Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 July 1898 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

' Id the House on Tuesday the conference report upon the bankruptcy bill was adopted by a vote of 134 to When the bankruptcy bill was disposed of Mr. Mahon (Rep., Pa.) asked unanimous consent for disagreement to the Senate amendments to the war claims or “omnibusf* bill, and for granting the request of the Senate for a conference. Consent w&a given and the chair appointed as conferees Messrs. Mahon, Otjen and Richardson. Several bills affecting the armr were passed, notably being those providing for the pay of volunteers from the date of enrollment for service, and providing for increases in the ordnance, engineer and quartermaster's departments. Almost the entire session of the Senate waa occupied by Mr. Cattery (Dem., La.) in a continuation of his speech against the annexation of Hawaii. At 4 o’clock, he had! not concluded, but yielded fbe floor in order that the general deficiency HU might be considered. The bill was read pad the committee amendments, so far a& they have been offered, were agreed to. j A precedent that will be historic was established by the Senate at its session «Qt Wednesday. For probably, the first tine* In the history of the Senate a resolution was adopted tendering the thanks of Congress to common seamen, specifically naming them in the resolution. The resolutions recommended by the President were adopted, tendering the thanks of Congress to Naval Constructor Hobson and the other heroes of the Merrimac, and toi Lieut. Frank 11. Newcomb, commander of the revenue cutter Hudson, for bis gallant rescue of the Winslow and her crewi off Cnrdenas; and retiring oO full pay Ciipt. Hodgson of the McCulloch for distinguished services at Manila. Consideration of the general deficiency bill was concluded and the measure wns passedAn amendment of great importance was’ attached to the bill, practically by general consent. It relates to the settlement of claims of the Government against the Pacific railroads. The bill as passed carries about $227,000,000, the largest sum carried by any appropriation measure since the civil war. After the passage of the deficiency bill consideration of the Hawaiian annexation resolutions wns resumed. The House after sending the Indian and sundry civil bills back to conference, consideration of bills from the Military Affairs Committee, under the rule adopted on Tuesday, proceeded. Notable among the mensuros passed were those providing for the enlistment of cooks Ja the army, providing for the appointment' of military storekeepers for the army, providing for the protection of harbor de- 1 senses and fortifications against wanton and malicious injury, and giving the Secretary of War discretion to permit ahy church or religious sect to erect its boose of worship upon the West Point military reservation. : Late Thursday afternoon the Senate* cleared the legislative decks for what: may be the final action upon the Hawaiian annexation resolutions. The last: of the appropriation bills that have been pending in conference were disposed of and was a law before midnight. After a debate lasting three hours the Senate finally receded from its amendment to the sundry civil bill and adopted the confer-' once report on the Indian appropriation bill. ' Mr. Bate (Dem., Tenu.) and MrJ Tillman (Dem., S. C.) discussed at length the Hawaiian annexation resolutions. The latter discussed the race problem from the standpoint of a Southern man.' and was characteristically vigorous in his remurko. All irttrmpt otfCtire yewyo of the bill to Incorporate the international American bank met with determined opposition in the House. Filibustering was indulged in, but it was not effective ini preventing the consideration of the bill* Adjournment, however, was forced before a vote upon the measure could be reached. The House adopted the report upon the Indian appropriation bill, insisted unanimously upon its disagreements to the Sennte amendments to the sundry civil bill and sent the general deficiency bill to conference. , In the Senate on Saturday bills passed as follows: Amendatory to the law regarding fraudulent affidavits in pension and bounty land cases; to pay the owners of the ship Achilles for expenses incurred in rendering service to the wreckedi American ship Arabia. Mr. Pettigrew; (S. D.) then resumed his speech upon the Hawaiian annexation resolutions. The Senate passed with amendment the House bill to increase the force of the ordnance department. Mr. Cockrell (Mo.), from Committee on Military Affairs, reported and the Senate passed the House bill fixing pay of volunteer soldiers from the date of enrollment for service. The bill was amended so as to include all officers.. The Senate passed the House bill directing the enlistment of cooks in the regular and volunteer armies. Also a. bill to change the times for holding courts in the eastern district: of North Carolina. Also the House bill to amend the statutes relating to the bonds of vice-consuls and the quarterly returns of business by consular officers and the Senate bill amending the laws relating to American seamen for their protection and to promote commerce. The chief features of the latter are the elimination of all imprisonment provisions . in the coastwise trade, including Mexican and West Indian, the reduction of penalties in the foreign trade; the improvement of the provision scales, and the reduction of allotments to one month. In the Senate on Monday Allen of Nebraska began his speech in opposition to Hawaiian annexation. At noon Turpie read the declaration of independence. During the session a large number of pension bills were passed.