Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 May 1902 — WEEK'S DOINGS IN CONGRESS [ARTICLE]

WEEK'S DOINGS IN CONGRESS

Business Transacted by the House and Senate in the National Capital. IN HONOR OF A. J. CUMMINGS For Third the Time In It* History the Hell of Representatives Is Thrown Open to Hold Funeral Services for a Deceased Member. Tnesday, April 29. The senate devoted the day to discussion of the Philippine civil government bill. Under a special order which allowed three hours’ debate, but which cut oft all opportunity of amendment, the omnibus building bill, which will distribute $17,405,450 among 174 cities, was passed in the house. As the bill covers into the treasury $1,585,000, the total amount carried by the bill is reduced to that extent. The bill provides for seventy-seven new buildings and sites already purchased, seventeen buildings on donated sites and fiftyeight increases in appropriations for buildings already authorized. It also provides for the purchase of sixteen sites. The majority for the bill was so overwhelming that only nine members backed a demand for the yeas and nays on the passage of the bill. There was some criticism of the method by which it was proposed to pass the bill without opportunity for amendment, which Mr. Mercer, chairman of the committee, answered by stating that if the bill had been subject to amendment the appropriation carried by it would have been increased to $60,000,DOO. The consideration of the agricultural appropriation bill was resumed, but only seven pages was disposed of. Wednesday, April 30. Debate on the Philippine question occupied practically the entire day in the senate. The bill for the purchase of the Rosebud reservation in South Dakota and the sundry civil appropriation bill were considered, but no action was taken on them aside from amending the latter by appropriating $250,000 for the purchase of the ground and building now occupied by the census bureau. The agricultural appropriation bill was passed by the house after increasing the item for good roads inquiries from $20,000 to $30,000 and incorporating the following amendment: “The Secretary of Agriculture shall, on or before July 1, 1903,‘transfer to and consolidate with the weather bureau and under the direction of its chief all the work of the Department of Agriculture relating to the gathering and compilation of statistics by the division of statistics.” Consideration of the District of Columbia appropriation bill, the last but two of the regular supply measures, was then begun, bo it to make operative the existing personal tax law of the district, which has been a dead letter for twenty years. By the terms of a special rule, adopted it will be in order to attach a rider Chairman Cannon estimated that thqre were $100,000,000 of untaxed personal property in Washington. The Goldfogle resolution calling on the Secretary of State for information as to whether American citizens of Jewish faith were excluded from Russia was adopted.

Thursday, May 1. Discussion of the Philippine question again most of the day in the senate. Both the Rosebud reservation bill and the sundry civil appropriation bill received consideration, but not final action. A bill appropriating $5,000 for a lighthouse-keeper’s dwelling at Ecorse Range light station, Detroit River, Mich.,/was passed. The usual executive, session preceded adjournment. Most of the day in the house was given to the District of Columbia appropriation bill, which was not completed. Mr. Shattuck (Ohio) spoke on industrial condition, and Mr. Gaines (Tenn.) in criticism of conditions in the Philippines. A bill was passed providing that third and -fourth class mail matter without sufficient postage shall not be remailed to the sender. Friday, May 3. Debate -on the Philippine bill continued to occupy most of the session in the senate. The conference report on the Indian appropriation bill was agreed to. The Rosebud Indian reservation bill and the sundry civil bill were again considered, but not completed. When the sundry civil bill amendment providing an appropriation of $2,500,000 to begin the construction of a memorial bridge across, the Potomac River to connect the Arlington Cemetery was reached Mr. Allison explained that it was not intended to begin the construction of the bridge until the been approved by Congress. The amendment was then agreed to. An amendment was agreed to appropriating SIOO,OOO for the construction of a revenue cut-\

ter the first class for service la Hawaiian waters. The amendment providing the machinery for the enforcement of the personal tax law of the District of Columbia, passed in 1878, was placed on the district appropriation bill as a rider, and the bill was passed by the house. The bill to provide diplomatic and consular officers for the Republic o f Cuba also was passed. The bill to provide for the issue of passports to the residents of the insular possessions of the United States was made a special order after the disposal of the omnibus territorial bill. The bill to amend the bankruptcy law was called up, but not acted upon. Saturday, May 3. The senate devoted the entire day to debate on the Philippines and adjourned at 2:45 o’clock after the adoption of resolutions in respect to the memory of Amos J. Cummings of New York and the appointment of the following funeral committee: Senators Platt (N. Y.), Kean (N. J.), Penrose (Pa.), Jones (Ark.) and Bailey (Tex.). The announcement of Amos J. Cummings’ death was made in the house by Mr. Payne of New York, who presented resolutions deploring his death and providing for services in the house, which were unanimously adopted. The speaker announced the following committee to attend the funeral: Messrs. McClellan, Wadsworth, Sulzer, Ray, Fitzgerald, Sherman and Ryan, all of New York; Young (Pa.), Clark (Mo.), Foss (Ill.), Williams (Miss.), McCleary (Minn.), Tate (Ga.) and Otey (Va.). At 12:15 o’clock the speaker, as a further mark of respect, declared the house adjourned.