Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 February 1899 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

The House on Friday finally passed the sundry civil appropriation bill, to which it had (Jevoted over a week. No important amendment had been adopted. The Speaker's ruling upon the motion to recommit the bill, with instructions to incorporate in it the Nicaragua canal amendment, was sustained—lss to 90. A bill was passed authorizing the President to appoint five additional cadets-at-large to the naval academy. The evening session was devoted to private pension legislation. The naval personnel bill, for which the Navy Department has been contending for so many years, was passed by the Senate. It was under discussion for several hours, but was passed practically in the form in which it was reported by the The remainder of the ilny’s session was devoted to passage of bills on the private {tension calendar, seventy-four in number, and to the reading of the Alaska code bill. The Senate spent most of the day Saturday on the posioffico appropriation bill, but failed to complete it. An echo,of the old star route developments was heard when several Senators criticised the method by which a combination of speculators secured the star route contracts. Several bills of minor importance were passed early in the day. The House spent two hours upon the naval appropriation bill without making any progress. The remainder of the session was devoted to eulogies upon the life and public services of the late Representative Northway, of Ohio. The paragraph in the bill relating to the naval academy, against which Mr. Mudd (Rep., Aid.) raised a point of order, was stricken out, the point of order being sustained. Mr. Mudd then moved additional appropriations or $729,000 for the completion of the buildings nt the academy authorized in the last naval bill.

During almost six hours Monday afternoon the postoffice appropriation hill was under discussion in the Senate, the time being consumed largely by Mr. Butler (Pop., N. C.) and Mr. Dettigrew (Sil. Itep., S. D.l in an amendment providing that the postal commission should present its final report to Congress by March 1, 1900. Failing after many trials to obtain unanimous consent for the insertion of the amendment in the bill, Mr. Butler permitted it to come to a vote. It was defeated 27 to 19. Mr. Hawley, chairman of the Military Affairs Committee, moved to take up the army reorganization bill, unanimous consent having been refused to take up the measure without displacing the unfinished business —the antiscalping bill. Mr. Hawley’s motion prevailed, 44 to 20, this making the army bill the unfinished business. A separate bill appropriating $20,000,000 for payment to Spain under the provisions of the treaty of Paris was passed by the House ui*U*r suspension of the rules. The Senate oill to reimburse the Governors of for expenses paid by the States in organizing volunteers for service in the war with Spain before their muster into the service of the United States also was passed under suspension of rules. The bill appropriating $500,000 for the Pan-Ameri-can exposition to be held at Buffalo, N. Y„ in 1901 was before the House, when absence of a quorum compelled an adjournment.

Formal discussion of the Hull-llawley army reorganization bill was begun in the Senate Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Hawley and Mr. Warren, Republicans, supported the measure, anil Mr. Mitchell aud Mr. Cockrell, Democrats, opposed it. while Mr. Proctor, Republican, addressed the in favor of some amendments which he had proposed to ike bill. The postofflee appropriation bill was laid before the Senate and its consideration was resumed. At 2 o’clock the debate closed anil the voting began. Mr. Butler's amendment reducing the amount paid to railroads was defeated, 45 to 15. The bill was then pnssed. The House reached .the last page of the naval bill and adjourned with a point of order pending against a provision fixing the price of armor plate at $545 per ton. Much of the time was occupied in debating the amendment offered by Mr. Mudd (Rep.. Md.) appropriating $720,000 to complete the three buildings authorized to be erected nt the naval academy at Annapolis. The Housasadopted the amendment, 75 to 53. The House on Wednesday inaugurated the custom which has prevailed for many years in the Senate of listening to the reading of Washington’s farewell address on Washington’s birthday. Two hours were devoted to the naval-appro-priation bill. The consideration Of thO naval bill was suspended to allow the members of the House to pay to the memory of the late Senator MorriU of Vermont. The session of the Senate was devoted to two special orders—the reading of Washington's farewell address, an annual custom of the Seuate on Washington’s birthday, and the pronouncing of eulogies on the late Senator Justin 8. Morrill of Vermont.