Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 December 1902 — CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

CONGRESS.

There wap no session of the Senate Thursday. In the House the McCall resolution calling upon the Secretary of State for the facts in relation to the Venezuelan affair and generally for a statement of the situation in reference to the Monroe Doctrine was passed. The House then, after a great deal of discussion, passed the bill to reduce the duties on articles the growth and product of tho Philippine archipelago, from 75 per cent to 25 per cent of the Dingley rates. Several amendments to the measure were voted down in committee of the whole. The pure food bill was then considered. Mr. Tompkins (Ohio) spoke in favor of the measure and Mr. Adamson (Ga.) against it. Mr. Gardner (Mass.) opposed the bill, taking the ground that it would interfere materially with many legitimate industries. After further discussion, and without taking any action on the bill, the House adjourned nt 4:35.

The Senate held no session Friday. The House passed the pure food bill by a vote of 72 to 21, the point of no quorum not being raised by the opponents of the measure. Bills were also passed to make Portal, N. 1)., a subport of entry for the immediate transportation of dutiable goods; for the relief of the Miami Indians of Indiana; to donate a piece of ground to Challam, Washington, and to amend the act relating to the location of a public building at Muskegon, Mich.

Only twenty-seven Senators were present when the Senate was called to order on Saturday. Mr. Allison, of the Senate conference on the coal strike arbitration bill, presented the report of (he conference committee. He explained that the Senate amendment fixing a definite sum for the expenses and compensation of the commission and employes and taking the question of fixing these out of the hands of the President had been retained, but that the Senate conferees had yielded to the House to the extent of allowing sls per day to the commissioners for expenses instead of $lO ns fixed by the Senate. The report xvas agreed to. A bill authorizing the payment of judgments amounting to sl,ooo,oo<i to be paid on account of the destruction of property in Hawaii in connection with the fight on the bubonic plague in those islands in 1809, was passed. The resolution heretofore offered by Mr. Patterson (Colo.) requiring railroad companies to Supply to the interstate commerce commission data as to brakes was adopted. Mr. Morgan then addressed the Senate on the question of the isthmian canal. There were not over seventy-five members of the House present to-day. Immediately after convening Mr. Cannon explained that it xvas important that the coal strike commission bill and the urgent deficiency bills be finally disposed of before the holiday recess. The conference report upon the former, lie said, xvas in the Senate, and he asked that a recess be taken until it xvas returned from that body. A recess was accordingly taken for txx-enty minutes. When the House reconvened Mr. Cannon presented the conference report on the coal strike commission bill, nnd the report was adopted without discussion. The House remained in session until the bill xvas enrolled and signed by the Speaker, and then adjourned until Jan. 5, 1903.