Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1892 — DOINGS OF CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

DOINGS OF CONGRESS.

MEASURES CONSIDERED AND ACTED UPON. At the Nation’s Capital—What Is Being Done by the Senate and House—Old Hatters Disposed Of and New Ones Con•iderod. The Senate and House. The lnteroat'wlilch surrounds the meeting of a new sessidh'of Congress ha/ worn off, and the House on the 7th got down to Its dull routine of business. A bill granting a portion of the Fort Hayes military reservation to tho State of Kansas was called up In the consideration morning hour, but the House refused to order the previous question upon it Then a bill, in effect repealing the law which provides for a reduction in the force of the engineer officers of the navy to 170, was brought to the attention of the House. Should the bill become a law the number of officers would be fixed at 191. Although the measure received a majority vote, a motion to reconsider was interpolated, and no final action was taken. The remainder of the day was consumed In the consideration of a long Senate bill relative to public printiug and binding. The object of the measure is to economize In the matter of the printing of public documents and to facilitate their distribution. An unusual cinideut In the opening proceedings of the Senate was the offering of the opening prayer by a Jewish rabbi, Eev. Dr. Joseph Silverman, rabbi of the Temple Emanuel of New York, one of tho distinguished attendants at tbe rabbi’s convention now in progress in Washington. He I did not follow the custom of the so-called | orthodox Jews by covering his head, but stood bareheaded during the proceeds rig s. On the occasion of the death of Senator Barbour, of Virginia, funeral services were held in the Senate by a bishop and priests of the Catholic church, but this was tho first occasion on which a Jewish prelate had been invited to conduct religious exercises in that body. Senator Hill introduced a bill to repeal the Sberman silver purchase act. Referred to Committee on Finance. The Senate at 1:15 adjourned, after the announcement of the death of the late Representative McDonald, of New Jersey hy Seuator McPherson.

Tbe Senate spent exactly one hour in session Ihursday, and that time was about equally divided between executive and legislative business. The former had reference to the pending claims treaty with Chill, which treaty was ratiflod and confirmed. A communication from the Secretary of War was laid before the Senate, Showing that a balance of J 3.732 was still due the State of Pennsylvania for moneys expended by that 'State for the use of the United States in 1864. A memorial was presented from the Chicago Woman’s Club for the repeal of the provision of law requiring the World’s Fair to be closed on Sundays. Senate bill to authorize the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River above New Orleans for tbe use of the Southern Pacific Railroad was passed. The Senate then proceeded to executive business. Half an hour later the doors were reopened and a message Was presented from the House announcing the death of Representative Warwick, of Ohio. Tbe customary resolutions of regret were offered, and the Senate adjourned.till Monday. Mr. Ivilgore(Texas) brought to the attention of the House a rule which few of the members knew to be in existence. By •implication it provides that unfinished business coming over from the first session of the House cannot be considered at the second session"untll after the expiration of six days. Speaker Crisp intimated that the defect would he remedied. The point made by Mr. Kilgore was entirely, unexpected and caused much amusement. Although the rule has been In the code for many years (except during the List Congress) none of the oldest members can remember when It has ever before been invoked. .The auuual report of the Secretary of the Treasury was laid before the House

and referred to the committee on ways and means. No objection was raised to the further consideration of the bill relative to printing and binding, and this consumed the remainder of the afternoon. Without disposing of the bill, the House adjourned. The attendance in the House Friday was small and the attention listless. It was with difficulty that a quorum could be roused to vote, and It was by a bare margin of votes that the printing bill was passed. Mr. Catchings (Miss.), from the committee on rules, reported a resolution amending the rules so as to provide that business coming over as unfinished from one session of Congress may be considered immediately at the meeting of a subsequent session of tho same Congress Adopted. The call of committees for reports was unproductive. The considertion of the Senate bill (with House amendments) relative to the public printing and binding was then resumed. Mr. Holman (Ind.) withdrew his motion, which was pending, to recommit the bill, and, by unanimous consent, the vote by which the bill was ordered to a third reading having been reconsidered, Mr. Holman moved to strike out those clauses of the measure which relate to the office of Superintendent of Public Documents. The amendment was agreed to, after half an hour being consumed in drumming up a quorum, and the bill as amended was passed. Mr. Andrew (Mass.) presented the petition of Phillips Brooks and others asking for t(bo repeal of the Geary Chinese act Ordered printed. The House then adjourned until Monday.

The anti-option bill made Its appearance twice In the Senate Tuesday, but without decisive action being taken. Numerous petitions and temonstrances for and against the passage of the bill wore presented and referred to the Committee on Agriculture. Petitions were also presented for the closing of the World’s Fair on Sundays, and in favor of the construction of the Nicaragua canal by the Government of the United States, and a bill was Introduced to encourage the Construction of the proposed electric r.alload between Chicago and St. Louis. Mr. Vest’s joint resolution for tho appointmnet of a commission to have an agreement made with the five civilized tribes of Indians for the taking of land In severalty and for the opening of the remainder of the lands to white settlement occupied the remainder of the , day’s session. In the House Mr. Davis (Kansas) reported a bill to prohibit the employment of convict labor on public works. Mr. Cummings (New York) offered for reference a resolution that the Committee on Postoffices and Post Roads be directed to Investigate certain irregularities charged to the Postofflce Department. Bills were passed to create an additional land district in New Mexico and to dispose of certain abandoned military reservations in Wyoming.