Rensselaer Journal, Volume 12, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 June 1902 — WEEK’S DOINGS IN CONGRESS [ARTICLE]

WEEK’S DOINGS IN CONGRESS

Business Transacted by the House and Senate in the National Capital. SENATE PASSES PANAMA BILL By a Vote of 42 to 34 the Upper House Shatters the Life Work of Senator Morgan, Who Fights for Nicaragua to the Last. Tuesday, uune 17. Mr. Quay gave notice in the senate at the conclusion of the voting on the isthmian canal question he will move to discharge the committee on territories from further consideration of the bill providing for the admission as states of the territories of Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico. Bills were passed to regulate the commutation of United States prisoners for good conduct; to amend the act providing for a permanent census office, so as to include “unskilled laborers” in the list cf those employed not included in the civil service; to provide for refunding taxes paid on legacies and bequests for uses of religious, charitable or educational character; for the. encouragement of art, etc. Tne rest of the day was devoted to debate upon the canal bill. The house agreed to the conference asked for by the senate on the antianarchy bill. Passed bills to amend the bankruptcy law; providing for the punishment of United States prisoners for crimes committeed while confined in state institutions; to increase the fees of jurors in United States courts from $2 to $3 per day; to allow appeals from final rulings of the general land office to the supreme court of the District of Columbia; to incorporate the Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba, and to ratify the agreements negotiated by the Dawes commission with the Creek, Kansas or Kaw Indians of Oklahoma. The bill to ratify the agreement with the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians was under consideration when the house adjourned at 10:30 o’clock, a night session being held. A house bill to provide for the opening to settlement of 480,000 acres of land in the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache Indian reservations in Oklahoma was defeated. Wednesday, June 18. The senate took up the house resolution providing that the conference committee on the sundry civil appropriation bill be authorized to consider and recommend the inclusion of necessary appropriations to carry out omnibus public building bill, and it was agreed to. A bill to restore to the active list of the navy Surgeon John Walton Rose as medical director was passed. The nomination of Captain Charles E. Clark of the navy to the grade of* Rear Admiral was confirmed. The District of Columbia appropriation bill was sent to conference. The general deficiency appropriation bill, the last of the supply bills, was passed by the house. In the course of some remarks early in the session Ms. Cannon declared that if he could have his way Congress would adjourn sine die before July 4. A night session was held at which the house considered bills reported from the committee on Indian affairs. Thursday, June 19. The senate passed the canal bill with the bpooner Panama amendment by a vote of 42 to 34. There was some debate over the trouble into which the senate has got with the house over amendments to the army appropriation bill, and a conference with the house was finally asked, ignoring the “offensive” message which caused the trouble. The conference report on the bill to prevent the false branding or labeling of food or dairy products was agreed to. A bill was passed to set apart certain lands in South Dakota as a public park, to be known as the Wind Cave National Park. The senate then went into executive session and soon afterward adjourned. Debate upon the Philippine bill occupied most of the day in the house. a bill was passed to amend an act for the relief and civilization of the Chippewa Indians of Minnesota. Friday, June 21. At the opening of the session of the senate a partial conference report on the sundry civil bill was presented by Mr. Allison and.agreed to. The senate insisted on its amendments still in disagreement and Messrs. Allison, Hale and Cockrell were named as conferees. A bill appropriating $25,000 for a monument at Fredericksburg, Va., to Gen. Hugh Mercer, a proposition authorized by congress in April, 1777, was discussed. The bill went over on objection of - Mr. Warren (Wyo.). The senate agreed to the conference report on the military academy appropriation bill, thus finally disposing of the measure. Debate on the Philippine civil government bill continued in the house

from 11 a. m. to 5 p. m., and at a session held at night Mr. Jones (Va.), ranking minority member of the insular affairs committee, concirded his speech begun Thursday. The other speakers were Messrs. Hamilton (Mich.) and Kahn ( Cal.) for the bill and Mr. Patterson (Tenn.) against it. A bill was passed to recognize the military service of the officers and enlisted men of the First regiment of Ohio light artillery. This regiment served three months at the opening of the civil war, but was never formally mustered into the United States service. The uouse declined to concur in the canal bill passed by the senate Thursday, and three conferees were named. Saturday, June 21. In the house Mr. Hull (Iowa), chairman of the committee on military affairs, called up the conference report on the military academy appropriation bill. Mr. Hay (Va.), Mr. Clayton (Ala.) and Mr. Mann (Ill.) criticised the action bf the house conferees in agreeing to the number of cadets at West Point proposed by the senate. Mr. Mann said that recently the number of cadets had been increased 100. The increased membership of the house would/ further increase the cadets thirty and now it was proposed to increase that number still further. He did not believe in legislation in the direction of a great increase in the standing army. Mr. Hull and Mr. Parker (N. J.) defended the conference report, arguing that the increase was necessary in order properly to officer the army. Finally the conference report was adopted, 88 to 59. Mr. Cannon (III.) then called up the conference report upon the sundry civil bill. He explained that the agreement was only partial, items carrying $1,283,000 being still in controversy. Mr. Grosvenor (Ohio) moved that the house concur in the senate amendment for a memorial bridge across the Potomac to cost not to exceed $2,500,000 and appropriating SIOO,OOO for the preparation of plans. This was voted down without division and the bill was sent back to conference, after which the debate on the Philippine bill was resumed. The senate was not in session.