Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1902 — Congress. [ARTICLE]

Congress.

By a vote which'was virtually unanimous the House of Representatives on Thursday passed the Hepburn Nicaragua canal bill. But on a test of strength between the rival routes Panama mustered 120 votes against 170 for Nicaragua. Only two members of the House voted against the Hepburu bill on the question Of final passage—Mr. Fletcher of Minnesota and Mr. Lassiter of Virginia. Mr. Bishop of Michigan answered “present,” and several members from the Northwest refrained from voting, among them Page Morris of Duluth, who actively advocated the Panama route. Mr. Fletcher has several times announced his opposition to government construction of nil isthmian canal, believing the work should be done by private enterprise..' The vote in favor of the bill was 308.

After an all-day debate in the House on the Hopkins bill to create a permanent census bureau the matter was recommitted on Friday to permit thp addition of a provision placing the present employes under civil service so they could be transferred to other departments. The fight to recommit was made under the leadership of Mr. Burkett of Nebraska, the new member of the appropriations committee. What might be termed the first gun in the campaign for the re-es-tablishment of the pneumatic tube service was fired when Representative Roberts of Massachusetts introduced a bill providing for the introduction of this service in Chicago, St. Louis. New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Brooklyn. The bill proposes an appropriation of 9355,000, to be divided among the six cities as follows: >few York and Brooklvn, 9120,000; Chicago, 984.000; Boston, 900.000: St. Louis, 950,000; Philadelphia. 935,000. A bill was passed unanimously to give Mrs. McKinley the free mailing privileges during the remainder of her life. The House then adjourned until Monday.

The House of Representatives spent Monday in general discussion of the pension appropriation bill. Mr. Grosvenor of Ohio and Mr. Hepburn of lowa .denounced a report presented to the last G. A. It. encampment criticising the course of themselves and other members of Congress on the veteran “preference” bill, which was defeated at the last session. Mr. Barney of Wisconsin, in charge of the pension bill, explained that it carried 9139,840.480, as against 9145,245,230 appropriated for the current year. Payment of pensions had decreased from 9144,000,000 to $138,500,000. Mr. Barney was asked by Mr. Richardson of Tennessee why this was so when the number of pensioners was said to be larger. Mr. Barney explained that the arrearages were decreasing and the number of large pensions, those from SSO to $75 a month, was also decreasing. Mr. Gaines of Tennessee talked about his observations in the Philippines. Mr. Lever of South Carolina then formally announced the death of the late Representative Stokes of his State, and as a mark of respect the House adjourned. In the Senate Mr. Nelson of Minnesota called up the bill providing for the establishment of department of commerce. He explained the necessity which he said existed for the passage of such a measure and was plied with questions by several Senators who thought sufficient time had not been allowed for looking into the merits of the measure. The bill finally went over, subject to call by Mr. Nelson. On Tuesday the Philippines were the subject of an address by Mr. Hoar of Massachusetts, who spoke ou his resolution introduced providing for the appointment of a Senate committee to investigate the administration of those islands. He spoke at some length regarding tho unreliability of statements ou the situation in the Philippines and the causes which led to the outbreak. Mr. Lodge, Mr. Hoar's colleague, said he regarded the resolution as a reflection on the Philippine committee, of which he was chairman, and the necessity for the latter would cease were this resolution to be adopted. The discussion was leading rapidly to an opening up of the whole Philippine question, when it was agreed that the resolution should go over unti'. Wednesday. A concurrent resolution was passed appointing a joint committee of Congress to consider the question of a site for a hall of records to be erected in Washington. The House continued the debate on the pension appropriation bill and devoted much time to the proposition advanced by Mr. Rixey of Virginia to open the doors of the soldiers' homes to ex-Confederate veterans. Two notable speeches were made in support of the proposition, one by Mr. Gardner, a Michigan Republican, and the other by Mr. De Artnond, a Missouri Democrat. A spirited discussion was precipitated in the Senate Wednesday by remarks submitted by Mr. Hale of Maine in respect to bills relating to the- formation of a naval reserve which lie introduced. Mr. Hale took strong ground against the organisation of a naval reserve, his comments being construed by several Senators into n reflection upon volunteer soldiers and land militia. Half a dozen Senators were on their feet in an instant to defend the volunteers and the National Guard of the various States, and the debate took so wide a range that Senators went back in their reference to the days of the Revolutionary War to seek illustrations for their arguments. The House passed tho pension appropriation bill, which has been under discussion for three days, and then adjourned until Saturday. The resolution prepared by the special committee on the McKinley memorial exercises providing for an address by Secretary of State John Hay in the Hall of Representatives on Feb. 27 was adopted. A joint resolution to appropriate $90,000 to pay the expenses incurred by the West Indian and South Carolina Interstate Exposition at Charleston, S. (’., In connection with the government exhibit at Charleston, was passed.