Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1901 — Congress. [ARTICLE]

Congress.

- First session of the Fifty-seventh Congress opened-at noon Monday. Congressman Henderson was re-elected Speaker of the IJouse of Representatives. Secretary Gage transmitted to Congress his estimates for appropriations needed in 1902. The total is $610,827,688. Threethousand bills w-ere introduced in the House. On Tuesday President Roosevelt’s message was read before both houses. Themessage recommended the enactment of laws to drive anarchists from the comm try, favored reciprocity treaties, a new Department of Commerce and Industries, an effective law governing trusts, and urged immediate action on building the Nicaraguan canal. A bill to punish assassination or attempted assassination of the President and other high government officials was introduced in the House, as well ns a measure extending Chinese exclusion law twenty years. More stringent immigration law was alsoproposed. It was resolved that a joint committee shall decide upon tribute of respect to McKinley. On Wednesday a bill providing for a Philippine tariff was introduced in the Senate by Senator Lodge. The measure provides for the use of the island government of the revenue thus raised. The isthmian canal commission in its report to Congress recommended the Nicaragua route, the cost of a canal being estimated at $189,864,062. Senator Hoar of Massachusetts and Senator Burrows of Michigan proposed bills covering assassination or attempted assassination of the President. A new treaty with England concerning the Nicaraguan canal was laid before the Senate.

On Thursday Senator Hoar suggested establishing an anarchist colony on one of the islands recently acquired by the government, where there shall be neither laws nor rulers aud where the peculiar ideas of the anarchists may be carried out. Full text of the Hay-Pauncefote agreement concerning the Nicaraguan canal was made public by the Senate. United States alone is to control the waterway. A bill was introduced by Senator Lodge for the construction of an executive building for the President’s use. The presidiug officer announced the following Senators us the committee to act with the committee from the House to consider by what token of respect Congress may express its deep sensibility at the death of the late President McKinley: Foraker of Ohio, Allison, Iowa; Fairbanks, Indiana; Kean, New Jersey; Aldrich, Rhode Island; Nelson, Minnesota; Perkins, California; Jones, Arkansas; Morgan, Alabama; Cockrell, Missouri, and -McEnery, Louisiana. On Friday the Senate foreign committee made favorable report on Hay-Paun-cefote treaty, which insures its ratification. The President sent to the Senate names of 2,479 nominees for office. Speaker Henderson in the House announced the appointment of two important committees —ways and means and appropriations. The committees are: Ways and means; Payne, New York; Dalzell, Pennsylvania; Hopkins, Illinois; Grosvenor, Ohio; Russell, Connecticut; Steele, Indiana; Tawney, Minnesota; McCall, Massachusetts; Long, Kansas; Babcock, Wisconsin; Metcalfe, California, Republicans; Richardson, Tennessee; Robertson, Louisiana; Swanson, Virginia; McClellan, New York; Newlands, Nevada; Cooper, Texas, Democrats. Appropriations, Cannon, Illinois; Bingham, Pennsylvania; Hemenway, Indiana; Barney, Wisconsin; Mqody, Massachusetts; Van Voorhis, Ohio; McCleary, Minnesota; Littauer, New York; Brownlow, Tennessee; Gardner, Michigan; Burkett, Nebraska, Republicans; Livingston, Georgia; Mcßae, Arkansas; Bell, Colorad’o; Pierce, Tennessee; Benton, Missouri, and Taylor, Alabama, Democrats. Representative Hepburn of lowa introduced his isthmian canal,bill, which, by reason of.his being the author of the bill passed last year aud his probable continuance at the head of the House commerce comi. 'ltee, is regarded as the measure which will serve as a basis for action by the House. It differs from the Hepburn bill passed last year in making the total appropriation $180,000,000 instead of $140,000,000. Congressman Crumpacker again introduced his bill to reduce Southern representation in Congress.