Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 June 1898 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

By a vote of 209 to 91 the House, of Representatives Wednesday afternoon adopted the Newlands resolutions, providing for the annexation of Hawaii. The debate, which had continued without in-* terruption since Saturday, had been one of the most notable of this Congress, the proposed annexation being considered of great commercial and strategic importance by its advocates, and being looked upon by its opponents as involving a radical departure from the long-established policy of the country and likely to be followed by the inauguration of a pronounced policy of colonization, the abandonment of the Monroe doctrine and participation in international wrangles. More than half a hundred members participated in the debate. The Senate resumed consideration of the International American bank bill. An amendment was accepted by the committee and adopted extending the privileges of the measure to all citizens of the United States instead of restricting them to those mentioned in the bill. When the Senate adjourned consideration of the bill had not been concluded. In the House on Thursday Mr.' Dingley (Rep., Me.) called up the bill supplemental to the war revenue measure, designed to supply some omissions and to strengthen the means of carrying out the revenue act It exempts frourTaxation mutual, casualty, fidelity and guaranty companies conducted not for profit. After explanation by Mr. Dingley the bill was passed. The House passed a bill authorizing the construction of a bridge across Niagara river at Grand Island, and then went into committee of the whole to consider the general deficiency bill. In the general debate upon the bill Mr. Wilson (Dem., S. C.) delivered a speech in support of the Lodge immigration bill, and Mr. Carmack (Dem., Tenn.) spoke upon the probability of the war ending in the inauguration of a policy of territorial aggression. The bill was not disposed of when the House adjourned. After devoting an hour to the discussion of the bill restoring the annuities to the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands of Sioux Indians the Senate resumed the consideration of the bill to incorporate the International American Bank. A test on an amendment clearly indicated that a majority of the Senate favored the measure. The message clerk of the House of Representatives delivered to the Senate the Hawaiian annexation resolution presented by the House the evening before. The Foreign Relations Committee, through Mr. DaviS, the chairman, on Friday reported favorably to the Senate the Newlands resolutions for the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands. The bill to incorporate the International American Bank, in accordance with the recommendation of the Pan-American congress, which has occupied a greater part of the Senate's time during the week was passed by a vote of 26 to 23. The conference report on the bankruptcy bill was presented and read, but no action was taken. The general deficiency bill occupied the attention of the House.

Saturday's session of the House wqs devoted chiefly to eulogies upon the life and character of former Senator Harris of Tennessee. Prior to hearing eulogies some consideration was given to a conference report upon the District of Columbia appropriation bill. The Senate was not in session. Discussion by the Senate of the question of Hawaiian annexation was begun on Monday in open session. The principal speech of the first day was made by Senator Morrill of Vermont, in opposition to annexation. The taking of a test vote (45 to 15) showed the opponents of annexation to be in a hopeless minority. The House passed the general deficiency bill, carrying.s224,ooo,000. The bill occasioned little debate, and it passed practically as reported to the House from the Committee on Appropriations. The remainder of the day Was given to District of Columbia business. , The resolution for the annexation of Hawaii was laid before the Senate almost immediately after it convened on Tuesday. Speeches opposing annexation were made by Mr. Mitchell of Wisconsin and Mr. White of California. After passing several bills of minor importance the House, in committee of the whole, considered, without disposing of it, a bill to refer to the court of claims certain claims of persons for property taken or destroyed by the confederate invasions into the southern counties of Pennsylvania. The bill brought on a long debate.