Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1901 — Congress. [ARTICLE]

Congress.

•« WORK OF CONGRESS BRIEFLY SVHHED VP. •• ~ ~ Number of days in session. . 197 ” • > Number of hills introduced. .14,330 < > ;; \ \ Public acts 345 ’ “ Private acts ...’. 1,250 “ ;; ■ Thtal acts 1.595,11 • > Number of joint resolutions. 395'.. •* • • The chief event of Saturday was the passage by both houses of what is known as the omnibus public building hill. It increases the cost of buildings in thirtytwo States by $2,000,000. The day was devoid of exciting incident in either house, though the galleries were thronged with sightseers. The Senate passed the deficiency bill. Throughout the day •the House was in the throes of the closing hours of the session, with inajgy measures clamoring for attention, and with crowded galleries looking down upon the weary * legislators. Work began at 9 a. m. and proceeded until 5 o’clock in the afternoon, when a recess was tnk-, en until 9:30 p. m. to permit conference reports to he framed. Under suspension of the rules a number of important hills were passed, including those for a national standardizing bureau, for conferring bronze medals on the enlisted men of the navy and marine corps for distinguished heroism, and to amend the Chinese exclusion laws and the omnibus public buildings hill. The legislative appropriatiou bill was also finally disposed of, nnd many conferences were atjVanced. Both houses put in a large share of Sunday under the legislative fiction Lhat It was still Saturday. The House was in session from 2 to 0 in the afternoon, nnd resuming at 8 o’clock it worked on into the night to dispose of the conference reports which crowded in upon it. There was a big tight over the Senate amendment to the sundry civil bill, which linked together the fate of the St. Louts, Buffalo and Charleston exposition appropriations. The House refused to concur. The . conference report on the deficiency appropriation hill was concurred in, thus disposing of that measure. Conference agreements were reached on general deficiency, postollice and naval appropriation bills, the Senate receding on Holland submarine boat amendment to the last named. The Senate passed a bill urged by labor men regulating safety appliances on railroad trains. Senator Carter of Montana talked the river and harbor bill to death Monday and the SenafFadjourned at 11:55 o’clock without giving out the*“pork” contained in that great appropriation measure. Starting in early in the morning, Mr. Carter began his speech with the avowed intention of continuing until the life of the Fifty-sixth Congress should have expired. After a few weak and futile efforts to interrupt him the other Senators gave up all idea of preventing him from completing his talk. Finally at ll:qp o’clock the Montana Senator closed his, remarkable address and Senators Hoar of Massachusetts and Cockrell of Missouri announced that the Fifty-sixth session of Congress had completed its work. The action of the Senate on the sundry civil hill was followed by the Senate receding from the Charleston amendment to the St. Louis exposition bill, which had passed the House as a seijgrate measure. This action passed the hill appropriating $5,000,000 for St. Loqis. Very little interest attached to the proceedings of the House. Most of the time was consumed in recesses, these being taken nt frequent intervals iu anticipation of conference reports on appropriation hills. The hill carrying appropriations for the postal service was passed and the sundry civil hill was finally acted upon. Vice-President Roosevelt entered upon the discharge of his official duties as presiding officer of the Senate when that body met on Tuesday at Hood. He was soon required to make a ruling. During the reading of the journal Mr. Money desired to interrupt the proceedings, that Mr. McLnurin, his colleague, might take the oath of office. Mr. Morgan objected, saying that the reading of the journal should he completed. "I am of the impression tfiat the rules require the reading of the journal first,” announced Mr. Roosevelt when the matter was submitted to him for n decision. The announcement was quietly received, although it was noticed that the Viee-Preshlent had used a personal pronoun instead of saying "the chair is of the opinion.” During the session the President’s laminations for cabinet imsitions were received anil confirmed. “If there Is any appluuse or disorder the sergeant-nt-arms will clear the galleries.” This was Vice-President Roosevelt’s stem announcement as he took his place to preside over the Senate off Wednesday and rapped sharply with his gavels It was called out by the burst of. applause which followed his entrance into the chamber. Applause is strictly forbidden by the rules of the Senate, nnd the new Vice-President does not propose to allow the rules to he violated even by persons who wish to show their appreciation of himself. Mr. Morgan (Ala.), who on Tuesday offered a resolution declaring the abrogation of the ClaytonBuiwer treaty between the United States and Great Britain, *uldres*ed the Henate for nearly two hours upon his proposition. His admonitions to Great Britain were particularly sharp.