site for the erection of a post-office building in Washington, and appropriating $800,000 for its construction (purchase of the land remaining unprovided for), the Imported Liquor bill was called up.

Mr. Vest proposed to amend by making the provisions apply to fresh beef, veal, mutton, lamb, etc. He argued that the effect of passing the bill would be to reverse the policy which had been pursued by Congress, and by the Supreme Court for sixty-three years; but if the policy was to be now reversed, the change should not be restricted to dealings with alcohol. He criticised the Supreme Court for having suggested in its decision that he remedy lay with Congress; but if Congress were about to follow the suggestion of the Court, it should resign control over other articles of importation as well. This was rejected, without division, and the bill was passed (34-10), as follows:

That all fermented, distilled, or other intoxicating liquors or liquids transported into any State or Territory for use, consumption, sale, or storage, shall, on arrival in such State or Territory (or remaining therein), be subject to the operation and effect of the laws of such State or Territory, enacted in the exercise of the police powers, to the same extent and in the same manner as though such liquors or liquids had been produced in such State or Territory, and shall not be exempt therefrom by reason of being introduced therein in original packages or otherwise.

The River and Harbor Bill was received from the House, and referred to the Committee on Commerce.

The following bills were introduced or reported favorably from the special committees:

To authorize the Secretary of War to inves

tigate and report on Claims for the use or occupation of church and school buildings by the United States during the war ; damages to be paid for buildings destroyed during such occupation.

To establish a military post at Franklin, Tenn. ($60,000).

To authorize the appointment of a commission of five, "To be selected solely with reference to their personal fitness, etc., for an honest, impartial, and thorough investigation of the Liquor Traffic."

By the committee on Public Lands, a substitute for the House Timber Culture bill. This repeals the Act of 1878, except as to Nebraska; provides that entries under that Act may be proved up and paid for at $1.25 per acre; that land so acquired shall not be

liable for debts contracted prior to the issue of the final certificate; further, the issue of patents to desert lands is regulated, and the offer of lands at public sale is forbidden (except abandoned military posts). And with various exceptions and circumscriptions, provision is at last made for the entry of townsites in Alaska.

By Mr. Plumb, a new Silver bill (said to have been prepared by a New York banker.) This prescribes the mouthly purchase of 4,500,000 ounces of silver at market rate, not to exceed one dollar per 371.25 grains of pure silver, to be paid for in the United States notes. These shall be legal tender, except where otherwise specified by contract. They shall be redeemed in coin on demand; but after two years the Secretary of Treasury may redeem them in bullion of the market value of the face at the time, if he thinks this "method" in the interest of the Government. Not less than $2,000,000 shall be coin ed monthly for two years; after that not less than $1,000,000.

HOUSE.

Having devoted the session of May 26th to the consideration of various bills affecting specially the District of Columbia, and, on May 27th, having passed several bills appropriating money for post-offices, the House took up the conference report on the Customs Administration bill.

Mr. McMillin dissented from the report of the committee, of which he was a member, because, as he believed, the effect would be to increase taxation (but not, apparently, the revenue). The House had increased taxation, he said, boldly and openly, by passing the Tariff bill; now it was proposed to further increase the taxation, but secretly (or rather covertly). The effect of the Tariff bill would be, outside the sugar schedule, to raise duties to an average of fifty-eight per cent, and this rate would be increased to from sixty to seventy by the present measure. Importations would thereby be decreased.

The conference report was, however, adopted, 127-13, the Democrats abstaining, but the speaker (pro tem.) counting the quo

rum.

The House then went into committee of the whole on the River and Harbor appropriation bill. Many amendments were

proposed, debated, and all rejected; among them several making appropriations for specified points on the Mississippi River.

A point of order was raised against those portions of the bill which prescribe penalties for maintaining obstructive bridges across navigable waters, and the committee rose, pending decision.

May 28, again in committee, the point of order against penalties was overruled, but the clause requiring the approval of the Secretary of War to the construction of bridges over navigable waters was struck out.

An amendment to establish a river and harbor commission with discretionary power to expend $10,000,000 in place of the separate appropriations of the pending bill was rejected.

The bill being then reported to the House, a motion to recommit, with instructions to strike out the provisions relating to the Hennepin canal, was lost, and the bill was passed without division.

May 29, the House went into committee of the whole on Public Buildings bills.

The chairman of the special committee on these appropriations announced that the bills would be called up alternately, two "Republican" and one "Democratic"; the descriptive adjectives in this case applying to the politics of the members introducing the bills. After numerous, but not very vigorous, objections, the lottery was opened, with this understanding, and the session was spent in "drawing sites" - as the process is jocosely called. Six million dollars were drawn (from the people's pockets). The appropriations are nearly, if not quite, all for post-office buildings. But after rising, the attempt to take a vote on the bill giving $75,000 to Bar Harbor, Me. (an appropriation of $25,000 having been vetoed by President Cleveland), disclosed the lack of a quorum, and the action of the Committee of the whole went over indefinitely.

The following bills were introduced or reported favorably by the committees:

To issue Legal Tender notes to the amount of $1,800,000,000, and to distribute them among the States in the proportion of their population, and then to lend them on