Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1898 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

Wednesday’s debate in the Senate oa the Alaskan homestead and railway right of way bill was spirited. Mr. Carter (Mont.) delivered a vigorous speech in reply to that made by Mr. Rawlins (Utah), in the course of which be made a strong defense of the honor of Congressional committees and of officials in the several government departments. One of the special features of the debate was a speech delivered by Mr. Elkins (W. Va.), in which he explained that the Canadian Pacific Railway was enabled to make war upon American interests, and how and why the aggressions of that great railroad ought to be stopped by the United States. The speech drew replies from Mr. Hoar (Mass.), Mr. Chilton (Texas), and Mr. Nelson (Minn.). Mr. Hoar maintained that a large part of the speech of Mr. Elkins was irrelevant to the pending discussion. The House spent another day in debate upon the Loud bill relating to second class mail matter. The speeches as a rule attracted little interest. The speakers were Messrs. Bromwell (Rep., Ohio), and Ogden (Dem., La.), in favor of the measure, and Messrs. Bell (Pop., Colo.), Simpson (Pop., Kau.), Clark (Dem., Mo.), Brown (Rep., Ohio), and Lentz (Dem., Ohio), in opposition to it In the Senate ou Thursday the House amendments to the bankruptcy bill were non-coucurred in, and Messrs. Hoar, Nelson nnd Lindsay were appointed as Senate conferees. During almost the entire session the Senate hnd under consideration the Alaska homestead and railway right of way bill. One of the features of the discussion was a speech delivered by Mr. Vest, in which he ridiculed the idea of homesteading any part of Alaska or constructing railroads in that district. His motion to eliminate the homestead feature of the bill by striking out the first section was defeated. The resolution for a congressional investigation of the murder of the postmaster at Lake City, S.’ 0., was referred to the Committee on Contingent expenses. A bill wak passed to establish an assay office in Seattle, Wash. In the House the Loud bill, to correct alleged abuses of the second-class mail matter privilege, was laid on the table by a vote of 102 to 119, thus killing it. Fortyseven Republicans joined with the Democrats and Populists in accomplishing this result and ten Democrats voted with the majority of the Republicans. Mr. White (Rep., N. 0.), the only colored member of the House, asked unanimous consideration for a resolution appropriating SI,OOO for the family of the assassinated Lake City postmaster, but it went over upon objection from Mr. Bartlett (Dem., Ga.). After a debate lasting several days the Senate on Friday passed the bill extending the homestead laws and providing for right of way for railroads in the district of Alaska. Comparatively little discussion of general interest was created by the bill. Section 13, providing for certain bonding concessions to Canada in lieu of privileges to be extended by the Dominion Government to this country, however, induced a pretty lively debate, as it brought into the controversy the old fisheries question on the New England eoast, which has been pending between the United States and Great Britain for 100 years. Two more appropriations were sent to the President Friday, the pension bill and the consular and diplomatic, both of which went through their final stage in the House. It was private bill day. The most important action taken was acquiescence in an agreement to make the bill appropriating about $1,200,000 for war claims approved by the court of claims under the provisions of the Bowman act a special order for the next Friday. The claims carried by the bill, 730 in number, are for stores and supplies seized*during the war in the Southern States. Only two bills were passed, one to pay the heirs of Sterling T. Austin about $59,000 for cotton seized during the war, and the other to pay an aggregate of $3,360 in small claims growing out of back pay, etc., earned during the war. The House adjourned until Monday. In the House on Monday the Hawley bill providing fojr two additional regiments of artillery was passed under suspension of the rules by almost unanimous vote. Mr. Bailey, the Democratic leader, wanted more time for debate than the forty minutes allowed, and because he did not get it he inaugurated a filibuster against District of Columbia legislation that continued all day. In the Senate the session was devoted to consideration of the’District of Columbia appropriation bill. At the hour of adjournment the bill had not been disposed of. The District of Columbia appropriation bill, containing a provision for the reduction -of about one-half of the present rates of telephone charges in the district, was passed by the Senate ou Tuesday. A bill to authorize the relocation and rebuilding of a pontoon bridge across the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien, Wis., was passed. The bill for the relief of the Methodist Episcopal Church South of Tennessee, appropriating $288,000, was passed. In the House the bill appropriating $50,000,000 for defense passed unanimously.