Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 June 1898 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

Wednesday's session of the House was given to the consideration and passage of a bill called up by Mr. Jenkins (Rep.) of Wisconsin to remove all political disabilities incurred by the third section of the fourteenth amendment to the constitution. The debate gave rise to notable speeches from Mr. Grosvenor (Rep.) of Ohio and Mr. Settle (Dem.) of Kentucky, upon the obliteration of all section feeling and the reality at last of a reunited country. Incidental to the debate several members reviewed the (inclusion that a member of Congress could not hold simultaneously a military and civil office. Upon its passage the bill received a unanimous vote. Marked progress was made by the Senate toward the final disposition of the war revenue measure. The committee amendments on nearly sixty pages of the bill were passed upon. The interest of the session centered in the action taken upon the amendment of Mr. Gorman (Dem.) t of Maryland, levying a tax of one-quarter of 1 per eent. upon the gross receipts of all corporations doing a business exceeding $250,090 a year. By a direct .vote upon it the amendment was rejected—27 to 34. The Gorman amendment so modified that it levies a tax of one-quarter of one per cent, on all corporations engaged in the refining of sugar or petroleum was passed: Yeas, 33; nays, 20. Two very important votes were taken Friday in the Senate. In lieu of the seigniorage amendment offered by the majority of the Finance Committee, Mr. Wolcott (Rep., Colo.) proposed an amendment directing the Secretary of the Treasury to coin the silver bullion in the treasury and to issue silver certificates against it. Tlie amendment was agreed to, 48 to 31, several Republicans voting for it. Mr. Aldrich (Rep., R. I.) then pressed the amendment of the •Finance Committee providing for the issue of $100,000,000 of certificates of indebtedness and $300,000,000 of bonds, to be used exclusively for the payment of the expenses of the war. After an extended debate the question was brought to an issue, and by the decisive rote of 45 to 31 the bond amendment was incorporated in ttje bill as a substitute for the amendment to issue legal tender notes. The war revenue measure was passed by the Senate Saturday evening at 7:05 o’clock. A score or more of attempts were made to amend it, but in only three or four instances were the attempts successful. The most notable amendment adopted was that offered by Mr. Tillman of South Carolina, placing a duty of 10 cents a pound on all tea imported into the United States. The amendment created no debate and was adopted by a vote of 38 to 32. As finally completed the bill was passed by a rote of 48 to 28. Mr. Allison moved that the Senate insist upon its amendments and that conferees be appointed. The motion was agreed to and Messrs. Allison, Aldrich and Jones of Arkansas were named as conferees. In the House Mr. Lacey of lowa secured consideration of the Senate bill to protect homesteaders who may enlist and serve in the forces of the United States. After some delay it was passed. The war revenue bill was advanced a step further. It was received in the House as‘amended in’the Senate, and the lower branch of Congress accordingly became the center of legislative, intertest. Mr. Dalzell, from the Committee on Rules, presented a resolution introduced by Mr. Dingley providing for an immediate vote upon general non-concurrence and sending the bill to conference. After some debate the vote was taken upon the resolution. Mr. Bailey Remanded the yeas and nays, the roll call resulting: Yeas, 137; nays, 106. It was a party vote. The House then voted to concur and agreed to the conference, and the Speaker named Messrs. Dingley, Payne and Bailey as conferees. Undtfr suspension of the rules the Senate bill ratifying an agreement between the Dawes commission and the Seminole Indians providing for the allotment of the latter's lands, was passed. Beyond the passage of an urgent deficiency bill, made necessary by the war with Spain, the Senate accomplished little. The deficiency measure carries appropriations for. ahe war and navy establishments aggregating $17,745,000. The Senate on Tuesday passed the bill for the allotment in severalty of certain lands to the Indians of Indian Territory, the imyment of interest claims to the Chickasaw Indians, and the ratification of the agreement effected with the Indians by the Dawes commission. Section 26, which provided for the segregation of 157,600 acres of land purchased by the Delawares from the Cherokees, 160 acres of the land to be allotted to each registered Delaware, and the remainder reserved to the descendants of deceased registered Delawares, was stricken from the bill. Consideration was resumed of the measure providing for the taking of the twelfth census. After disposing of theurgent war deficiency bill, as passed, with amendments by the Senate, the Houseconsidered the conference report upon thesundry civil bill. The report, so far as it embodies agreements,’ was adopted, and the House then began voting severally upon the Senate amendments, upon which no agreement had been reached in conference. Of these there are forty-five. The House considered eight of these, acting favorably upon three and rejecting the remainder. The House adjourned pending disposition of a measure tp enable volunteer soldiers to vote at congressional elections during the war. It involved constitutional questions. The Senate resolution was passed authorizing the President to waive the one-year supension from promotion and order re-examination in the army in certain corps during the existing war. .