Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1899 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

Not since the stirring days liefore the declaration of war last spring has the House witnessed such an exhibition of excitement and such scenes of unbounded enthusiasm as occurred on Wednesday when the two Republicans, Mr. Johnson, the Indiana member, and Mr. Dolliver of lowa, locked horns on the question of expansion. The army bill was under debate. At the night session Mr. Crumpacker (Rep., Ind.) supported the bill and advocated annexation. Mr. Rixoy (Dem.. Va.) opposed the bill. Mr. Linney (Rep.. N. C.) supported the bill. Only a brief time was occupied by the Senate in open session. Mr. Hale, chairman of the Committee 911 Naval Affairs, reported the naval personnel hill and gave notice that at the earliest time possible he would call it up consideration. Mr. Cullom (Ill.) reported the legislative appropriation bill. Mr. Chandler (N. H.) introduced a bill temporarily creating the office Qf admiral of the navy. It was referred to the Naval Affairs Committee. A senate bill providing for the erection of a building in Washington for the department of justice at a cost of $1,000,000 was passed. As the Senate seemingly was about to conclude consideration of the pension appropriation bill late Thursday afternoon, Mr. Butler (Pop., N. C.') offered his amendment, announced some time ago, providing for the pensioning of cx-Con-federate soldiers. Upon this he took thefioor and delivered a speech, in which he defended the course of the South in the civil war, The executive session of the* Senate was consumed in discussion of the failure of the President so far to send to the Senate the documents in his possession and on file in'the State Department bearing upon the Paris conference. The feature of the third day of the debate upon the bill for the reorganization and increase of the regular army was an hour’s speech by Mr. Grosvenor of Ohio. The other speakers were Messrs. Bromwell (Rep., O.), Stewart (Rep., N. J.), Tongue (Rep., Ore.), in support of the bill;. Messrs. Dinsmore (Dem., Ark.), Jett (Dem., 111.), Mcßae (Dem., Ark.), Simms (Dem., Tenn ), in opposition to it, and Mr. Marsh (Rep., Ill.), in favor of the bilL with certain modifications. The opposition to the army reorganization bill on the Republican side of the House had become so strong that on Friday Chairman Hull, after Mr. Henderson of lowa, one of the floor leaders of the majority, hnd threatened to vote to recommit the bill, decided it would be wise, in order to secure its passage, to abandon the idea of providing directly for a regular army of 100,000 Speeches were made by Congressmen Henderson (Iowa), Prince (Illinois), Cousins (Iowa), Hull, and Robinson (Ind.). This ended the general debate, and several amendments were considered. At 5 o’clock the House recessed until 8, the evening session being devoted to private pension legislation. Particular interest was manifested in the Senate in a brief speech delivered by Senator T. C. Platt of New York on the general subject of expansion. Under the arrangement concluded the previous evening consideration of the pension appropriation bill was resumed, Mr. Gorman ol Maryland submitting some remarks upou it. Mr. Perkins of California, in charge of the measure, replied briefly to Mr. Gor man. The pension bill was then passed: The day’s session closed with eulogies ol* the late Representative Cooke of Illinois. The Senate continued the consideration ol the peace treaty in executive session, th* doors being closed for almost three hours The House on Saturday continued thi consideration of the army reorganizatioi bill until 2 o’clock, when the member, paid their tributes to the memory of th< late Representative Simpkins of Massachusetts. Very little progress was made with the array hill. The time before the eulogies began was chiefly devoted to a continuation of the debate on bility of retaining (lip Philippines. A spirited debate was precipitated in the Senate while the diplomatic and consular appropriation bill was under consideration. The Appropriations Committee was sharply criticised for not providing adequate salaries for some of the consularofficers and secretaries of legations of this Government in foreign countries, and theparsimony of the nation in this respect was denounced as a disgrace. The bill, which appropriates $1,710,533, was finally passed. A bill amending the law rolatingto the apportionment nnd election of representatives in Congress so ns to permit the use of voting machines was passed. The House put in a hard day’s work on the army bill Monday, and when it adjourned thirteen of the twenty pages had been completed. Much of the time was, occupied in short speeches on the general proposition to increase the army and nntex the Philippines, and there were sevral lively personal controversies. At the opening of the session of the House' Mr. Hopkins (Rest., Ill.) reported the census, bill and gave notice that he would call it up the next Monday. An effort on the part of Mr. Allison to obtain consideration in the Senate for the Indian appropriation bill precipitated a running debate,, which occupied all the time until the Senate, at 2 o’clock, went into executive session on the peace treaty. The President sent to the Senate correspondence on filein the State Department bearing upon thepeace treaty, and it was read in the executive session.