Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 February 1896 — WORK OF CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

WORK OF CONGRESS.

THE WEEK'S DOINGS IN SENATE AND HOUSE. A Comprehensive Digest of the Pro* ceedings in the Legielative Chambers .at Washington Matters that Concern thq People. '"-‘J . I. ■ ' . -,.a=fe- Lawmakers at Labor. The speech of Senator Davis of Minnesota, supporting the resolution of wh>'h he is the author, enunciating the. policy u£ the UniteiLStates on the Monroe doctrine, was the event of Monday in the Semite. Senator 31itchell of Qregonrehilimrarmf" the Committee on Privileges and Elections, presented the viewsr of the majority of the committee favoring the seating of Mr. Dupont as Senator from Delaware. The agricultural appropriation bill occupied the attention of the House. An ameiMlmenl! was pending when the House tion of the provision in the bill, for the distribution of seed. - An-amendment appropriating $42,360 for a new edjtion of the “Horse Book” was adopted. Mr. Dalzell, from the Committee on Ways and Means, reported a resolution of inquiry calling on the Secretary of the Treasury for air exliaustive report relative to the sale of bonds under the resumption act between the two periods of 1879 and. March; 1, 1893, and between the latter date and Jan. 1, 1596. The resolution-; was adopted. ~ The session of the Senate Tuesday furnished a succession of incidents with frequent sharp personal exchanges between Senators. Mr. Hill had a lively tilt with Sir. Tillman during the debate on Mr. Peffer’s resolution for a Senate investigation of the recent bond issue. Mr. Allen joined issue with Mr. Gear and Mr. IVokott over the course of the Pacific Railway Committee in conducting its inquiry. Two appropriation biMs, the military academy and the pension bill, were passed. Efforts were made to amend the military academy bill by increasing the number of cadets by two from each State —-ninety in all—but after a ileba’te of three hours the plan was defeated. The pension appropriation bill, carrying $142,000,000, waTpaSsed after ten minutes' debate. -The House passed the agrienltural appropriation bill. It carries $3,158,192. The section of the revised 1 statutes for the purchase and distribution of “rare and uncomnwn” seed which Secretary' Morton declined to execute in- the current appropriation law was repealed; the appropriation for seed was increased from $130,000 to $150,000, and its execution was made mandatory upon the Secretary.

The House devoted itself strictly to business Wednesday. The army appropriation bill, carrying $23,275,902, was passed, the conference report on the urgent deficiency bill was accepted, and the bill to extend for five yeara the time in which the government can bring suits to annul patents to public -lands under railroad and wagon road grants was passed. An amendment was adopted limiting the application of the act to “railroad and wagon road grants.” The substitute of Arkansas to repeal outright the limitation of the act of 1891 was defeated, 72 149. In the Senate Mr. Carter of Montana offered a resolution to recommit the tariff bill to the finance committee for fur-® ther consideration. The diplomatic and consular appropriation bill was passed during the day. About sixty private pension bills were .passed during the day. The bill pensioning the widow of the late Secretary Gresham as brigadier general, at S2OO monthly, with an amendment making the amount SIOO monthly, went _ oveF"Wloß>Tif‘action in order to permit Mr. Voorhees to speak against this amendment. The Senate Thursday was engaged in the Pacific railroad hearing. Iu the Hous'fe the conference report on the diplomatic and consular bill was agreed to, the Senate amendments to the pension bill were sent to conference and the Indian appropriation bill was taken up. The latter bill carries $8,030,995, or $132,792 less thuii the law for the current year. In connection with a proposition to increase the salaries of Indian’inspectors from $2,500 to $3,000, the salaries fixed by law—the bills of the last two years have only appropriated $2,500 each for these salaries —both Mr. Cannon and Mr. Dingley, the Republican leaders on the floor appealed to the majority in view of the situation of -the treasury to keep down expenses ami refuse to take steps in the direction of increased salaries, but their appeals were in vain and the action qf the Committee on Indian Affairs in restoring the salaries was sustained, 87 to 59. Nothing else of importance was done. The House devoted all day Friday to consideration of the Indianifiil, and made slow progress. In committee of the whole it refused to reduce salaries of Indian inspectors from $3,000 to $2,500. The Senate was still occupied wfth the Pacific Railroad hearing.