Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 March 1898 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

In the Hoose on Wednesday the legislative’ executive and judicial appropriation bill went through its last stages in the adoption of the liuancial conference report. The remainder of the day wns consumed in consideration of the Senate amendments to the Indian appropriation bill. The substitute for the Senate provision regarding the opening of the Uucompahgre reservation was knocked out on a point of order, and the amendment goes back to conference. The desire of the conferees to nou-coucur in the Senate free homestead clause encountered bitter opposition, and an arrangement was made whereby four hours nre to be devoted to debate a proposition to concur submitted by Mr. Eddy of Minnesota. Mr. Sherman, ehairman.of the Indian Committee, declared that the free homestead provision would cost the Government $5(1,000,000. He desires to eliminate it from the bill, and has the support of the Secretary of the Interior. In the Senate the $50,000,000 defense bill wns passed by a unanimous vote. Hawaiian annexation was considered in executive session. In the House ail dny Thursday was spent on the Indian- appropriation bill. The Senate amendments were non-cou-currcd in and the bill scut to conference. In the Senate no business of real importance wns transacted in open session. The session lasted only an hour, the time being largely consumed iu disposing of routine morning business. A few bills of minor importance were passed. In the House on Friday the bill to pny the Bowman act claims, aggregating sl,200,000, for stores and supplies furnished the Union army during the war was considered until 5 o’clock, but beyond completing the general debhte little progress was made. Of the 800 odd claims in the bill nil but a few come from the South, and dilatory tactics were resorted to to prevent progress. During the filibustering the House was in an uproar. At 5 o’clock, after completing two pages of the bill, the House recessed until 9 o’clock for an evening session to be devoted to pension legislation. After the evening session the House adjourned until Monday. The Senate was not in session. During its session of three hours on Monday the Senate passed a considerable number of bills from the general calendar, among the number being one authorizing the construction of eight new revenue cutters not exceeding in aggregate cost the sum of $2,025,000. A resolution offered last Thursday by Mr. Chandler (N. H.) authorizing the committee on naval affairs to send for persons and papers in the course of the investigation of the Maine disaster, was adopted. Mr. Lodge (Mass.) of the foreign relations committee called up the joint resolution for the relief of August Bolton and Gustave Richelieu. The resolution as reported from the foreign relations committee is as follows: “That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby empowered to take such measures as in his judgment may be necessary to obtain the indemnity from the Spanish government for the wrongs and injuries suffered by August Bolten and Gustave Richelieu by reason of their wrongful arrest and imprisonment by Spanish authorities at Santiago de Cuba in the year 1895; and to secure this end he is authorized and requested to employ such means or exercise sueli power ns may be necessary.” In the House on Tuesday it was agreed to consider the bill for the relief of the legal heirs of the victims and survivors of the Maine disaster ns soon as the postoffice appropriation bill is out of the way. During the general debate on the postofflee bill members eagerly took advantage of the latitude allowed in committee of the whole on the state of the Union to discuss various political questions.' Messrs. Griggs (Dem., Ga.) and Walker (Rep., Mass.) discussed the conditions of the cotton industry, and Mr. Tawney (Rep., Minn.), a member of the Ways and Means Committee, replied to the speech of Mr. Johnson (Rep., Ind.) made some time ago against the advisability of annexing the Hawaiian islands. Mr. Tawney strongly advocated the annexation of the islands. After the passage of numerous bills from the general calendar the Senate began consideration of the measure providing for a national system of quarantine. Little beyond the rending of the bill was accomplished.