Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 February 1898 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

Consideration of the Indian appropriation bill was resumed in the Senate on> Friday, and, after being amended to some extent, the measure was passed. The most important amendment was that of- < sered by Mr. Pettigrew, which, if finally enacted, will restore the free homestead: law so far as it relates to Indian lands; ceded to the United States, for which' lands the settlers have been obliged to pay the purchase price paid to the Indians. The bill carries appropriations aggregating nearly $8,000,000. The Senate adjourned until Monday. The House was* not in session. The House during its entire session of Saturday had under consideration the* bill making appropriations for fortifications and coast defenses. Little interest seemed to be manifested iu the proceedings, less than one-half of the members: being present during the session. The bill was passod. s It carries $4,144,912, against $9,517,141-last year. The Senate was not in session. On Monday the House passed the military academy bill with only one important amendment. The debate on the measurewas desultory and tonched a variety of political topics. The bill carries $453,540. being $26,032 less than the amount carried by the current law. The bill to limit the period for the refunding of the certificates of deposit of 1879 to Dec. 31, 1599, was passed. In the Senate Mr. Chandler presented a memorial prepared 1 in 1874 by the late Admiral Worden, who. as a lieutenant in the navy, commanded the Monitor in the historic fight in Hampton Roads between that vessel aud thefronclnd Merriinac. Mr. Chandler said that Admiral Worden conceived the idea that it would be proper for the Government of the United States to pay. to the officers and crew of the Monitor the sum of S2OO each, ip the nature of prize money, but after having prepared the memorial concluded not to present it to Congress; lest his motives might be misconstrued. The Hawaiian question consumed most of the day. « In the Senate on Tuesday Mr. Allew offered as an amendment to the diplomatic and consular appropriation bill a resolution recognizing the belligerency of theCuban insurgents. Mr. Cannon offered » resolution urging the. President to notify , yjpain that if it did not recognize the independence of the Cuban republic before March 4 the United States would recognize the belligerency of the Cubans and within ninety days thereafter would assert the independence of the Cuban republic. Mr. Mason followed with a resolution requesting the President to notify Spain that the Cuban war must cease at once and to declare the intention of the: United States to restore and maintain: peace on the island. The House entered upon consideration of the AldrichPlowman contested election case from thefourth Alabama district. The majority of the committee reported in favor of seating the Republican candidate on the ground of conspiracy, an allegation vigorously denied by Democrats. Mr. Plowman’s plurality on the face of the returns was 2,967. The majority revised the figures so as to give Mr. Aldrich a plurality of 342. Messrs. Taylor of Ohio and Mani> of Illinois spoke for the majority, and 1 Messrs. Fox of Mississippi and Settle of Kentucky for the minority. In the House on Wednesday the Af-drieh-Plowmnn contested election case from the Fourth Alabama District was settled by the passage of a resolution declaring Mr. Aldrich (Rep.), the contestant, entitled to the seat. The vote was on party lines. Cuban debate consumed the whole day in the Senate. Speeches were made by Messrs. Cannon, Masoa and Hale. The House was in a very bad temper Thursday, and the whole session was consumed iu filibustering against two bill* of minor importance—one to issue a duplicate check, and the other to make Rockland, Me., a subport of entry. Neither got further than the engrossment and third reading. Finally, when it became evident that no progress could be madewith the bills presented, an adjournment was taken until Monday. During almost the entire session of the Senate the Indian appropriation bill was under discussion. Tlie reading of the bill was completed, and all of the committee amendments wereadopted. Subsequently several amendments of n minor character were attached to the measure. Mr. Allen of Nebraska enlivened the proceedings a few minutes, before adjournment by making an attack upon Speaker Rped for preventing the ennelment, ns the Nebraska Senator declared, of meritorious legislation, sent to tb~ House of Representatives by the Senate. He denounced the Speaker’s action in this regard as a “disgrace” to Congress and to the American people.