Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1902 — ConGReSS. [ARTICLE]

ConGReSS.

Thursday in the Senate was chiefly occupied with debate on the Philippine bill. The bill providing sot. the erection of a union railway station in Washington and the fortifications appropriations bill were passed, the former by a vote*of 45 to 24, and the latter without division after the adoption an amendment proposed by Mr. Proctor, making the acceptance of disappearing gun carriages conditional upon tests. A conference on the agricultural appropriation bill was agreed to, with Messrs. Proctor. Hansbrough and Bate as couferees. The conference report on the omnibus claims bill was presented by Mr. Warren, the conferees being unable to agree on the Selfridge board claims. The report was agreed to. A bill to establish an Indian agricultural school nt Wahpeton, N. D., was passed. In the House the debate on the naval appropriation bill veered into the Philippine question, and when adjournment was taken the measure was being read for amendment. The Senate amendments to the agricultural appropriation bill were disagreed to, and the bill was sent to conference, with Messrs. Wadsworth, Henry (Conn.) and Williams (Miss.) as the House conferees. In the Senate on Friday Mr. McLaurin concluded his speech in opposition to the present Philippine policy of the government. Mr. Deboe supported the pending measure in a carefully prepared speech. Bills were passed appropriating SIO,OOO for the a biological station on the great lakes under the control of the Unitod States commissioner of fish and fisheries; to prevent a false branding or marking of food and dairy products as to the State or territory in which they are made or produced; the bill regulating interstate commerce in falsely branded goods, and ninety-five private pension bills. In the House the naval appropriation bill again had the right of way, but the debate chiefly hinged on the Philippines and the Schley controversy. The bill turning over to Porto Rico all the public lauds of the island ceded to the United States by Spain, except sites designated by the President within one year for naval and coaling stations, military posts and other United States purposes, were passed. After some discussion the bill reported by Mr. McCall from the ways and menus committee, refunding the tax on legacies paid under the war revenue act by religious, charitable, art and educational institutions was passed. The Senate held no session Saturday. The House occupied the day with discussion of the naval appropriation bill.

The conference report on the omnibus claims bill was adopted by the Senate Monday. As passed by the House the bill aggregated $213,105. The net increase made by the Senate was $2,929,252. The conference report shows the House agreed to $1,405,303 of the amount added by the Senate; so the amount carried by the measure as agreed to is $1,018,498. Mr. DoUiver spoke at length in support of the Philippine bill. She House passed the naval appropriaon bill with several amendments. The bill limiting the hours of dally service on government work to eight hours was passed under suspension of the rules, as was a House joint resolution fixing Dec. 31. 11*02. as the date when entries under the mining laws of the United States of certain lands in the Spokane (Wash.) Indian reservation shall take effect. A Senate bill providing for the erection of the northern branch of the National Home for Disabled Soldiers at Hot Springs, S. D., was also passed.

The Senate devoted Tuesday to discussion of the Philippine question. The usual executive session preceded adjournment. In the House the conference report on the omnibus claims bill was agreed to. thus passing the measure. A bill amending the passport law was passed. The remainder of the day was devoted to private claims bills.

Before consideration of the Philippine bill wgs resumed on Wednesday a resolution was adopted by the Senate congratulating the republic of Cuba on its entry into the family of independent nations, nnd the Secretary of State was directed to transmit the resolution to the president of the new republic. Mr. Wellington opposed the pending Philippine measure and said tlie action of the United States in the islands was indefensible. The conference report on the agricultural appropriation bill wns agreed to. In the House consideration of the immigration bill was begun. The principal speech was by Mr. Shattuc (Ohio*, chairman of the committee on immigration. The resolutions seating Charles R. Thomas from the Third North Carolina District; Emmett Tompkins from the Twelfth Ohio District, whose_ seat was contested by John .1. Lentz, and confirming the right of Mr. Rhea of the Ninth Virginia District were adopted. Bills were passed authorizing the erection of buildings by the international committee of the Y. M. C. A. on military reservations of the United States; authorizing the sale of a part of the Fort Niobrara military reservation iu Nebraska, ami regulating commutation for good conduct for United Stntes prisoners.