Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1901 — Congress. [ARTICLE]

Congress.

The Senate devoted Saturday to the Indian appropriation bill and made only fair progress. The chief feature of the debate was a sharp attack by Mr. Pettigrew on the Dawes commission, which hesaid was extravagant and was accomplishing little in the way of results. Announcement was made by him that he did not purpose to filibuster against any bill. The shipping bill was not taken up. The House spent the day iu consideration of the naval appropriation bill, completing it with the exception of a single paragraph. The Senate made little progress with the Indian appropriation bill on Friday. Listened to a speech by Senator Depew in favor of the shipping subsidy bill. Passed n number of private pension bills. The House adopted the conference report on the army reorganization bill and , seventy-seven private pension bills. • I On Saturday the Senate discussed na-, | tional irrigation, the text being an, amendment to the Indian appropriation I bill providing for surveys, looking to the | construction of an irrigation dam and ditches for the watering of the reservation of the Pima and Maricopa Indians,' nt San Carlos on the Gila river, Arizona. Mr. Platt of Connecticut led the opposition, and was assisted by Mr. Quarles of Wisconsin. Mr. Stewart, Mr. Chandler and Mr. Thurston argued for the experiment. The report of the conference committee on the army reorganization bill was presented and Mr. Hawley announced that he would call it up on Monday. The House made good progress with the bill to revise and codify the postal laws. Only twenty-eight of the 221 pages remain to be disposed of. Efforts were persistently made to load the bill up with amendments to effect changes in the existing postal laws. The pressure was especially strong in favor of reclassifying certain classes of postoffice employes, but Mr. Loud of California, in charge of the bill, fought all of them, explaining that such amendments were out of place on a codification bill, and would, if adopted, mean its death in the Senate. In this way every attempt to amend the bill was successfully resisted. The hitter part of the session was devoted to eulogies upon the life and public services of the late Senator Gear of lowa. In the Senate on Monday Senator Towne of Minnesota made a speech on the government of the Philippines. Immediately after Mr. Towne's speech Mr. Clapp, his successor, was sworn in. The remainder of the day was devoted to consideration of the Indian appropriation bill. District of Columbia business occupied the most of the day in the House. Bill to revise and codify postal laws passed without amendment. Consideration of claims of Americans aggregating $28,000.000 against Spain deferred until the following Monday. Bill to extend charters of national banks twenty years called up, but went over on objection of Mr. Richardson. In the Senate on Tuesday Senator Frye gave notice he intended to keep shipping bill to the front, even as against appropriation bills, not yielding to them without vote of Senate. indicated disposition on part of Senate leaders to force to early issue question whether shipping bill is going to pass at this session. Mr. Turner spoke in severe arraignment of bill, declaring it to be “lawless, piratical raid upon the Treasury” in interest of few private beneficiaries and committing government to expenditures aggregating $270,000,000. Committee amendments were informally agreed to. Indian appropriation bill was passed early in day. The House spent day upon agricultural appropriation bilL Mr. Corliss (Mich.) made vicious onslaught upon bureau of animal industry of Agricultural Department, but his attack raised host of defenders, and his amendment to reduce appropriation for bureau was overwhelmingly defeated. All that portion of bill relating to reorganization of scientific bureaus of Agricultural Department went out on point of order raised by Mr. Mahon (I’a.) Wednesday the Sei ate spent in debate on the shipping bill after an unsuccessful attempt to secure an agreement to the conference report on the army reorganization bill. The House passed the agricultural appropriation bill.