Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1901 — Congress. [ARTICLE]

Congress.

On Thursday the Senate considered the agricultural appropriation bill during the day and the district code bill at a night session. '•The House considered the sundry. civil .appropriation Bill.. The Senate on Friday passed the agricultural appropriation bill, with an amendment increasing from $170,000 to $340,000 the sum. for the distribution of seeds. Mr. Teller announced that he would refuse to agree to a vote on the shipping bill. In the House the entire day was spent in filibustering. Mr. Cannon of the appropriation committee wanted the sundry civil bill taken up. As this day was the last private bill day ofj the session friends of measures of that kind set up the filibuster. At the conclusion of the morning hour on'Saturday when the unfinished business—the shipping bill—was laid before the Senate, Mr. Spooner moved to proceed to the consideration of the oleomargarine hill. By a practically unanimous vote —only two Senators voting in the negative—the motion prevailed. Thus the subsidj' bill was displaced as the unfinished business and the oleomargarine bill was placed In that order. After a iittle over an hour’s consideration of the measure it was laid aside in order that unobjected bills on the calendar might be considered. Nearly 300 bills, including 107 private pension bills, were passed during the day. The House made little progress with the sundry civil appropriation bill. The major portion of the time was spent in debating a proposition offered by Mr. Hill (Conn.) to strike out the appropriation of SIOO,OOO for the free transportation of silver coin. It was defeated. 01 —OO. At 4 o'clock public business was suspended to allow the members to pay tribute to the memory of the late Representative Iloffocker of Delaware.

In the Senate nearly the whole of Monday was devoted to consideration of the postofliee appropriation bill. Amendment appropriating $500,000 for an extension of the pneumatic tube service remains undisposed of. Point of order was made against it, but on the appeal of Mr. Mason the entire question was passed over until Tuesday. Mr. Pettus of Alabama delivered a speech in opposition to the ship subsidy bill. Conference report on the military academy appropriation bill was submitted. Mr. Daniel of Virginia made a vigorous attack upon the provision which debars a cadet convicted of hazing of holding'a commission, in the army, navy or marine corps. The report ‘is still pending. The House, under suspension of the' rules, by a rote of 191 to 41, passed the biil appropriating $5,000,001) for the St. Louis exposition. The bill to define the word “conspiracy” in the Sherman anti-trust law to avoid the possibility of its beiug held applicable to labor organizations was defeated by almost a two-thirds vote on account of two amendments whit*h the judiciary committee placed upon the Dili and which were opposed by the labor organizations. The sundry civil bill was under consideration late in the day and Mr. Cannon, chairman of the appropriation committee, took occasion, .to makes detailed -statement of the appropriations for the present Congress.

Qu Tuesday the Senate by a vote of 18 to 43 rejected conference report on military academy appropriation bill. This action came at conclusion of spirited debate upon provisions agaiust liazing inserted in bill by conference committee. Report of conferees was rejected because regarded by large majority of Senate as too drastic. Mr. Deboe delivered his announced speech upon Nicaragua canal, advocating construction of waterway by L'nited States. Effort was made to obtaiu consideration for bill reviving grade of vice-admiral of the navy for benefit of Rear Admirals Sampson and Schley, but it was unavailing. The House devoted day in consideration of sundry civil appropriation bill, debate being chiefly upon national irrigation of arid lands. Passed resolution calling upon Secretary of State and Secretary of Treasury regarding shipments to South Africa of horses, mules and other army supplies. '

The Senate spent Wednesday on the postoffiee appropriation hill. The amendment of Mr. Bntler proposing a reduction of about 0 per cent in the pay for railway postal service was defeated—lß to 51— after a debate in which Mr. Depew answered Mr. Butler's criticisms on the large profits made by American roads. I.ate iu the day a sharp controversy on the pneumatic tube question was precipitated by an amendment offered by Mr. Mason extending that service to Chicago and one by Mr. Vest extending it to St. Louis. Mr. Hale severely criticised those promoting the system, referring to a “job and lobby.” When he made a point of order that a committee had not passed on the amendment the advocates of the extension quickly circulated a call for a meeting of the committee on postofflees, and the session closed with Mr. Wolcott's humorous announcement of the committee meeting in response to the imperative demands made on him. The House passed the sundry civil appropriation bill and entered upon consideration of the general deficiency—the last of the general appropriation bills.