Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 April 1896 — WORK OF CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

WORK OF CONGRESS.

THE WEEK’S DOINGS IN SENATE AND HOUSE. A Comprehensive Digest of the Proceedings in the Legislative Chambers at Washington—Matters tligt COncem the Peqjple.;' Lawmakers at Labor. -- An pnexnyctad.-climax io the CpUanjletbatq. w*u reached-in tEeSenn when, mutnaljon jjf Mr. Sherman,chairman of the Committee-on Foreign Relations, the. Cuban resolutions were ceqquxrnitted to the eonferenee committee. The vote ■to recommit was ananimrjus and .without the formality of a roll call, representing a general ebn‘sensn's' ; &f opinion that the committee should so change the resolutions as to'overcome the opposition' that has. developed. Messrs. Sherman, Morgan„and Lodge were appointed to represent the Senate itFA further conference. Sinniltaneopstlr *wjth this ocribo Mr. Mills presented Cuban resolutions which propose to go farther than has yet heeit suggested. They direct th,e’: 2 >esiddnVTo request Spain to grant, local .self-govern-ment to Cuba, and in case Spain refuses ,|he President is authorized to use the military and uaval forces in taking possession of Cuba and holding it until selfgovernment .is established by the Cuban ■people. The House Committee oh Elections of President and Vice-Presideht reported favorably the till introduced by Mr. Corliss, of Michigan, providing for the election of Senators by direct vote of the.people. Some amendments of minor importance were adopted, The question of reforming the fee system of the United States District Attorneys and Marshals occasioned much debate in the Senate Wednesday. Mr. Hoar opposed the change from fees to salaries by means t* an appropriation bill,'as it was a large subject, needing separate treatment. Mr. Allen (Pop.) of Nebraska attacked the high salaries. He declared' that the offices of District Attorney were given-frequently in payment of political debts, and instead of requiring a high degree of legal talent the places sometimes went to “shysters” who could not earn a living out of office. Mr. George (Dem.) of Mississippi attacked the entire policy of giving high salaries and showed that the Governors nncF Attorney Generals of States received less by half than the bill proposed allowing Federal Dis-’ triet Attorneys. Mr. Allen.also criticised the provision allowing the Attorney General to designate the number of Deputy Marshals. lie spoke against the “horde of officeholders.” Under Bncbntinn the Government spent $50,000,000 annually and now it is $500,000,000. In that time the population had doubled, but the expenses had increased tenfold. Officers were thrusting their hands into the treasury and by hook and crook, mainly by crook, seeking to increase their salaries. The purpose of this provision was to add to the offices controlled by an executive officer. Mr. Hoar responded warmly that the Senate could not waste its time investigating the details of the number of Deputy Marshals in ?aeh of the seventyseven districts in the L/jfted States, if It did it would become a laughing stock. If the Government could not trust the Attorney General with thin duty then the American Government had better shut up shop and apply to some Populist club to carry on its affairs. After an extended debate the salaries for District Attorneys and Marshals were agreed to as reported, with a few minor changes. The legislative appropriation was not completed when at 5:30 the Senate went into executive session and soon after adjourned. The House discussed naval appropriation. The Senate spetjt most of Thursday on the legislative appropriation bill, but did not complete owing to Mr. Sherman’s motion to strike out the proposition for the change from fees to salaries for United States district attorneys and marshals. A joint resolution was adopted allowing ex-President Harrison to accept decorations from Brazil and Spain. The joint resolution was passed providing for the appointment of a commission under the direction of the Secretary.of War for the preliminary survey, with plans, specifications and approximate estihiafes of 'cos't thereof, for the construction of a ship canal of approved width and depth, from the lower shore of Lake Michigan to the Wabash riyer, and for the further investigation of the practicability of the eonstruction of such waterway. The naval appropriation bill was passed by the House without substantial amendment. The bill carries $31,011,034 and authorizes the construction of four battle ships and fifteen torpedo boats, the total cost Of which will be in the neighborhood of $35,000,000. The Senate indulged in an acrinTo'nions political debate Friday. The controversy arose over Mr. Hill’s motion to strike from the legislative appropriation bill tfie proposed change of the date of assembling the New Mexico Legislature from December to May. Mr. Hill bitterly denounced the change as a political trick. Mr. Elkins protested. The debate took a wide range, Senators Gorman, Faulkner, Cockrell and other Democrats attacking the provision as political, while Senators Elkins. Carter, Cullom and other Republican Senators defended it. My. Cullom sought to table Mr. Hill’s motion, but a motion to this effect failed by a vote of 21 to 20. whereupon Mr. Cullom yielded to the Hill motion and the New Mexico provision was struck, out. The Senate passed the legislative appropriation bilß carrying $21,500,000. Aside from providing the usual appropriations, the bill is important In effecting a reform of the system of compensation for United States District Attorneys and Marshals, salaries being substituted for fees. The appropriation committee attempted to fake up the sundry civil appropriation biil in the House, but the members who wereinterested in bills on the private Calendar defeated them by a vote of 142 to 77.