Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1903 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE]

CONGRESS

An immense crowd was attracted to the Senate Friday to hear the invocation of Gen. William Booth, founder and commander-in-chief of the Salvation Army. The resolution of Mr. Morgan calling for the correspondence of naval officers regarding the military occupation of the bays of Panama and Colon, was agreed to. When the statehood bill came up Mr. Depew resumed his remarks. He attacked the Mormon Church, because, he said, he believed its members still cling to the practice of polygamy. Mr. Rawlins replied, saying that if the Mormons were not interfered with they would work out their own destiny. The Elkins bill to prohibit rebates to shippers was passed by the House by a vote of 241 to 0, those voting in the negative being Democrats. Tlie remainder of the session was devoted to the sundry civil appropriation bill, which was practically completed. No effort was made to pass it, as there was no quorum present. The Senate listened to the reading of the Indian appropriation bill ou Saturday and spent some time in the consideration of that measure. It was not, however, finally disposed of. The greater part of the remainder of the day was given over to eulogies of late members of the House of Representatives, including Charles Q. Russell of Connecticut, Joshua S. Salmon of New Jersey, Amos J. Cummings of New York, and R. O. Crump of Michigan. The House passed the sundry civil bill, and then broke all records in the matter of private pension legislation. It was the last opportunity of passing pension bills at this session, and the calendar was cleared, not only of House but of Senate bills, 325 in all being passed. Three hundred nnd twelve is the highest previous record, made in the Fifty-first Congress. There was no debate on the statehood bill in the Senate Monday. The Indian appropriation bill nnd the Philippine currency bill both were passed. Mr. Vest, while the Indian bill was up, called attention to a point of order which had been made against one of its provisions on the ground that it was new legislation. The Senate, he said, had passed the Philippine government bill as a rider to the army appropriation bill, and yet ruled other provisions out. All rules, lie said, were violated when a majority was in favor of any measure. The House disposed of a number of bills under suspension of the rules, defeating two. The most Important measure passed was the Senate bill to amend the railroad safety appliance law. A special order was adopted which practically will make the Fowler currency bill a continuing order for the remainder of the session, not, however, to interfere with conference reports, appropriation bills, and other privileged matters. The Senate agree',’ to the conference report on the army appropriation bill Tuesday. Discussion of the statehood bill was resumed, and Mr. Depew continued his remarks in opposition to it. Toward the end of the session Mr. Teller declared that himself and the country had been Insulted by some of Mr. Depew’s references to the unequal representation in the Senate. Mr. Hoar, from the Committee on Judiciary, reported the Littlefield anti trust bill as amended. Mr. Platt (Conn.), of the committee, stated that it was not a unanimous report, and that he was opposed to the measure. The House began consideration of the naval appropriation bill under the operation of a rule which made the new legislation relative to the increase of the personnel of the navy and for the increase of the naval academy in order. The general debate on the bill was without special feature. The paragraph in the bill providing $250,000 for a naval station on the great lakes went out on a point of order. On completing thirty of the sixtyfive pages of the naval appropriation bill the committee rose. The Senate amendments to the Indian appropriation bill were disagreed to, and the bill sent to conference. There was a lively debate In the Senate on Wednesday over Senator Quay’s resolution declaring it to be the sense of the Senate that there should be a vote on the statehood bill br/ore the adjournment of Congress. 'To this proposition Senator McComas reoffered Senator Platt’s closure resolution introduced two years ago, and a motion was made to refer the whole proposition to the Committee on Rules. This was pending when the Senate went into executive session. The discussion of the subject brought out the fact that the Senate was strongly opposed to cloture In any form. The debate was very general, a dozen Senators expressing tlieir opinions on the subject. The House by a majority of 2 to 1 rejected the conference report on the army appropriation because of its provisions for the retirement of civil war officers at an advanced grade, nnd permitting officers to deposit money with the government at 3 per cent interest. The House emphatically voted against both propositions and sent the bill buck to conference. The proceedings on the conference report were enlivened by n sharp personal clash between Mr. Hull, of lowa, and Mr. Slayden, of Texna. The remainder of the day was devoted to the naval bill. Slow progress wag made, only twenty pages being covered.