Rensselaer Republican, Volume 28, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1896 — CONGRESS IN ACTION. [ARTICLE]

CONGRESS IN ACTION.

b6th houses convene, with THE GALLERIES PACKED. Diplomatic Representatives of Other Nations Amonc Those Who Attend the Opening Ceremonies—Reading of President’s Message. Solons Reassemble. Washington correspondence: The reassembling 'of Congress for the closing session of the Fifty-fourth Congress was, an occasion of unusual brffliapcy and interest. The opening day is always a gala affair, marking as it does the official inauguration of the social as well as the political season in Washington, but Monday it was all the njflre interesting because of the long and hard fought political battle that had been waged during the recess. Proceedings of the Senate. The Senate began the second session of the Fifty-fourth Congress with crowded galleries and with that accompaniment of activity and of greeting that usually attends the reassembling bi Congress. But the upper branch of Congress never puts aside its dignity, nn(J the meeting developed no demonstrations of dramatic incidents. The reading of the President’s message mas ilia lea I u ‘the-■ proceed! ugs, ami no attempt was made to enter upon the "business the {session. Proceedings of the House. While the scenes attending the opening' of the House were both brilliiViit and iuterestingjin the crowds that thronged the galleries and the conspicuous personages present, the proceedings themselves were dull and spiritless,' being distinctively routine. The House met, the chaplain invoked the divine blessing on the work of the session, the roll was called, a committee cbiVkisting of Mr. Cannon of Illinois, Mr. Payne of New York and Mr. Turner of Georgia was appointed to wait pn the President and the latter’s annual communication” was read.

Before the Tuesday session closed the House had passed three bills and the first of the regular supply bills—-that for pensions. One of the hills provided for the use of private mailing cards of the same general size a»d character as the present postal cards, when 1 cept stamps are affixed. Another provided for limited indemnity of $lO for the loss of registered mail matter"and the third provided that on the appiicatjpß of twenty persons receiving their mail at the same -office the postmaster appoint- such persons as are willing to undertake the collection and , delivery of mails at the charge not to exceed ! cent for each letter, and that the charge shall be paid by the beneficiaries. The pension hill carries $141,203,880, about $75,000 less than the law for the current year. The notice of the opening of a Cuban discussion was about tlie only feature of interest developed at tlie brief session of the Senate. In tlie Senate Wednesday the prayer of Rev. Dr. Milburn made eloquent reference to the late Charles F. Crisp of (JJeor-gia-t-“A man faithful and loyal in all his relations and fa-ithful servant of the people; may his name be graven on the tablet of the nation’s memory.” Early in the •day three sets of vigorous resolutions for Cuban independerfee furnished an interacting feature. The Senate.by a vote of 35 to 21 adopted a motion 10-take up the Dingley tariff-silver bill. The House pr.ssed a dozen billls of minor importance. The House also agreed to the Senate aniehdmeht approving certain acts of the Legislature of New Mexico for the issue of bonds, so as to ’validate $172,500 of Santa Fe County. The Senate -Thursday -took—up—the immigrntion bill, and also hoard the first of the .speeches on Cuba- -those of Mr. Cnllom and Mr. Call. The immigration bill was not finally passed upon, but the Senate agreed to the Lodge bill as a substitute to the House measure. The substitute requires that all immigrants over the age of 14 years shall be able to read' and Write their native language and shall be required to read and write in the presence of a United States official at least five lines of the United States Constitution, The Senate adjourned.to Monday. Pending the preparation of the next appropriation bill the House again devoted its time to the consideration of bills on the calendar, but only two were passed during the four hours’ session. One of these was a copyright bill, urged by prominent playwrights and theatrical managers to secure to musical compositions the same measure of protection under the copyright law as is now afforded productions of a strictly dramatic character, A bill to prohibit the sale of liquor in the capitol building was also passed. A bill to modify tlie law forbidding the alien ownership of lands jn the territories so as to give aliens the right to acquire under mortgage and to hold for ten years real property was defeated. In the House Friday Rev. Mr. Cowden, the blind chaplain, referred in his invocntipn to the action of the,, House in prohibiting the sale of liquor in the Cayitol. “We thank Tliee. O Lord,” said he, “that the House is no longer responsible for, the liquor traffic within the halls of the national Capitol. Grant, we pray Th.ee, that the bill passed here yesterday will go through the regular channels and speedily become a lnw, never again to be repealed in the history of our ■nation.’* At the conclusion of the prayer, half a hundred members applauded vigorously, but Speaker Reed promptly suppressed the outburst. On motion of Mr. Dingley, the floor leader, it was agreed that when the House adjourn it be to meet Monday. The joint resolution extending until the close of this session the time in which the joint commission for the investigation of the subjpet of the rehate of the tax on alcohol used in manufactures or arts may report was adopted.