Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 March 1903 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE]

CONGRESS

The Senate on Monday passed the general deficiency appropriation bill after agreeing to the committee amendments and amendments appropriating $3,000.000 to carry out the provisions of the omnibus public building bill and increasing the appropriation for the payment of claims to $1,370,000. The conference reports on the fortifications appropriation bill and the Alaska homestead bill were agreed to. The House amendments to the immigration bill were disagreed to and conferees xvere appointed. At the evening session the conference reports on the postofflce nnd agricultural appropriation bills and the immigration bill were agreed to. The House bill allowing I’or*o Rico a delegate in Congress was presented and went over until to-morrow after Mr. had offered a substitute containing a provision for a commission of three to investigate and report on claims of the Roman Catholic church to certain property in the island. The House, by a . vote of 207 to 3, agreed to the -conference report on the Alaska homestead bill, the Speaker declining to entertain a point of order that no quorum was preseqj. Mr. Grosvenor, from the Committee on Rules, presented a special rule to put the immigration bill into conference by direct vote and to cut off the, previous question on conference reports. ‘On the rule, which is intended to check the Democratic filibuster, twenty minutes’ debate was allowed. The previous question was ordered, IG2 to 103, and the rule was adopted, 154 to 101. The conference report on the fortifications appropriation bill was adopted, 214 to 8. The Immigration bill, with Senate amendments, -was sent to conference, 190 to 1, under the operation of the new ruleSimilar action was taken. 200 to 5, on the omnibus public building bill. The conference report on the postofflce and agricultural appropriations were agreed to.

At 11 a. m. Tuesday the Seuate entered upon the last legislative day of the Fifty-seventh Congress. A resolution was adopted continuing until the next regular session —the standing and solect committees. The conference report on the sundry civil bill was agreed to. The conference report on the bill to protect the President was presented, but not acted upon. A motion to take up the pure food bill was defeated, 28 to 32. Mr. Quay asked unnuimous consent for a vote on the omnibus statehood bill, the pure food bill and the conference report on the bill to protect the President, but objection was made. After debate by Messrs. B’oraker, Lodge, Teller and Elkins on the responsibility for the filibuster and the need of cloture in the Senate it was agreed that the Philippine tariff bill be taken up, displacing the Aldrich bill. Mr. Patterson opposed the bill and Messrs. Bacon, Lodge nnd Forakrr supported it. The conference report on the omnibus public building hill was agreed to after Mr. Warren had criticised the Senate conferees for yielding on certain items. A joint resolution was agreed to transferring nil tiie authority nnd jurisdiction conferred on the Secretary of the Treasury by the immigration bill to the Secretary of the Department of Commerce and Labor. Messrs. Carmack and MeEnery spoke in opposition to the Philippine bill. Tiie amendment increasing the duty on sugar and tobaaco from 25 to 50 per cent of the Dingley rate xvas agreed to on a yea nnd nay vote, 29 to 19. The conference reports on the uaval and general deficiency bill;! were presented and agreed to. When the Home convened at 11 a. m. Mr. Richardson sought to make the point of no quorum, but the Speaker overruled him and recognized Mr. Payne to demand the years and nays on the pending question coming over from Monday night—-the adoption of the conference report on tfie immigartion bill. The Speaker declined to entertain an appeal. The report was adopted 197 to 17. The conference report on the sundry civil bill was presented and adopted, 211 to 11. The conference report on the omnibus bill was adopted, 202 to 11, without debate. The conference. report on the bill to reduce the population requirements for “reserve”, cities for bank deposits from 50,000 to 25,000 was presented, and after a recess from 7 o’clock until 10 o’clock, was adopted. A bill intended to give former soldiers and sailors preference for appointments nnd retention in the civil service was passed, 148 to 57. The Fftty-seve.pt h Congress adjourned at noon Wednesday, its term having expired by limitation. With decks clear of all supply" bills, the appropriation measures for the several branches of the general service for the coming fiscal year having been disposed of, the House at 4:10 Thursday morning took a recess until 10 o'clock. Bills granting all Mexican war soldiers a pension of sl2 a month, and allowing country banks to secure currency on bond deposits were passed. The conference report on tho naval lull, agreed to by the Senate, was adopted. The House won a victory over the Senate in the measure as finally passed. It provides for three battleships of 10,000 tons each, as desired by the Senate. The conference report on the general deficiency hill was agreed to. The Senate at 1:52 a. m. took a recess until 10 a. m. Mr. Quay at the last moment withdrew his statehood amendment, offering a Senate rider to the Philippine tariff bill which had been underconsideration for the greater part, of the evening. The House was declared adjourned sine die at 12:03 by the clerk amid the singing of patriotic songs nnd a general ovation to Speaker Henderson.