People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 March 1897 — WORK OF CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

WORK OF CONGRESS.

LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS AT WASHINGTON. Appropriation Bill* Receive Consideration—Mr. Sulser Advocates an Immediate Declaration of War with Spain—Senators Are Angry. Wednesday, Feb. 24. The feature of the session of the house was the appearance of William Jennings Bryan, late Democratic candidate for president, on the floor. He was given an enthusiastic reception by both Democrats and Republicans. Most of the day was devoted to District of Columbia business. The conference report on the bill to define the rights of the purchasers of the Atlantic & Pacific railroad under the foreclosure sale was adopted. In the Senate the postoffice appropriation bill was reported and placed on the calendar. A disagreement on the army appropriation bill was reported and a further conference ordered. A conference report on the bill amending the timber-oulture laws was agreed to. Thursday, Feb. 25. In the senate the Allen resolution for sending battleships to Cuba came up, and Mr. Allen severely arraigned Spain for cruelties against women and children. Mr. Morgan (Ala.), and Mr. Daniels (Va.) urged immediate action. Mr. Frye said that if he had his way a warship would start forthwith for Havana. Finally, at the request of Mr. Morgan, the Allen resolution was referred to the committee on foreign relations, the assurance being given that it would receive speedy consideration. Representative Sulzer (N. Y.j, introduced a bill declaring war between Spain and her colonies and the United States. Mr. Van Voorhis (fep., O.) called up the house bill to increase the circulation of national banks by permitting national banks to take out circulation up to the par value of bonds deposited. The bill passed, 144 to 46. All the appropriation bills have been sent to the senate. Friday, Feb. 26. The house passed the senate international monetary conference bill by a vote of 279 to 3. Bills were also passed to provide for the arbitration of differences between the carriers of interstate commerce and their employes

(known as the rdman bill), and lEe senate bill to prevent the importation of impure tea. The senate resumed the discussion of the Cuban question, but soon took up the Indian appropriation bill. After a short debate the senate passed the bill and took up the postoffice appropriation bill.

Saturday, Feb. 27.1 The usual Sunday quiet of the capitol building was disturbed by a session of the senate, made necessary to pass the appropriation bills. By a parliamentary fiction the session was a part of the legislative day beginning Saturday. The sundry civil appropriation bill was under consideration. The sugar bounty amendment was agreed to. Appropriations for river and harbor improvements were materially reduced in a number of cases. Mr. Gorman (Dem., Ala.) made a statement on the extravagance of the pending bill in connection with an amendment proposing a permanent census bureau. The amendment went out on his point or order. The sundry civil bill was then passed. By unanimous vote the senate added an amendment to the bill, counteracting the president's recent order withdrawing 21,006,000 acres of land from the public domain and establishing it as forest preserves. Monday, March 1. The house took up the bill to prohibit the transmission of detailed accounts of prize fights%by mail or telegraph. Opponents of the bill claimed the proposed action would amount to press censorship. It was not put to a vote. The sundry civil bill was conference. The postoffice appropriation bill was also sent to conference with a number of others. Senator Tillman of South Carolina provoked a turbulent scene in the senate when he charged that the armorplate manufacturers had their paid in that body who were robbing tne government. The charge was resented by Senator Hawley (Conn.), whereupon Mr. Tillman replied that “the galled jade winces,” and it looked for a time as though a personal conflict was imminent, until Mr. Hawley was escorted to the cloak room. The Chandler amendment reducing the price of armor plate to S3OO a ton was adopted without a division. The amendment authorizing the secretary of the navy to establish a government armor-plate factory at a cost of $1,500,000, if he failed to make contracts, was lost, vote 26 to 30.