Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1902 — CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

CONGRESS.

Mr. McCumber, chairman of the committee on manufactures, spoke at length In the Senate on Friday on his bill “to prevent the adulteration, misbranding and imitations of food, beverages, candies, drugs and condiments.” He declared the extent of the adulteration and misbranding of food products was appalling. He enumerated many of the fraudsin food products which were being foisted upon the public and declared the time had come for Congress to act, as the instances he had cited were crimes against the retail merchant and consumer alike. In the House one hundred and forty-five private pension bills were passed, including bills to pension the widow of Gen. William Ludlow at SSO a month and the widow of “Parson” Brownlow of Tennessee at S3O a month. The remainder of the day was devoted to general debate on the agricultural appropriation bill. Mr. Lessler (N. Y.) discussed the necessity for a new postotfice at New York, Mr. Cochran (Mo.) the trust question and 11. C. Smith (Mich.) "good roads.” The conference report on the Chinese exclusion bill (a disagreement) was made by Mr. Hitt (111.). The House insisted upon its disagreement and the bill was sent back to conference, the same conferees being appointed. In the Senate on Saturday Mr. Uar mack completed the speech on the Philippine government bill which he began •the day before. He continued his caustic criticism of the administration's poiwy. Mr. Jones, chairman of the committee on contingent expenses, reported favorably the resolution providing for an investigation by (he committee on relations with Cuba of the alleged control of the Cuban sugar crop and sugar lands in Cuba, and it was adopted. A resolution offered by Me. Proctor was passed directing the Secretary of War to send the Senate a statement of the number of disappearing gun carriages under contract, a list of the bids for the construction of such carriages, the total cost of the carriages, where they are mounted and where It is proposed to mount those under construction. In the House afterdevoting an hour to ttie passage of bills by unanimous consent, public business was suspended, and for the remainder of the afternoon tributes to the memories of Representative Stokes of South Carolina and Representative Crump of Michigan were listened to. The House amendments to the oleomargarine bill were accepted by the Senate on Monday, thus passing it. The conference report on the Chinese exclusion bill was also adopted. Consideration of the sundry eivil appropriation bill was begun, but not concluded. Mr. Simmons spoke at length in opposition to the Philippine government bill. In the House slow progress was made with the agricultural appropriation bill, only twentyfive of the forty-nine pages being disposed of. During the debate Mr. Curtis (Kan.) made a brief but fervent defense of Gen. Fnnston against the criticism to which he had been subjected. Mr. Feely (111.) submitted some remarks in support of the contention that the laws of neutrality wero'being violated by this government is allowing the shipment of mules and horses to South Africa for use by the British in the war against the Boer republics. Mr. Feely and Mr. Gillett (Mass.) clashed upon the interpretation of that part of the treaty of Washington which binds the United States and Great Britain as to what constitutes war materials. The conference report on the ■Chinese exclusion bill was agreed to. The Senate devoted Tuesday to discussion of the Philippine civil government bill. In the House, under a special order which allowed three hours' debate, but which cut off all opportunity of amendment, omnibus building bill, which will distribute $17,405,450 among 174 cities, was passed. As the bill covers into the treasury $1,585,000, the total amount carried by the-bill is reduced to that extent. The bill provides for sev-enty-seven new buildings and sites already purchased, seventeen buildings on donated sites and fifty-eight increases in appropriations for buildings already authorized. It also provides for the purchase of sixteen sites. The consideration of the agricultural appropriation bill was resumed, but only seven pages was disposed of. In the Senate debate on the Philippine question occupied practically the entire day Wednesday. The bill for the purchase of the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota and the sundry civil appropriation bill were considered, but no action was taken on them aside from amending the latter by appropriating $250,000 for the purchase of the ground and building now occupied by the cenbureau. In the House the agrieulturnkjipproprlation bill was passed after increasing the item for good roads inquiries from $20,000 to $30,0Q0, and incorporating the following amendment: “The Secretary of Agriculture shall, on or before July 1. 1903, transfer to and consolidate with the weather bureau ami unde/ the direction of its chief all the work of the Department of Agriculture relating to the gathering nnd compilation of statistics by the division of statistics.'* Consideration of the District of Columbia appropriation bill, the last but two of the regular supply measures, was then begun. By the terms of a special rule adopted it w|ll be in order to attach a rider to it to make operative rhe existing personal tux law of the District, which has been a dead letter lor twenty years. Chairman Cannon estimated that there was $100,000,000 of un« taxed personal property in Washington. The Goldfogie resolution calling on thp Secretary of State for information ns to whether American citizens of Jewish .faith were excluded from Russia was adopted. >