Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 60, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1898 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

In thq House on Tuesday the naval appropriation bill was reported, but as it hack not been printed the contested election case of Thorpe versus Eppes, from the fourth Virginia district, was taken up and debated until 4 o’clock, when, owiDg tothe illness of Mr. Rhea of Kentucky, who was to have spoken ih the afternoon, the House adjourned. In the Senate tfie quarantine bill was further debated. Mr. ' Carter of the Committee on Territories called up the measure reported by him making further provisions for a civil government of Alaska, and addressed the Senate at length Upon it, M,r, Gallinger, who recently returned from a trip to Cuba, announced that he would briefly address the Senate upon his observations in Cuba. Mr. Foraker presented the credentials of his colleague, Mr. Hanna, for the term as United States Senator covering six years from March 4, 1599. The credentials were read nnd ordered filed. Among the bills passed was that to raise the age of protection for girls in the District of Columbia and the territories to 18 years. In the House on Wednesday R. T. Thorp was given the seat from the fourth Virginia district. Sidney P. Epes, who obtained the certificate of election, was a strict party vote. The Republicans without a break voted for Thorp, and the Democrats and Populists, with the exception of Mr. Howard of Alabama, a Populist, voted for Epes. Mr. Thorp contested the seat of Mr. Kenney in the last Congress and was seated. The Republican majority in the House, which was 52 when the House convened last summer, is now 54. In the Senate the bill for the relief of the Maine victims was passed without debate. Senator Gallinger related his observations in Cuba. The Senate then resumed consideration of the bill making further provision for a eivil government in Alaska, and later took up the national quarantine bill. Its consideration had not been concluded when the Senate adjourned. Debate on the naval appropriation bill consumed the day in the House on Thursday. Adjourned until Friday. In the Senate Mr. Thurston in a thrilling speech told what lie saw in Cuba. A number of bills on the calendar were passed. Mr. Bate presented resolutions in memory of the late Senator Isham G. Harris of Tennessee, and eulogies were delivered by Mr. Bate, Mr. Morrill (Vermont), Mr. Morgan (Alabama). Mr. Hoar ' (Massachusetts), Mr. Walthall (Mississippi), Mr. Hawley (Connecticut), Mr. Cockrell (Missouri), Mr. Stewart (Nevada), Mr. Chilton (Texas) and Mr. Turley (Tennessee). The Senate adjourned until Monday. Friday in the House was spent in consideration of the navnl appropriation bill. There was much filibustering and only four pages of the bill were gone over. Adjourned until Saturday. The Senate was qot in session. The House spent Saturday in consideration of the naval appropriation bill. A strong effort was made duripg the day to increase the appropriation for the naval reserves, but it failed. Another effort to have the government uniform the naval militia also failed. The main contest of the day was over a proposition to decrease the number of timber dry docks authorized by the bill from fonr to three. It led Mr. Cannon, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, who made (lie motion, to discuss the whole question of war preparations and to inveigh against undue extravagance. He was voted down—7B to 107. An amendment was adopted to permit the Secretary of the Navy to use any portion of Michigan’s naval militia fund to repair the damage to the Yantie. A message from President McKinley, outlining the findings Maine board of inquiry, was sent to the House on Monday. After being read it was promptly referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Mr. Walker of Massachusetts announced the death of his colleague, Mr. Simpkins, and nfttved that the House adjourn out of respect to his memory. This was done, and Speaker Reed appointed four members of the Foreign Relations Committee, to which the Maine report had been referred, to attend the funeral. In the Senate the President’s message and the report of the board of inquiry were both read, after which the Senate adjourned.