Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 May 1900 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

The Senate bn Thursday considered the postoffice appropriation bill. The Committee amendment for the extension of the pneumatic tube service created - some debate and was under discussion when the measure was laid aside for the day. Mr. Wolcott, chairman of the committee on postofficcs and post roads, vigorously attacked the committee’s proposition to appropriate $750,000 for pneumatic tube service, declaring the extension of the service was unnecessary and the appropriation a waste of public money. Mr. Mason quite as vigorously supported the proposition. An amendment of Mr. Butler to redftce by 10 per cent the amount to be paid the railroads for the transportation of mail was rejected, 11 to 41. In the Senate on Friday nearly the entire day was devoted to the pneumatic tube system service in the postoffice appropriation bill. The debate at times was sharp and almost personal. ’Hie appropriation was defended by Senators Chandler, Mason, Carter and Wellington and opposed by Senators Allison, llale, Tillman, Lodge and Wolcott. Senator Morgan introduced a resolution to investigate the Panama Canal Company, and in a speech severely criticised that company. Senator McCumber made a speech in favor of the retention of the Philippine Islands, during which Senator Tttlman took issue with him over an assertion that the people of the South were glad the confederacy was unsuccessful. .The House devoted the day to the consideration of bills reported by the committee on war claims and in committee of the whole favorably acted jipon a bill to appropriate $200,000 to pay ex-Confed-erate soldiers for horses and other property taken from them in violation of the terms of Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox. After a spirited debate, by the decisive vote of 32 tcr*fl6. the Senate on Saturday laid on the table the whole proposition relating to the transportation of mall by the pneumatic tube system. An effort was made to secure the adoption ''Of an amendment to appropriate $225,000 to carry out existing contracts for the service in New York, Brooklyn, Boston and Philadelphia, but no action was taken upon If, special orders superseding the appropriation bill. The closing hours of the session were occupied in accepting from the State of ■ Missouri statues of Renton and Blair, located in Statuary Hall of the capitol, and from the Grand Army of the Republic the statue of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, located in the capitol rotunda. The House devoted the day to unveiling of the Grand Army statue of Gen. Ulysses 8. Grant. A pyrotechnic discussion of the status of the Boer commissioners now in Washington was precipitated in the Senate on Monday by a resolution offered by Mr.’ Allen (Pop., Neb.) extending to the commissioners the privileges of the floor of the Senate during their sojourn in the national capital. The resolution was defeated by a vote of 36 to 21, but not until after a sharp controversy between its author and Mr. Davis, chairman of the committee on foreign relations. The postoffice appropriation bril was passed, the amendment to carry out existing contracts for the pneumatic tube service being agreed to. An effort was made by Mr. Morgan (Ala.) to displace the Spooner Philippine bill with the Nicaragua canal bill as the unfinished business, but it failed by a vote of 21 to 28. A bill to create the southern division of the southern district of lowa for judicial purposes was passed. In the House two important labor measures were passed under suspension of the rules, one to extend the eight-hour law to all under contract on Government work, the other to prohibit interstate traffic in pris-' on-made goods by bringing them under, the jurisdiction of the public powers of. the State. Mr. Payne, floor leader of. the minority, offered a joint resolution for a sine die adjournment of Congress on June 6. It was referred to the ways and means committee.

On Tuesday the Senate heard Mr. Spooner in support of his resolution giving the President full power over the Philippines until the suppression of the rebellion. Received the credentials of Senator Clark of Montana, ou the appointment of Lieut. Gov. Spriggs, and allowed them temporarily to lie on the ta J ble. Adopted a resolution by Mr. Allen asking the President to send to the Senate translations of the constitutions of’ the South African republic and the Orange Free State: also one by Mr. Jones' of Arkansas directing the Secretary of War thoroughly to investigate the ojjeratious of the North American Trust Company in Havana; also one by Mr. Allen calling upon the Secretary of War for information regarding conditions in the Philippines. The House devoted the entire day to the Alaskan civil government bill. An amendment to reduce the numbr of judges in Alaska from three to two was defeated. The conference report on the army appropriation bill was adopted, the Senate amendment for the library at Manila having been stricken out. The Senate on Wednesday agreed tothe conference report on the army appropriation bill, passed the Morgan resolution calling upon the Secretaries of War and Navy for information regarding the cost of the transportation of troops to the Philippines, and devoted the rest of the day to debate on the Cuban postal frauds, with Messrs. Platt (Conn.) Bpodbar and Hnle ns speakers. The House passed resolution for sine die adjournment June fl; also resolution authorizing committee on wnya nnd means to sit during recess of Congress to frame bill reducing war taxes; also the Nmlv extradition bill.