People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 February 1897 — WORK OF CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

WORK OF CONGRESS.

LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS AT WASHINGTON. arbitration Treaty the Principal Topic Under Discussion in the Senate —Mr. Chandler Makes a Speech in Advocacy of Bimetallism. Tuesday, Feb. 16. Monday night’s pension night having practically failed of Its purpose, owing to the difficulty in securing a quorum, the house vacated the order for a night session, and devoted the day, after the routine business bad been disposed of, to the consideration of private pension bills. Senator Chandler’s speech in the senate In advocacy of bimetallism was one of the notable efforts of the present session. The senator declared that within the last twenty years'there had been a steady fall of prices of all classes of property. This shrinkage in prices had been most serious since. 1890. The value of property in the United States was 165,000,000,000 In 1890, now it was estimated at $49,000,000,000, a shrinkage of 25 per cent since 1890. Our debts had not shrunk, but remained an inexorable charge. Deducting them, the value of our property was cut down to $33,000,000,000. He was of the opinion that the gradual tendency was to leave debtors without the power of paying their debts until by a gradual revolution the assets of the debtors were absorbed by creditors. Wednesday, Feb. 17. The immigration bill now goes to the president, the last legislative step having been taken in the senate by an agreement to the conference report on the bill. Strong opposition was made to the report, but on the final vote the friends of the measure rallied a small majority, the vote being: Yeas, 34; nays, 31. Thursday, Feb. 18. The house by a vote of 197 to 91 reversed the finding of a majority of the elections committee, and decided the contested election case of N. T. Hopkins vs. J. M. Kendall from the tenth Kentucky district in favor of the republican contestant. /The senate adjourned at 6:30, after spending six hours in executive session. Senator Sherman gave notice that he would Friday at 12:30 move an executive session for the purpose of considering the arbitration treaty alone, and that he would ask that the session behind closed doors be continued until the fate of the treaty should be known. Upon this announcement the senate adjourned without division. Friday, Feb. 19. Friday, Feb. 19, a very spirited debate on the general subject of the payment of claims found to be due against the United States was indulged by the house during the consideration of the general deficiency appropriation bill. It was stated that the just claims against the government, instead of aggragating hundreds of millions, as was frequently stated, could be discharged with $10,000,000. The bill carries SB,441,027. The senate adjourned at 8:15, after having spent almost eight hours in continuous executive session on the

arbitration treaty. No result was accomplished beyond voting down the motion made Thursday by Senator Nelson to postpone further consideration of the treaty until March 5.