Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 January 1899 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

The supporters and opponents of the peace treaty in the Senate bad their ■first contest over that document on Thursday in executive session. The debate was upon a motion by Senator Berry to consider the resolution of ratification in open session. The discussion continued from a few minutes past 1 o’clock until about 5, when the Senate adjourned for the day. without reaching a vote. There were no set speeches in the usual acceptance of that phrase. It was a running debate, in which Senators Berry, White, Hale, Hoar, Vest and others in opposition to the treaty met Senators Davis, Frye, Teller, Gray and others in advocacy of it The House passed the diplomatic and consular appropriation bill without amendment. During the general debate two set speeches were made against imperialism by Messrs. Carmack and Gaines of Tennessee. The diplomatic and consular is the sixth of the regular appropriation bills to pass the House. The bill as passed carries sl, <05,533. A bill was passed authorizing the Little River Railroad Company to construct a railroad through the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indian reservations.

In the Senate on Friday Mr. McLaurin (Dem.) of South Carolina made a strong appeal in a carefully prepared speech against a policy of expansion by this nation. Mr. Sullivan (Dem.) of Mississippi and Mr. Pasco (Deni.) of Florida discussed the pending Nicaragua canal bill, the former supporting it and the latter opposing it. The Indian appropriation bill was taken up, but its consideration was not concluded before the hour of adjournment. The House entered upon the consideration of the naval personnel bill. The speeches on the bill were filled with glowing allusions to the glories of naval ■victories in the late war. The bill was supported by Messrs. Foss (Rep.) of Illinois, Dayton (Rep.) of West Virginia. Berry (Dem.) of Kentucky, Driggs (Dem.) of New York and Dinsmore (Dem.) of Arkansas, and was opposed by Messrs. Lowe (Rep.) of New York and Sinijtson (Pop.) of Kansas.

A state funeral almost majestic m its impressiveness was given the late Representative Nelson Dingley at noon Monday in the House of Representatives. Speaker Reed calk'd the House to order and immediately thereafter the Vice-Pres-ident and the Senate entered the chamber in a body and were followed by the diplomatic corps, with whom came the members of the Anglo-American comTnission, of which Mr. Dingley had been a member. Then followed the chief justice and associate justices of the Supreme Court in their somber robes, and they in turn were followed by the President with his cabinet. The services were cOSdncted by the Rev. S. M. Newman of the First Congregational Church of Washington, assisted by the Rev. Dr. Couden, chaplain of the House. As soon as the services were over the House adjourned. The Senate Jichl no- session for the transaction of business on Monday.

The House on Tuesday passed the naval personnel bill without division on the final passage, thus accomplishing what the officers of the navy have striven for during more than a decade. By its provisions the line and the engineer corps are welded into an amalgamated line, staff officers are given positive rank, but their command is limited to their own cofps, and a system of voluntary and compulsory retirement on three-quarters pay, as of the next higher rank of forty officers a year, is established. which is designed to remove the congestion in the lower rank at forty-five. The bill also practically equalizes their pay with that of army officers. The most important change in the bill as reported was the adoption, after a hard fight, of a substitute for the organization of the marine corps, by which the corps is to consist of 6,000 enlisted men and petty officers, with general officers and staff. This will increase the marine corps by 1,300 men and increase the cost of its maintenance $1,500,000. Several unimportant bills were passed by unanimous consent before the personnel bill was taken up. Almost the entire session of the Senate was devoted to consideration of the pending Nicaragua canal bill. Speeches were made in support of the measure by Mr. Chilton (Tex.) and Mr. Turner (Wash.) and in opposition to it by Mr. Spooner <Wis.l. At .3 o’clock consideration of the bill under the fifteen-minute rule was begun and was continued to the close of the session.

The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce had the right of way in the Hous<> on Wednesday and hucceeded in passing quite a number of bilk of minor importance, most of which authorized the construction of lighthouses, fog signals, etc. Then the bill to grant the Pacific Cable Company a subsidy of $100,606 a year for twenty years for the construction and operation <»f a cable was calk'd up and a very spirited debate, which consumed the remainder of the day, followed. The opposition was headed by Mr. Corliss (Rep.. Mich.l, who advocated the construction of a Government cable. No conclusion was reached at the hour of adjournment. Mnd as the special order under which the House was operating expired with the adjournment, and as objection was made to fixing another day for its consideration, it goes over indefinitely. The feature of tlte session of the Senate was a speech delivered by Mr. Bacon (Dem., Ga.i in support of his resolutions declaring that the United States would not assume sovereignty over the Philippine Islands. Following Mr. Bacon’s speech the Nicaragua canal bill was taken up and remained under discussion until 6 o’clock.