Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 May 1896 — SENATE AND HOUSE. [ARTICLE]

SENATE AND HOUSE.

WORK OF PUB NATIONAL" LAWMAKERS. A Week’s Proceedings in the Halls of Congress—lmportant Measures Discussed and Acted Upon—An Impartial Resume of tfife Business. The National Solons. In the Senate Saturday the sundry civil appropriation bill was completed and passed during the day. As it passed the' House it Carried about $30,000,000; as reported to the Senate it reached $35,0Q0,000, and with amendments ‘added the total was raised to $37,000,000. -Most of thetime in the House was occupied with the general pension bill. The debate was generally formal in character. At half-past-2. o’clock, without concluding debate on the bill, the House entered upon the special order—the delivery of eulogies on the late Representative William H. Crane of Texas. Then the House, a,s a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased. adjourned until S o'clock. The debate on tne adoption of a rule brought ih by the Rules Committee in the House Monday for a vote on the Pickier general pension bill was rather sensational, though nothing was accomplished. The minority report on the Ijavifie Railroad bill was submitted t« the House by Representative Hubbard of Missouri. It deals exhaustively With the financial conditions of the companies concerned in the proposed funding plan. It argues that the majority hill should not be adopted. The Senate did nothing of importance. - *■ The Senate waß pluufceti into an exciting financial jlehat; Tuesday, after several weeks of serene and formal procedure on: appropriation bills. The naval appropriation hill was umlcr cousideration, and the item of four battle-ships, to cost an aggregate of $15,000,000, served as a text for a speech by Mr. Gorman pointing outthatTherdtffexmes _aftheGovernment! are less than the receipts. Mr. Gorinan’s statements brought on a;i animated controversy,' in which Mr. Sherman, Mr. Hale and'Mr. Chandler joined issues vit'u the Maryland Senator us to the responsibility for the failure of tariff legislation in the present Congress. The House passed the Pickier general pension hill by a vote of IS" to 54. The section to which the bulk the opposition was directed provides that persons otherwise entitled to pensions' shall no be disqualified on account of prior service in the Confederate army, provided they joiitei. the Union forces ninety days before l.oe's surrender. Both House and Senate spent Wednesday jn debate of various measures. Absolutely nothing of importance was done. Tilt; genera! de'bate sfi tile bankruptcy, bill was continued and concluded in the House Thursday. Mr. Bailey of Texas gave notice that he would offer as a “substitute his voluntary bankruptcy bill. The Senate spent another day on the , naval appropriation hill without completing it Mr. Gonnati further opposed the item of four battle ships mid expressed the opinion that the appropriations already ‘made would consume the balance in the treasury. A determination of the number of battle ships has not yet been reached. Mr. Chandler has proposed subsl ituting thirty large and fast torpedo gunboats for two of the battle ships. The hill was passed increasing the pension- of Brigadier General William Gross of the volunteer forces to $75 per month. .' ~ The Senate Friday discussed the naval appropriation bill. Mr. Gorman's amendment reducing from four to two the number of battle ships to be coustructed was adopted in the Senate by a vote of 31 to 27. The House again devoted the iSajor portion of the day to debate on; the bankruptcy bill. Several amendments were altered, but uoue were'adopted. A bill to provide for a delegate in Congress from the territory of Alaska was defeated by a rote of 00'to 44.