Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 January 1891 — DOINGS OF CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

DOINGS OF CONGRESS.

MEASURES CONSIDERED AND ACTED UPON. % i At tlie Nation’s Capital—What Is Being; Done by the Senate and House—Ohli Matters Disposed Of and Now Ones Considered. Among the communications and petitions received and referred in the Sinate, on the 16th, was a communication from the Treasury Department recommending an appropriation of 520.000 for the Marine Hospital at Lake View’, iChicago. On motion of Mr. Dolph the Senate bill appropriating $1,873,000 for the early completion of the work for the improvement of the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon, and 1815,000 for the early completion of the canals and locks at the cascades of the Columbia River, Oregon, was taken from the calendar and passed. The calendar was thea taken up. and a half-dozen private pension bills were passed. Conference reports on the bills forpublic buildings at Mankato, Minn. ($0,000), and at Sioux Falls, S. D. ($100,000), were presented and agreed to. The election bill was then taken up and the Republicans determined to remain In session until the hill was brought to a vote. One or two motionsto adjourn were made and lost and the Senate settled down to an all-night session, Mr. Faulkner having the floor. In the House, Mr. Dingley, of Maine, from the SilverPool Committee, reported a resolution giving that committee leave to sit during the sessions of the House, and granting itpowerto conduct the investigation outside Of Washington if desired. Adopted. TheHouse then went into committee of thg? "whole on the District of Columbia appropriation hill. Mr. Rogers, of Arkansas, after paying his respects 1o parliamentary law as recognized by the Speaker, passed on to a brief diseussion of the free coinage, bill. He appealed to the Republican majority not to ask once more the distinguished Speaker to assume any further responsibility in regard to the silver question. When in the history of the country had a Speaker ever met the demands of his party more bravely or more courageously than had the present Speaker—or more disastrously? Had it come to this that after the. Speaker had suffered the terrible penalty resulting from the responsibility thrust upon him by a party caucus that his party would ask him to make still further sacrifice? He (Mr. Rogers) submitted to gentlemen on the other side that if there was further responsibility to be borne on this silver question It should be borne by a gentleman at the other end of the avenue, and by those who openly and boldly denounced free silver. After a continuous session of thirty hours the Senate adjourned at Cp. m. on the 17th until the 19th. Tiie Republicans seemed determined to push the election bill to a vote, and the Democrats were equally determined that It should not reach this stage, and the Sergeant-at-arms was kept busy in his endeavors to secure a quorum. When he was dispatched for Senators Hampton and Butler and was informed by them that they would come Into the chamber when they got good and ready, a new feature was brought into the battle. Dolph, of Oregon, demanded to know if a Senator could not be compelled to attend these sessions. The presiding officer said they could not. “Then,’’said Mr. Dolpli. “If that is our situation we ought to know it.” “Most of us do know it,” suggested Mr. Vance. After that there were no more attempts to coerce the attendance Of Senators. The Sergeant-at-arins simply notified Senators that they were needed. Some would respond, others would not. Senator Faulkner closed his speech at 2 o’clock, having had the floor continuously for twelve hours, during six hours of which he spoke. At noon not more than a dozen Senators were on the floor. Mr. Daniel followed Mr. Faulkner in a long speech against the bill. Mr. Aldrich gave notice that on the 20th he would ask the Senate to proceed to the consideration of the resolution to change the rules of tho Senate. “Suppose the election bill shall have the right of way then,” queried Mr. Morgan,* “do you propose to displace it?” “The Senate has my notice,” was the response. “I suppose that the election bill will have passed by that time.” [A laugh of incredulity on the Democratic side.] The Senate met at 11 a. m.. on the 19th, thoroughly refreshed and ready for a renewal of the gTest election bill contest. Senator Blair, fresh from his New Hampshire defeat, was in his seat, and so also was Ingalls, who was reported to have gone to Kansas. There was a very full attendance on both sides, :tDd the galleries, in anticipation of hot work before the day was out, were well filled. It was evident from the talk of tho Senators that there would be no more night sessions. All-night sessions have never been popular in the Senate, and •there are several Senators who will positively refuse to repeat the performance of the 16th. Senator Cullotn presented t# the Senate thirty-five petitions in favor of the Torrey bankrupt bill from about 1,000 prominent business houses in Chicago. Many of these firms heretofore protested against the enactment of the bill, but are now urging its immediate passage. The election bill was taken up as the unfinished business, and Mr. George took the floor in opposition to the measure. After a statement of the action of several States on the subject of negro suffrage (after it had been imposed on the South) Mr. George remarked that In Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and AVlsconsin the question had been submitted to the people and had been rejected by large majorities. He asserted that the Constitution of the State of Oregon, adopted in 1857, contained provisions prohibiting the immigration of negroes and their settlement in. the State, and. in fact, outlawing them, and he asked Mr. Dolph whether those provisions had been changed. Mr. Dolph said the Constitution in question had been framed when Oregon was hopelessly Democratic. The constitution had not since been amended. Mr. George—Then I understand that those provisions are, physically in the constitution of Oregon? Mr. Dolph—Does the Senator mean to state that they are to-day the expression of the judgment of the people of Oregon? Mr. George— Oh, no; hut they are the expression of the judgment of the people of Oregon at that time, and the people of Oregon have not seen proper to recall them in the same solemn and formal manner. Sir. George yielded the floor while the Vice President laid before the Senate the message from the President transmitting the agreement, made with the Crow Indians for the sale of the western part of their reservation in Montana, He afterward resumed his speech, but, without concluding, yielded for a motion to go into executive session, and the Senate soon adjourned.