Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 May 1896 — SENATE AND HOUSE. [ARTICLE]

SENATE AND HOUSE.

WORk OF OUR NATIONAL LAW* MAKERS. i , A Week’* Proceeding* in the Halls of Congress—lmportant Measures Dis--1 cussed and Acted Upon—An Impartial Resume of the Business. The Nations! Solons. The Cuban question was revived in the Senate Saturday, when Mr. Morgan of Alabama, who. reported the original resolutions, spoke in favors of further and more decisive action toward the recognition of the Cubans as belligerents. The Senator declared it to be the du{y of Congress to adopt joint resolutions on belligerency, which, unlike the previous con-> current resolutions, would require the approval of the President, and thus fixing the responsibility. At the close of Mr. Morgan's speech the Senate adopted without division the resolutions introduced by him directing the committee on foreign relations to inquiry into and report on the treaty relations “between the United nutl. Spain relating to the Americans now under condemnation at Havana, also requesting the President to submit the recent diplomatic correspondence with Spain on this subject. The resolutions have no reference to the recognition of belligerency.

In the Senate Monday the entire day after 1 p. m. was given to the bill regulating gas rates in the District of Columbia. The following bills were passed: Authorizing the purchase by the United States and the making free o? toll roads passing over the Yosemite national park; regulating the jmy of non-commissioned officers, of artillery, cavalry and infantry of the Army. Quite a number of minor bills anil conference reports were adopted bv tiie .House, and bills were passed as follows; To allow the bottling of distilled spirits in bond; to expedite the delivery of imported goods in parcels and packages mot-exceeding. SSOO Invalue; to provide for the regisiration of trade marks on. bottles, barrels, corks and other receptacles used in interstate and foreign commerce; for the getieral distribution of condemned Cannon by the Secretary of War and Secretary of the Navy; to compel the attendance of witnesses—before the local land officers. The conference report on the bill to improve the merchant marine engineer service was adopted. The Senate Tuesday passed the District of Columbia appropriation bill, carrying approximately 87,800,000. A debate on the question of appropriations for sectarian purposes cropped out on the paragraph making appropriations for charities in the district. On a vote the Senate sustained the committee in providing specific appropriations for numerous private charitable, institutions, some of them of a sectarian character. A further provision \yas adopted for an, investigation into the charity system of the district, with a view to ascertaining what, if any, part of the public-appropriations are'used for church purposes Mr. Bacon (Dom.) of Georgia offered a resolution, which was referred, for the loan of exhibits from the various Government — departments and SmithVottian mstkutkni to the Southern States exposition at Chicago from August to. November, IS9C. The House entered upon a long debate on the immigration bills, and summoned the county clerks in the Rinaker-Downing contest from Illinois.

The Senate took another long step townrd adjournment Wednesday by disposing of the fortifications appropriation hill at a single sitting. Nothing now remains but the deficiency bill and the conference reports’on the naval, river and harbor, District of Columbia, Indian, and fortifications bills. The river and harbor and naval bills are still the most difficult, ones. The’ harbor And river conferees made a report Wednesday that they were Agreed., on everything except Santa Monica. It is understood that the House conferees stand out most strenuously againg.t that, jmd will only agree to the appointment of a commissioner to report on the, two harbors and let fcongress afterward act on thfe subject. The most important business transacted in the House was the passage by the overwhelming vote of 195 to 20 of the Bartholdt-McCall . immigration bill, as modified by the Corliss amendment. The Stone consular inspection bill, offered as a substitute, was defeated 75 to 181. The House Thursday passed the Hoover pension bill over the President's veto* by a vote of 190 to 47. The bill was a private ones and grants a pension of SSO per month to Francis 10. Hoover, privatein Ohio volunteers. The balance of the -day was -spent, iu.-disrnssing .the hill tft . nnthorize tin* President to appoint a nonpurti»an -commission to collect information and to consider and recommend legislation to meet the problems presented by labor, agriculture and capital. The Senate did nothing of importance. The Senate put in Friday in discussing the bill to prohibit the issue of bonds. Senators Hill and Sherman united in denouncing the measure ns one which had for its object repudiation. The House listened to conference reports on the river and harbor,bill.