Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1899 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

Little business except that of a routine character was transacted by the Senate on Thursday. A resolution offered by 'Mr. Hoar of Massachusetts directing the Committee on Foreign Relations to report to the Senate whether the treaty of Paris makes any provision for the claims of citizens of the United States against Spain which were in existence before the present war, a.nd the status of such claims after the ratification of the treaty, was adopted. Mr. Caffery of Louisiana continued and practically concluded his speech begun before the holiday recess in opposition to the pending Nicaragua canal bill. Bills were passed to ratify agreements with the Lower Brule and Rose Bud reservation Indians, to grant California 5 per cent of the net proceeds of cash sales of public lands in the State and classifying clerks in first and second class postoffices. The Judiciary Committee had the right of way in the House for three hours and the following bills of minor importance reported from the committee were passed: To provide additional circuit judges for the third and sixth judicial districts; to regulate the terms of court in the eastern district of Tennessee and the district of Butte, Mont.; to retire Cassius S. Foster, United States district judge of Kansas; to amend the Revised Statutes so as to allow the United States five peremptory challenges in criminal cases; to permit ship owners to file indemnity bonds; to allow legally appointed guardians of insane persons to prosecute patent claims and to release the International Cotton Press Company of New Orleans from liability for $3,480 of internal revenue taxes Immediately after the Senate convened on Friday the resolution offered the previous day by Mr. Hoar of Massachusetts, calling on the President for information as to the instructions of the commissioners who negotiated the treaty of Paris, together with all correspondence and reports relating io their work, was laid before the Senate. Chairman Davis, one of the commissioners, desired that it be referred to the Foreign Relations Committee, but Mr. Hoar insisted that the Senate had as much right to such information as the members of the Foreign Relations Committee, and that the President should determine whether the Senate should have it. The resolution in secret session. In support of the resolution offered by Mr. Vest of Missouri, in opposition to expansion, Mr. Caffery of Louisiana delivered an extended speech. The anti-civil service reformers scored a victory in the House. The legislative, executive and judicial appropriation bill was taken up for consideration and when the appropriation for the civil service commission was reached Mr. Evans (Rep.) of Kentucky made a motion to strike it out. The motion to strike out; carried by a narrow majority, 67 to 61. During general debate on the bill Mr. Swanson, (Dem.) of Virginia delivered a speech on, anti-imperialism. On Saturday the House, in committee of the whole, resumed consideration of the bill making appropriation for the legislative, executive and judicial expenses of the Government for the year ending June 30, 1900. On a point of order made by Mr. Dockery (Dem., Mo.) a paragraph appropriating $12,000 for making a series of charts of the coasts and harbors of the Philippines was stricken from the bill. In the Senate the District of Columbia appropriation bill was taken up. As passed by the House, the bill appropriated $6,360,000, as against estimates of $9,230,000. As reported by the Senate Committee on Appropriations, it appropriates $7,251.905. The appropriation for the current fiscal year was $6,426,880. The House bill granting extra pay upon mus-ter-out to officers and enlisted men of the United States volunteers was taken up. and passed without amendment. The Senate then went into executive session, and afterward adjourned. In the Senate on Monday Mr. Hoar of Massachusetts made a strong speech against territorial expansion. Mr. Platt of New York replied. The Nicaragua Canal bill was then taken up and Mr. Caffery continued his speech in opposition to it. Messrs. Bacon, Money and Chilton engaged in a general discussion of the binding power of treaties in general. The House reversed the decision of the committee of the whole last Friday, when the appropriation for the support of the civil service commission was stricken out of the legislative, executive and judicial appropriation bill. The House by special order decided to proceed with the consideration of the naval personnel bill as soon as the bill for the codification of the laws of Alaska was out of the way. About seventy additional pages of the latter bill were covered.