Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 April 1896 — SENATE AND HOUSE. [ARTICLE]

SENATE AND HOUSE.

WORK OF OUR NATIONAL LAW* MAKERS. I A Week’s Proceeding* in tke Hall* of Congress—lmportant Measures Discussed and Acted Upon—An Impart tial Resume) of the Business. Tke National Solon*. The Senate spent the entire day on tha postoffice appropriation bill, but did not.j complete it. After a brief but very spirited debate the House passed the river and harbor appropriation bill. The action was taken under suspension of the rules, ia) spite of the vigorous protests of the minority against ~fche coptiaaiag coa-traet-syL tem. The opposition was unable to mus-* ter Votes enough, however, to call for the yeas and nay on the suspension of the rules. The Senate did but little Tuesday, except to pass the postoffice appropriation, bill. The conference report on the agricultural bill was agreed to. It carried $3,302,792. The House spent the dayj debating a bill to fix the standard ofi weights and measures by the adoption of the metric system on and after July lj 1898, and a proposition tha) tho Govem-i. ment share with the District of Columbia the expense of creating and maintaining a public library in the city of ton. The latter was defeated. 113 to li!7,j and the fate of the metric system bill still hangs in the balance. Quite a breezy discussion arose in the Senate Wednesday oyer the national reserve question. Senator Teller, made a) spirited, attack on the present system ad detrimental to the interests of the West.j The discussion arose on his request toj send a bill requiring banks to keep theip Reserves in their own vaults to the Fi-j nance Committee. Much of, the day waa given to the Indian appropriation bill,j which was not completed. Unanimous consent was secured for taking up thej resolution for a Senate inquiry into recent) (bond issues Tuesday. The bill to adopt) the metric system of weights and meas-j fires was sent back by the House to the Committee on Coinage, Weights and: (Measures for further consideration. the first vote it had a majority of 2, but jthe opposition was aggressive, and after: a series of votes it was recommitted by ql* vote of 130 to 59. The remainder of the day was devoted to debate on the bill tfi exempt sailing vessels engaged in the ■coastwise trade from compulsory pilotage laws. j The tariff-silver bill and a lively tariff discussion occupied the Senate Thursday} In the House the bill to abolish compulsory pilotage on sailing vessels engaged; 7n the Coastwise trade was defeated—nays, 117; yeas, 57., The House non-? concurred in the Senate amendments to) the postoffice appropriation Hill and agreed to a conference. Messrs. Loudi (Rep.) of California, Smith (Rep.) of Illi-j jiois, and Kyle (Dem.) of Mississippi were appointed conferees.