Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1901 — INRUNNINGCONDITION [ARTICLE]

INRUNNINGCONDITION

National Legislative Machine Gets into Shape by Time-Hon-ored Processes. FIFTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS ON DUTY Three Thousand Bills Go into the House Hopper—Supreme Court Hands Down Important Insular Opinions. Washington, Dec. 4.—The Tresi3cnt today sent to the senate the new Hay-I’nuncefote treaty for the Isthmian canal. The canal commission's report was also sent in. The report favors the Nicafagua route. Washington, Dec. 3.—President Roosevelt s message was read in both houses of congress at noon. Tuesday, and was listened to with marked attention. His reference to suppression of anarchy brought forth applause in the lower house.

Washington, Dec. 3. —The opening day of the first session of the Fiftyseventh congress in the house of representatives furnished a spectacle that delighted the crowded galleries. The machinery of the house is cumbrous, and Is set in motion by a laborious process. but the spectators yesterday evidently did not consider it tedious, as they clung to their places through the entire proceedings, which lasted four and one-half hours, probably half the time being consumed in the monotonous calling of the roll. The organization of the house was accomplished according to time-honored precedents. Speaker Henderson was duly re-elected and sworn in by General Bingham, “The Father of the House.” and after delivering a very graceful sj>eeeh in recognition of the honor bestowed npon him he in turn administered the oath to the members-elect. Rulo* of the Last Home Adopted. The usual committees were appointed to inform the president and the senate that the house was organized and ready to do business, a committee of three, consisting of Payne, Bingham and Richardson, was appointed to Join a similar committee of the senate and wait upon the president and Inform him that congress was ready to receive any communication he might have to make; the rules of the last house were adopted after a slight jar, and then the biennial seat drawing occurred. This latter ceremony was robbed of much of Its Interest yesterday by the fact that under the new arrangement of seats there are more than enough to go round, and those whose,names are drawn last do not suffer as they did on former occasions. Where the Mar" Came In. It was when Dalzell offered a resolution adopting the rules of the hist house that the “jar” came. Richardson wanted the opportunity to amend, which was denied him, and then he said he desired to offer some amendments which he thought would prevail if the gentleman from lowa (Hepburn) could deliver the forty votes which the newspapers had said he had in the Republican caucus last Saturday. Dalzell pointed out that the rules were practically the same as those In force during retent Democratic control of the house, and Hepburn added a few remarks to the effect that lie had tried to secure a modification of the rules in the Fifty-third congress, which was Democratic, and ui»on that occasion Richardson himself had bitterly opposed the change. This sally raised a shout of laughter on the Republican side.

Senate Sm»liin Was Brief. The session of the senate wax brief, as It was hi the house. There was a real flower show—but in the senate some of the senators did not try to reach their seats on account of the wealth of flornl tributes that was in the way. Erye had the gavel. The chaplain—as did the house chaplain—made a feeling allusion in his prayer to the death of the late president. An attempt to consider a resolution was defeated by Hoar, who said such a thing never bad been done until the president had been Informed that congress was In session, which the senate then proceeded to do. When all the preliminaries had been performed the senate heard the formal announcement of the death of Senator Kyle, and then adjourned for the day.

RFt’REMK cot HT DIVIDES AGAIN On Question* Involving the Government's Relation to Our Insular Territory. Washington, Dee. 3.—Opinions were rendered In the United States supreme court yesterday in the last two of the insular test cases. One of them was that known as the ••fourteen diamond ring” case. Involving the relationship of the United States to the Philippine Islands from a tariff point of view, and the other what la known as the Dooley case No. 2, Involving the constitutionality of the collection of duty on goods shipped from New York to Porto Hico. In the former case the court, through Chief Justice Fuller, held that the diamond rings brought in from the Philippines and over which the case arose should have been exempt from duty under the Paris treaty of peace. as that treaty made the Philippines American terlrtory. The decision In the Philippine case followed closely that of the flrat Porto Hlcan case of last term. In the Iksilcy case yesterday It was held that the duty 00111*01011 ou goods carried from New York to Porto Hico was permissible, lint Hint it was in reality a tax for the benefit of the Porto Rican* themselves rather than an export duty, ax was claimed by the merchants who antng<mlx«*<l the government in the case. In both cases there were dlssetithtg opinions concurred In by four of the nine Justices of the court. Justices Uray. White, Shiras and McKenna united In dissenting from the court * opinion In the Philippine case, while Chief Justice Fuller and Justices Brewer. Harlan and Peckham united In a dissentlug opinion in the Dooley esse.