Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1893 — CLOSE OF CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

CLOSE OF CONGRESS.

LONGEST DAY’S SESSION OF THE HOUSE. Fight for World's Fair Grant the Chief Point of Interest—The Appropriations Passed After Being Greatly Reduced— Sunday Opening Dropped. Has Lapsed Into History. The lapse of the Fifty-second Congress into history was of itself an interesting affair. Coining as it did with the death of one administration and the birth of another it was especially interesting. The last day’s session was the longest of the two years. It began at 11 o'clock on Friday morning and ended twenty-five hours later at noon on Saturday. It was a long pull, but the members stood it well, and when at last the end came those of the House gave vent to a few cheers and then with the spirit of , schoolboys rushed out of the chamber to secure advantageous places in the Senate chamber •to view the 6wearing in of the new Vice President. From the time the session began on Friday until it ended the galleries were packed, and jammed with as big and appreciative a crowd as ever looked down upon the lace of Congress. Everything seemed to interest, and the good-natured Speaker exhausted his stock of threats in an endeavor to stop the applause which rewarded every oratorical effort and the laughter which greeted every bit of repartee. It may bo said, parenthetically, that the laughter was not frequent. The members wero tired of Congress, as was tho country. Even Tom Eeed permitted his political enemies to pepper him with verbal bullets without even stirring or glancing in the direction whence they came, and toward the end, when after asking for consent to take ud a bill which he had been championing and which was of some public importance some insignificant member interposed ah objection, Eeed turned on his heel and went back to his seat without so much as seconding his friends, who were trying to induce the objector to withdraw his objection, then failed, and Eeed turned and swapped a story with Bourke' Cockran, who sat across the aisle, as usual twirling his keys around his thumb. The discussion over the World's Fair was the chief point of Interest during the session. As finally agreed to, the appropriations are as follows: For Government exhibit, $150,750. For commission, including $93,0(0 for Board of Lady Managers, $211,000. For jurors, awards, etc., $570,380. The last named appropriation is made, but it is also made a charge against the exposition, and the Government must be reimbursed by'the Ist day of November next Nothing was done or said about the Sunday opening amendment which O’Neil had intended to offer. The vote of 'hanks was given io the Speaker just before the hands of the clock touched 12. The Speaker feelingingly expressed his gratitude, and as the minu'te hands in the House and Senate lapped the hour hands the Vice President and Speaker raised their gavels, declared their respective chambers adjourned sine die, brought their gavels down upon their desks and the life of the Fifty-second Congress slipped into the past.

In tho Senate Thursday tho last amond J ment to the Indian bill, in relation to the Cherokee lands, was amended and agreed to. As amended it appropriates $8.51)5,000 to pay the cherokees for the lands in question. of which 5505.000 shall be payable Immediately, and the remaining 55.000,000 shall be payable In five equal annual Installments, commencing on March 4. 1804. and ending on March 4, 1808—the deferred payments to bear 4 por cent interest The hill was then passed. The S.nato then proceeded to the consideration of the deficiency hill, and at 0 p. m. took a recess 'lll Bp. m. The Senate resumed Its session at 8 p. m.. and the reading of the deficiency bill was proceeded with, occupying about an hour. All the amendments reported from the Committee on Appropriations were agreed to wlthoutquestlou except the one to pay to tho assignees of John Koacb 328.160 IoF tho labor and material furnished In completing the dispatch boat Dolphin. After discussion, the amendment was excluded on a point of trier, and the bill was passed. The Senate, at 1:30 a. m.. adjourned until Friday at 11 a. in. A fight was preclpltuted In tho House when It teached those Items of the sundry civil bill which appropriate about 31,000.000 for various branches of tho Columbian Exposition. Originally tho House had declined to Include tho-o Items in the bill, but the Senate added them, and now they were before tho House on the question of concurring In the Senate amendmen’. The conference committee had struggled over the disagreement, but were unable to secure a compromise, and they simply reported back to the House that Ib-to was no basis cf agreement 1 he conferrces upon ;he sundry civil hill reached an agreement as to the World’s Fair Items, the oply remaining points of dispute, at 3:45 a m., Saturday, 'i he appropriations for that object are fixed as follows: For Govern ment exhiUis. $150,750; for tho Na tional Commission, including £93.000 for the Board of Lady Managers. $211,000. For jurors, awards, etc., tho upproprlaj tlon of $570,880 Is made, but it Is also made a charge avalnst the Exposition, and the Government must be reimbursed by Nov. 1. next The Senate adopiod tbe conference report on tbe sundry civil bill. The McGarrahan bill was passed—yeas, 37; nays 12. In the House the chief matter of dispute was the Cherokee bill The conference report was disagreed to by 57 to 93 and a further conference was ordered.