Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1898 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

After passing a bill to pension the widow of Gen. Johu L. Stevenson at the rate of S3O per month the House devoted the whole day Tuesday to the consideration of the bill to pay certain claims for stores and supplies furnished the Union by loyal citizens of the South during the war. There was a bitter contest over a claim of $217,000 preferred by the heirs of the widow of Gen. Robert E. Lee. She inherited the claim from Mrs. Fitzhugh, her aunt, who, it was admitted, was loyal. The claim wim finally stricken out, but the House reebssed before the bill was passed. It provides for the payment of about SSO claims, aggregating about sl,200,000. At an evening session pension bills wore passed. In the Senate, after the introduction of Cuban resolutions and a speech by Senator Mason, seventy-four private pension bills were passed. Then Mr. Tillman presented resolutions concerning the death of the late Joseph A. Earle, Senator from South Carolina. Eulogies were delivered by Mr. McLnurin, Mr. Chandler, Mr. Clay, Mr. Spooner, Mr. ChiltoD, Mr. Cannon, Mr. Kenney, Mr. McEnery and Mr. Tillman. A wild and uproarious scene occurred in the House on Wednesday when Mr. Bailey, the Democraticiieader, attempted to force the hand of the Republicans upon a proposition to overrule the Speas*or and pass a resolution recognizing the independence of the Cuban republic. Mr. Bailey presented the resolution ns a privileged question. He was ruled out of order by the Speaker. Au appeal from the decision of the chair was laid on the table. The House then went into committee of the whole and resumed consideration of the naval appropriation bill. The Senate 1 Committee on Foreign Relations hns agreed to delay action on all Cuban questions now in its possession until after the President has had opportunity to conclude pending negotiations. The House on Thursday listened to speeches on the Cuban question. The three speeches which stirred the assemblage to its depths were made by Mr. Grosvenor of Ohio, who, it was assumed, spoke for the administration, and who practically pledged it to the cause of free Cuba; Mr. Bailey of Texas, the Democratic leader, who announced the Democratic position ns for free Cuba, without war if it could be avoided, but with war if necessary, and Mr. Johnson of Indiana, who spoke for peace, declaring that it was our duty to go to the extreme in magnanimity in order to avoid the hprrors of war. In the Senate Mr. Frye of Maine, who reported from the Committee on Foreign Relations a resolution calling upon the President for the Cuban consular reports, requested that the resolution lie on the table until such time as the committee desired to call it up. Mr. Chandler of New Hampshire objected to the making of any such contract ns suggested. Mr. Frye then moved that the resolution be recommitted to the Foreign Relations Committee. After a somewhat heated discussion the motion was passed. Friday was to have been private bill day in the H&isc, but the rnles were stns'w pended and nivate bills will be heard Tuesday. TB naval bill was then taken up. After Breral hours of wrangling, during wbicllall sorts of amendments were offered «nd voted down and many speeches werf made, the vote was taken upon the Canboh substitute to reduce the number of battleships to one and to increase the torpedo-boats and torpedo-boat destroyers to twelve each. It was defeated, 78-—124. Mr. UnderwOod (Dem.) of Alabama an amendment appropriating $4,000,000 for the establishment of a government armor plate "factory. The amendment was ruled out on a point of order. Au amendment to reduce the price of armor plate to S3OO per ton was defeated. This completed the bill and it was reported to the House and passed. Then, at 6 p. m., the House adjourned until Monday. The Senate spent almost the entire day in the discussion of the resolution reported Thursday from the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations for the acquisition of the West India islands owned Dy Denmark and the session wnj closed by the practical withdrawal of the resolution by Senator Lodge, nS-fiuthor. While there was no attempt to force consideration for a resolution regarding the Cuban situation in the House on Monday, there was one brief outbreak in which the warlike temper of the galleries was manifest. It came over a bill to authorize the President to erect temporary fortifications in case of emergency upon land when the written consent of the owners was obtained. The bill was passed. The remainder of the day was speflt in the transaction of District of Columbia business. In the Senate prepared speeches upon the Cuban situation were delivered by Messrs. Perkins of California, Clay of Georgia, Mantle of Montana and Rawlins of Utah. The sundry civil appropriation bill was thou taken up.