Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 May 1900 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CONGRESS

On Monday the Senate began a twodays’ debate on the right of M. S. Quay to a seat as a Senator from Pennsylvania. Speeches in favor of seating Quay were made by Chandler, Kenney and Penrose. Those speaking in opposition were Platt of Connecticut and Quarles. The House entered into general debate upon the postoffice appropriation bill. The minority dissented from the provisions relating tn extension of the pneumatic tube service, special fast mail facilities and. the cost of railroad transportation. The Senate on Tuesday by a vote of 33 to 32 refused to seat Air. Quay. Passed the bill in the interests o.f northwestern lumbermen, authorizing the Secretary of War to make regti lati on s govern ing the running of loose logs, steamboats and. rafts on certain rivers. The House passed the Senate Foraker resolution to provide for the continuation, in office of tlie present military administration in Porto Rico, with amendments providing that franchises shall lie approved by the President and placing certain restrictions upon charters, corporations, etc. Amended postofflee appropriation bill so as to authorize the employment of temporary clerks in first-class offices at 25 cents an hour; also adopted an amendment providing for extra compeiisation for letter carriers when they work in excess of fortyeight hours a week, work on legal holidays to be counted as eight hours. On Wednesday the Senate agreed to the conference report on tile Hawaiian civil government bill, the provisions relating to the right of franchise and imprisonment for debt having been amended to conform to the ideas of tlie Senate. The agricultural appropriation bill was passed. carrying a,little over $3,000,000. The Alaskan civil government bill was under consideration for an hour, but no progress was made. Air. Platt (N.-Y.) moved into Air. Quay’s old seat. The House considered the postoffice appropriation bill, and after long debate struck out the entire appropriation for pneumatic tube service. In tlie Senate on Thursday almost theentire session was devoted to consider.ition of the right of Nathan B. Scott .of West Virginia -to retain his sent in tlie Senate. Mr. Pettus (Ala.), who aloneof the member of the eofmnittee on privileges and elections is opposed to the claim of Air. Scott to a seat, made an elaborate argulhent to sustain his views. Air. Morgan (Ala.) spoke in favor of his eolleague’s contention. Ali-. MeCgjim® (Aid.). Air. Turley (Tenn.), Air. Chandler (N. H.l.jAlr. Teller (Colo.), and Mr. Allen (Neb.) supported the resolution declaring Air. Scott entitled to his seat. The ease went, over without action. The House after fywrMays’ discussion, passed the postoffiee approjirialjon bill. The attempt to strike out the SI9(>,O(JO for special mail facilities from New York to New Orleans and from Kansas City to Newton,, Kan., vjis defeated. The amendment providing for pneumatic tube service was de seated. The one allowing extra compensation so? letter carriers for work in excess of forty-eight hours a week was adopted by a big majority. The bill to increase the salary of the director of census to $7,500 and the salaries of super--visors of census by 2 per cent, of tinamount received by their enumeratorwas passed. The final conference report’ on the Hawaiian government' bill was presented, but iiyt acted upon, owing lithe absence of :t quorum. The Senale by a vote of 52 to 3 deeid ed on Friday that Air. Scott was entitled to his seat, thus upholding the precc dent that the Senate had no right to g-» behind the action of Legislatures in eases’similar to the West Virgihia eon test. Air. ('handler gave notice that, on Wednesday lie would call up the Clark -JMHliesLx’Eta. House broke all records bx passing ninety-one private pension bill-, among them being one granting S4O a month to the widow of Col. John Al. Stbtsmtberg of the First Nebraska, killed in the Philippines. Adopted (hi 1 conference renort on the Hawaiian government bill and sent it to the President. On Saturday in the Senate Air. Pettigrew asked immediate consideration of a resolution extending sympathy at.d hopes for Success to tlie Boers in their war with Great Britain. A motion to re for tin- resoluTionTivThe comiiiltree on for-“ eign relations was carried by 31 to 11 Efforts to secure a quorum failed, and the resolution remains subject to call at any , time. A rosohitibn was adopted providing that the exercises appropriate to lhe reception ni.d acceptance from tlie Grand Army of the Republic of the statue of Gen. I lysses S. Grant, Io be (‘reeled in. the eapilol. be made the special order for Satiird.-iy, .May 19, nt 4p. m. The following bills were jiassed: Fort he establishment, control, operation and inaintemince of the northern branch of the National Home for Disabled A’olunteer Soldiers, at Hot Springs, in South Dakota, and appropriating $150,000 for the purpose. 'l,'he House passed a number of bills of ini port a nee. and the major portion of the session was devoted to tlie Senate bill to create a commission ‘to adjudicate the claims of citizens of the United States against Spain, assumed by this country by the treaty of Paris. Tile bill was final • ly recommit ted to the committee on war claims, with instructions to report back a bill to refer tlie claims to the court of claims. T,h<‘,Senate bills to recognize tin.services of LieufX\'ewcomb and the officers and men of the revenue cubter I Ind sou. which rescued the torpedo boat Winslow at (‘arnedas, Uuba, by conferring gold mid silver medals upon them and to retire Captain Hodgsdon of the revenue cutter Hugh Alet'ullocli, for meritorious sei vices, were passed.