Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 June 1896 — SENATE AND HOUSE. [ARTICLE]

SENATE AND HOUSE.

WORK OF OUR NATIONAL LAW. ( MAKERS. A Week's Proceedings in the Halls of Congress—lmportant Measures Discussed and Acted Upon—An Impartial Resume of the Business. The National Solons. The Senate Tuesday, by a vote of 32 to 25, passed the Butler bill to prohibit any further issue of bonds without the consent of Congress. The debate was sharp and bitter, but all the amendments were defeated and then the final vote taken, on which the bill was passed. The filledcheese bill was taken up and made the unfinished business. Mr. Allison introduced a joint resolution for a scientific investigation of the Bering sea seal fisheries. At 7 o’clock Mr. Hill moved to adjourn, and as the motion was carried, Mr. Hill exclaimed: “And may God save the country.” The House devoted itself to passing the river and harbor bill over the President’s veto and to unseating by a vote of 16” to 39 John J. Walsh, the Democratic member from the Eighth New York district, whose place will be filled by John Murray Mitchell, Republican. Both of these actions were foregone conclusions, so that they excited comparatively little interest, although there was a full house to vote on the river and harbor bill. It was passed by 220 to 60, many more votes than the twothirds necessary to override a veto, and it was passed without debate, although Mr. Dockery (Mo.) protested vehemently that debate, had been promised. Thirty-nine Democrats voted to override the presidential objections and twenty-six Republicans stood by Mr. Cleveland'. The Senate Wednesiflfif followed the lead of the House and passed the river ahd harbor bill over the President’s veto by the following vote: Yeas —Republicans: Aldrich, Allison, Burrows, Cannon, Carter, Chandler, Clark, Cullom, Davis, Dubois, Elkins, Gallinger, , Gear, Hale, Hansbrough, Hawley, Lodge, Mcßride, Mitchell (Oregon), Nelson, Perkins, Pettigrew, Platt, Pritchard, Quay, Sherman, Shoup, Squire, Teller, Warren, Wetmore, Wilson, Wolcott—33; Democrats: Bacon, Berry, Brice, Faulkner, George, Gibson, Gorman, Jones (Arkansas), Lindsay, Mills. Mitchell (Wisconsin), Morgan, Pasco* Pugh, Tillman, Turpie, Vest, Walthall, White —19; Populists: Jones (Nevada), Butler, Peffer, Stewart —4; total, 56. Nays—Democrats: Bate, Chilton, Hill, Smith, Vilas—s. The House began clearing the decks for final adjournment by extending the length of the daily sessions. A partial conference report on the general deficiency bill was agreed to and the bill sent back to further conference. The Senate Thursday passed the filledcheese bill. Manufacturers of filled cheese are taxed S4OO annually; wholesale dealers, $250; retail dealers, $l2O. In addition to these taxes, the product itself is taxed 1 cent per pound, and iniported filled cheese is taxed 8 cents per pound in addition to the import duty. All packages must be branded, and dealers must display a big black'sign on white ground, bearing the words “Filled Cheese Sold Here.” The controversy over the number of battle ships remains open, Mr. Quay’s motion that the Senate recede from its. amendment reducing the number of ships from four to two being def anted —17 to 33. The Senate also defeated by a vote of 17 to 31 a motion by Mr. Lodge of Massachusetts to recede from its amendment relating to.sectarian Indian schools. Bills were passed as follows: Granting 160 acres of land to Biloxi, Miss., for a charitable hospital; authorizing the appointment of the survivors of the Lady Franklin bay expedition as sergeants, retired, of the army; for the improvement of Fort Smith, Ark., government reservation, and a bill construing the laws relating to the award of life-saving medals. By a vote of 153 to 33 the House decided against the claim of William Elliott from the First Sol'ith Carolina district and gave the seat.to George W. Murray. Murray is a colored man and in the Fifty-first Congress was seated in the place of Elliott. Murray was given a round of applause when he came forward to be sworn in. Mr. Elliott is the ninth Democrat unseated by the present - House. The remainder of the day was mainly occupied in debating the case of Martin vs. Lockhart from the Seventh North Carolina district. The Senate amendments to the bill to retire Commander Quackenbush were adopted. The conference report on the bill to pension the widow of the late Senator George Spencer of Alabama was agreed to. Mr. Morgan gave the Senate a spirited, revival of the Cuban question Friday, after which most of the day was spent in waiting for conference agreements on appropriation bills. Mr. Morgan urged the adoption of his resolution calling on .the President for information of the Americans taken on the Competitor and now under sentence of death at Havana. The Senator asserted that the President's inaction was a violation of law. Mr. Morgan declared that Congress should not adjourn without authorizing the President to send, warships to Cuba to demand the release of the American prisoners. On the suggestion of Mr. Sherman, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Senate went into secret session, where, after a further argument by Mr. Morgan, his resolution was placed on the calendar, a parliamentary move equivalent to postponing action. In the House, Mr, Grosvenor called up his resolution requesting the President and the several cabinet officers for a detailed statement of the removals from office since March 3; 1893, and the appointments since that date, together with the number of exsoldiers who have been appointed, promoted, reduced or removed. The resolution was adopted—l 47 to 48. The vote on the contested election case of Martin vs. Loqkhart from the Seventh North Car* olina district Resulted 113 to 5. Mr. Martin came forward and took the oath. The Rmaker-Downing contest from Illinois resulted in favor of Mr. Rinaker.