Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1893 — THE SENATE AND HOUSE. [ARTICLE]

THE SENATE AND HOUSE.

WORK OF OUR NATIONAL LAWMAKERS. Proceedings of the Benate and House o t Representatives Discussed and Acted Upon—Gist or the Business. The National Solona. The Senate got rid Tuesday of the legislative’incubus under which-it has labored since the first day of the session. The autjr option bill reached the - point at which voting began at 3: IS p, Im.” The first vote was on the amendment offered-by Mr. Vilae (Wia) to the George substitute, and theamendment was rejected—yeas 21; nays.. SO. Then the George substitute itself was rejected—yeas. 19; nkys, 91. • And finally uxe bill was passed by a vote of 40 to 29 There were many members of the House of Representatives, at times almost as many of them as there were Senators, present in the Senate chamber during the Vctss and the preliminary discussion of the 4>UI, and.the deepest Interest aids manifested in the proceedings as well on the ficor as in the crowded galleries. Representative DeArmpnd (Mo.) put a little spice into the proceedings of the House by making an attack upon the civil-service law. Then a controversy as to the Democracy of Mr. Enloe (Tenn.) and Mr. Bland (Mo.) entertained the House for awhile. Tho House' resumed, in committee of the whole, the consideration of the sundry civil appropriation bill. The committee then returned tc the section relative to public buildings. Tbe next order to be. taken up was that which appropriates tr rivers and hartors.. The fortification bill was tbe first of the general bills to come before the Senate Wednesday, and it was passed after a rather Interesting discussion on the subject of coast fortifications. The army appropriation bill was then taken up and was passed with but a single amendment—lncreasing the monthly pay of sergeants of the army. The District of Columbia bill came next In order. All the committee amendments were agreed to, except one that was reserved for action Thursday looking to the erection of a 3300.000 municipal building in Washington city. The attention of the House was centered upon one item of the sundry civil appropriation bill. That item, was one appropriating {16.000,000 for carrying on the contracts already entered into for the improvement of rivers and harbors. The jurisdictional authority of tho Committee on Appropriations was called into question. It was contended that the appropriations should have been reported to the committee on harbors, but although Mr. Holman was foremost of those who made this contention against the power of the committee of which ho was chairman, that committee came out victorious and the item was decided to te a proper one. Without finally acting on the bill the House adjourned.

Thursday morning the anti-option hill was the center of interest in the House. The opponents of the legislation were on the alert, and the Instant that Mr. Hatch made his motion for the conference, Mr. Bynum, of Indiana, wa3 addressing tho Speaker, with a point of order, that the Senate amendments must first be considered in committee of tho whole. John. Davenport and the Federal election laws then occupied the attention of the House, brought forward by an amendment offered by Mr. Fitch, of New York.to the sundry civil bill. It provides that hereafter no part of any money appropriated to pay any fees to the United States commissioners, marshals, or clerks shall be used for any warrant issued or arrest made under the laws relating to the election of members of Congress unless the prosecution has been commenced upon a sworn complaint setting forth tho facts constituting the offense and alleging them to be within the personal knowledge of the affiant. The amendment was finally agreed to, 172 to 47. The Fitch amendment was agreed to—yeas 181. nays 80. The bill was than passed. With the exception of one hour in the early part of tho day, and a little longer tirno in the evening, the day’s session of tlie Senate was held behind* closed doors. It was passed in tho consideration of the French and Swedish extradition treaties. Mr. Carlisle's resignation as Senator from Kentucky was presented. 'I he District appropriation hill was taken up, considered, and passed. Friday the Speaker laid before the House the President’s message relative to the bond transit over Canadian roads. Referred. The deficiency appropriation bill was passed and the Indian appropriation bill was reported. The House then paid tribute to the memory of the late Representative Craig, of Pennsylvania, and adjourned. ’J he question of the repeal of the Sherman act, or at least of the suspension of the silver bullion purchase provision of It,' was unexpectedly precipitated on the Senate by Mr. Teller (Rep), Colorado. He made the presentation of some petitions on the subject the occasion for launching out into a discussion of the whole question, and expressed his confident assurance that the ropeal of the Sherman act was not among the possibilities of tho present session. At 3p. m. the business of the Senate was suspended in order that fitting tributes might be made to the memory of the late Senator Barbour, of Virginia. Eulogies of the dead Senator were pronounced by Messrs. Daniels, Manderson. Faulkner, Gallinger, Platt, Hill, Hiscock, and Huuton, Mr. Barbour’s successor in the Senate. The usual resolutions were agreed to, and the Senate, as a further mark of respect to the memory of Mr. Barbour, adjourned. The Senate on Saturday set apart two hours for the consideration of House bills on the calendar, and eighteen of them were passe J. After that the House bill to ratify the agreement with the Cherokees for the cession of their interest in the Cherokee outlet lands and appropriating more than $8,500,000 to carry it out was taken up, discussed, and passed in tho shape of a substitute. Memorial proceedings in memory of Messrs. Gamble of South Dakota, Ford of Michigan, and Stackhouse, of South Carolina, members of the Houso of Representatives, were then begun, and after eulogies on each of the dead Representatives the customary resolutions were agreed to and the Senate adjourned. The Houso made rapid strides toward final adjournment. It passed the diplomatic and Military Academy appropriation bills with little debate. Mr. Hatch reported back the anti-option bill, with Senate amendments, and it was referred to the committee of the whole.

The periods of the Senate Monday were of a character at once interesting and important. The junior representative from New York, Senator Hill,, made the motion of which he had given notice last Friday to proceed to the consideration of the bill to repeal the Sherman silver-purchase act —and in support of tbe'inotion delivered a carefully prepared speech, in which he declared himself unconditionally a friend of free bimetallic coinage. The motion was defeated by nearly a two-thirds majority, the vote being yeas 23. nays 42. Afterward the quarantine bill was taken up and passed without a division, also a bill for the payment out of the treasury of local taxes on lands held by Indians in severalty. Finally the automatical-coupler bill was taken up and discussed for a time, when it went over. Senator Hill presented a petition of tho business men of Rochester. N. Y.; irrespective of party, in favor of the repeal of the Sherman act. Senate hill to authorize a bridge over the Monongahela River from Pittsburgh to Homestead - was passed. This was suspension day in the House, knd Mr. Kilgore, of Texas,soon began filibustering motions. His apparent object was to prevent the consideration of the anti-option, hill, but deeper than this was his antagonism to the bankruptcy hill, which public rumor had put down on the slate for the day. It was after 1 o’clock when the various filibustering motions of Mr. Kilgore were disposed of and the journal approved. Then Mr. Bunn moved to suspend the rules and pass a hill appropriating $32,000 for the relief of the heirs of Adelicia Choteau. Mr. Burrows demanded a second, and. as no quorum voted, on motion of Mr. Kilgore a call of the House was ordered. The call showed tie presence of a quorum and tellers were again ordered. Again no quorum voted and again a call of the House was ordered. After several other roll-calls the House adjourned, without having reached tho antioption or the bankruptcy bill. .