Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 July 1892 — DOINGS OF CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

DOINGS OF CONGRESS.

MEASURES CONSIDERED AND ACTED UPON. At the Nation’* Capital—What I* Seine Done by the Senate and Bonce—Oidi Matter* Xttsposed Of and New One* Considered. The Senate and House. ■The silver question, which has been before the LUd Congress ever since last December was finally settled in the Hous® the 18tb. The bill Itself was not voted upon, but on the test vote taken on th® resolution reported from the Committee on Buies to take up the bill for consideration, free-silver-coinage was defeated by a majority of 2A The Senate, by a vote of 51tol* approved the $5,060,000 appropriation in aid of the World’s Fair. Attuched to the appropriation is the following proviso: “That the appropriation provided for In this act lhall be upon condition that the said World’s Columbian Exposition shall b® closed on the first day of the Week, commonly called Sunday." Another condition Is as follows: “Provided the sale of Intoxicating liquor on the Exposition grounds shall be prohibited, except for medlcaV botanical, or scientific purposes. ” World’s Fair legislation Is again th® property of the House. The Senate, on th® 14th, passed the Sundry Civil bill with various amendments relating to the Exposition. Sunday closing Is made ironclad, but former action in prohibiting the sale of liquors on the grounds is reversed and that matter left entirely to the Exposition management As the sundry civil bill came from the House It merely appropriated the remainder of the 81,500,000 provided for In th® bill of the Fifty-first Congress for the running expenses of the Government exhibit and the National Commission, with a* proviso that the Government exhibit should b® closed Sunday. The Senate Increased th® amounts for these purposes A»y 8500,000 and added the new propositions for souvenir coins and for payment of awards, making the total Increase over the House in th® neighborhood of $6,200,000. It also mad® the Sunday closing apply to the entire Exposition. The House was occupied In minor business

On the 15tb the field of operation of th® World's Fair bill was removed from the Senate to the House, and the final termination of the controversy was brought In sight by an agreement of unanimous consent that a vote should be taken at 12 o’clock on the 19th on all the World’s Fair propositions, Including the $5,000,000 appropriation, the Sunday question, the liquor prohibition, and other amendments which may be offered. This amounts to a vote of th® previous question and cuts off the chance of filibustering which some have believed would threaten the bill during the last days of the session. At no time were there more than sixty or seventy members out of the total of 836 on the floor of the House, apd by actual count there w ere just fifteen members on theJtepubliean side and thirtysix on the Democratic at one time during the debate. On the 16th the House resumed consideration of the World’s Fair appropriation bill. Many five and ten minute speeches were made, some favoring and some opposing an appropriation. The chief points of difference, however, relate to Sunday closing. The session of the Senate was notable chiefly for an angry encounter between Senators Harris of Tennessee and Sanders of Montana No business of Importance was transacted.