Show BIMETALLIC CONFERENCE House Committee Orders a Favorable Report on the Senate Bill Washington Feb 20The house committee on weights and measures today ordered a favorable report with an amendment of the senate bill providing pro-viding for tho representation of the United States commissioners at any international conference to be called hereafter The action of the committee hereafer division tee was practically unanimous no vision being called for on the motion to report The bill as reported reads as follows fol-lows lowsThat whenever after March 4 1897 the president of the United States shall determine that the United States should be represented at any international inter-national conference called by the Unit ed States or any other country with a view to securing by international agreement a fixity of relative value between gold and silver as money by means of a common ratio between these metals with free mintage at such ratio he is hereby authorized to appoint five or more commissioners to such international conference and for compensation of said commissioners and for all reasonable expenses connected con-nected therewith to be approved by the secretary of state Including the proportion to be paid by the United States out of the joint expenses of any such conference the sum of 100 000 or so much thereof as may be necessary is hereby appropriated Sec 2 That the president of the United States is hereby authorized in the name of the government of the United States to call in his discretion such international conference to assemble semble at such point as may be agreed upon The following was added to the bill today on motion of Mr C W Stone of Pennsylvania And he is further authorized i in I his Judgment the purpose specified in the first section hereof can thus be better attained to appoint one or more special commissioners or envoys touch to-uch of the nations of Europe as he I may designate to seek by diplomatic negotiations an international agreement agree-ment for the purpose specified in tho first section hereof and in case of such appointment so much of the appropriation ap-propriation herein made as shall be necessary shall be available for the proper expenses and compensation oi such commissioners or envoys Sec 3 That so much of a act ap 1 f proved March 2 1895 entitled An act making appropriation for the sundry eSnUtn civil expenses of the government for the fiscal year ending June 30 1896 and I1 I for other purposes Janp for the appointment of delegates to an international in-ternational conference and makes appropriation II ap-propriation for their compensation and I expenses be and the same Is hereby 1 repealed The only opposition to the amendments amend-ments was a fear on the part of some that It might complicate the matter I and hold it up in the senate |