Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1898 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

In the House on Wednesday the Al-drich-Plowman contested election case from the Fourth Alabama District was settled by the passage of a resolution declaring Mr. Aldrich (Rep.), the contestant, eutitled to the seat. The vote was on party lines. Culian debate consumed the whole day in the Senate. Speeches were made by Messrs. Cannon, Mason and Hale.

The House was in a very bad temper Thursday, and the whole session was consumed iu filibustering against two bills of minor importance—one to issue a duplicate check, and the other to make Rockland, Me., a subport of entry. Neither got further than the engrossment and third reading. Finally, when it became evident that no progress could be mad? with the bills presented, an adjournment was taken until Monday. During almost the entire session of the Senate the InJian appropriation bill was under discussion. The reading of the bill was completed, and all of the committee amendments were adopted. Subsequently several amendments of a minor character were attached to the measure. Mr. Allen of Nebraska enlivened the proceedings a few minutes before adjournment by making an attack upon Speaker Reed for preventing the enactment, as the Nebraska Senator declared, of meritorious legislation, sent to the House of Representatives by the Senate, lie denounced the Speaker’s action in this regard as n “disgrace” to Congress and to the American people. Consideration of the Indian appropriation bill was resumed in the Senate on Friday, and, after being amended to some extent, the measure was passed. The most important amendment wsb that offered by Mr. Pettigrew, which, if finally enacted, will restore the free homestead law so far ns it relates to Indian lands ceded to the United States, for which lands the settlors have been obliged to pay the purchase price paid to the Indians. The hill carries appropriations aggregating nearly $8,000,000. The Senate idjonrned until Monday. The House was not in session. In the House on Mondny a resolution calling for information as to the coneentrndos in Culm wns adopted. Another resolution calling for the correspondence relating to the exclusion of American fruit, beef and horses from Germany was adopted. The remainder of the dny was devoted to District of Columbia business. A feature of the Senate session was a speech in advocacy of the free coinage of standard silver dollars by Mr. Allen. Mr. Harris introduced a resolution calling for information regarding the abandonment of the Government's purpose to bid in the Kansas Pacific Railway under a guarantee of the full nmount of the principal of the debt. On Mr. Chandler’s objection it went over one day. In the House on Tuesday the time wns devoted to the consideration of bills and joint resolutions nnd sixteen of more or less public importance were passed. An order was entered by nnnnimous consent for the consideration of the Loud hill relating to second-class mail matter, on March 1, 2 nnd 3, and the order for the consideration of the Imnkruptoy bill was modified so that the final vote shall be taken on Saturday instead of Monday. The Senate bill amending the navigation Inxvs was passed, as was the bill to make it lawful to transmit through the mails private postal curds with a 1-cent stamp affixed. In the Senate a resolution was passed, after a spirited delxite, calling for information regarding the sale of the Union Pacific road.