Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1900 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

Speeches were made in the Senate on Monday on the financial bill by Messrs. Wolcott, Elkins and Butler. Mr. Allen’s resolution introduced Saturday expressing sympathy with the Boers went over without losing its place. A large number of unimportant bills were passed. The House passed the bill to permit transit through the United States of goods in bond without the payment of duties; also private pension bills favorably acted upon, at Friday night’s session, and in District of Columbia legislation. On Tuesday the Senate heard Mr. Attison in support of the financial blit, aud Mr. Jones of Nevada in opposition thereto. Passed bill appropriating $150,QOlfeio enlarge public building at Portland, Ore. The House passed bill increasing limit of cost of new Government printing office by $429,000 on account of rise in prices of building material.' The Senate on Wednesday by a vote of 45 to 25 rejected ail amendment to the financial bill, offered by Mr. Chandler, authorizing the President to appoint commissioners, to any future international bimetallic conference. Devoted tile re A of the day to debate on the Aldrich amendment providing that the provisions of the bill are not intended to place any obstacles in the way of international bimetallism. The House debated the legislative* executive and judicial appropriation bill, the arguments assuming a political tinge. The feature was a sharp colloquy between Messrs. Banholdt, Benton and PCarce, all of Missouri, on the Nesbitt election law in that State. "On Thursday the Senate passed the Senate substitute for the House currency bill by a vote of 4(5 to 29. Made the Hawaiian bill unfinished business, giving it right of way. The House completed twenty-six bf the 124 pages of the legislative, executive and judicial appropriation bill without amendment. During the general debate Mr. Boutoll (Ill.), Mr. Miers (Ind.) and Mr. Showalter (Pa.) discussed the Philippine question; Mr. Grosvenor (Ohio) and Mr. Gillette (Mass.) civil service reform, Mr. Driggs (N. Y.) pensions, and Mr, Underwood (Ala.) his resolution to repeal the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution. The Senate on Friday resumed discussion of she Philippine question. Mr. MeEnery strougiy opposed permanent acquisition of the islands aud believed United States ought to relinquish them as soon as authority of this country had been asserted. Mr. Stewart took pronounced position in favor of admission of the products of any of the island possessions of the United States free of duty. Hawaiian bill was read, but nothing was done with it/ The House by a vote of 75 to (57, in committee of the whole, struck out from legislative appropriation bill all provision for civil servivee com-mission.—-A-etktn-regai'ded-as-anmtal-jofee, as item will probably be restored in open session when members have to go on record on roll call. Rest of the time devoted to assertions by Mr. Sims (Deni,, Tenn.) that northern volunteer soldiers in Spanish war were much more clamorous for pensions than the southern ones, and attributing this to the debauching of public sentiment in the North on the pension question. Mr. Pearre (Rep., Md.) raised the storm by stating that hundreds of Massachusetts soldiers who never smelled powder had applied for pensions. This brought out an indignnnt' reply from Mr. Fitzgerald (Dem., Mass.), who detailed the record of the Massachusetts volunteers. He was followed by others, who defended the soldiers from their several States. Mr. Hepburn (Iowa) especially assailed Mr. Sims. The Senate held no session on Saturday. The House passed the legislative, executive and judicial appropriation bill. The civil service appropriation, stricken out in committee of the whole, was restored to the bill by a vote of 77 to 125.