Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 78, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 May 1902 — COnGRESS. [ARTICLE]

COnGRESS.

The conference report on the omaibus claims bill {was adopted by the Senate Monday. As passed by the House the bill aggregated $213,105. The net increase’made by the Senate was $2,929,252. The conference report shows the House agreed to $1,405,393 of the amount added by the Senate; so the amount carried by the measure as agreed to is $1,618,498. Mr. Dolliver spoke at length in support of the Philippine bill. The House passed the naval appropriation bill with several amendments. The |jill.limiting the hours of daily service on government work to eight hours was passed under suspension of the rules, as was a House joint resolution fixing'Dec. 31.'1902, as the date when entries under the mining laws of the United States of certain lands in the Spokane (Wash.l Indian reservation shall take effect. A Senate bill providing for the erection of the northern branch of the National Home for Disabled Soldiers at Hot Springs, S. D.. was also passed. The Senate devoted Tuesday to discussion of the Philippine question. The usual executive session preceded adjournment. In the House the conference re* port on the omnibus claims bill was agreed to. thus- passing the measure. A bill amending the passport law was passed. The remainder of the day was devoted to private claims bills. Before consideration of the Philippine ■ bill was resumed on Wednesday a resolution was adopted by the Senate congratulating the republic of Cuba on its entry into the family of independent nations, and the Secretary of State was directed to transmit the resolution to the president of the new republic. Mr. Wellington opposed the pending Philippine measure and said the action of the United States in the islands was indefensible. The conference report on the agricultural appropriation bill was agreed to. In the House consideration of the immigration bill was begun. The principal speech was by Mr. Shattuc (Ohio), chairman of the committee on immigration. The resolutions seating Charles R. Thomas, from, the Third North Carolina.. District; Emmett Tompkins from the Twelfth Ohio District, whose seat was contested by John J. Lentz, and confirming the right of Mr. Rhea of the Ninth Virginia District were adopted. Bills were passed authorizing the erection of buildings by the international committee of the Y. M. C. A. on military reservations of the United States; authorizing the sale of a part of the Fort Niobrara military reservation In Nebraska, and regulating commutation for good conduct for United States prisoners. The Senate devoted Thursday to discussion of the Philippine question. In the House discussion. of the immigration bill was resumed. Almost the entire day was taken up with the amendment offered by Mr. Underwood (Ala.) requiring an educational test for immigrants to this country. It was finally adopted, as were amendments exempting citizens of Cuba, as in the case of Canada and Mexico, from the payment of the $1.50. tax. •The bill was then laid aside until the next week. The Senate amendments to the omnibus public building bill were disagreed to aud the bill went to conference. ( A temperate and carefully prepared speech on the Philippine bill was delivered by Mr. Dubois in the Senate on Friday. Hp confined himself almost entirely to a discussion of the commercial and industrial aspects of the question, his purpose being to show that it would be a disadvantage to the people of this country to retain the islands. An extra appropriation bill, carrying SIBO,OOO and chiefly for the Navy and Interior Departments, was passed, as was one providing for the appointment of James W. Long on the retired list of the army as a captain of infantry. In the House the day was devoted to private pension bills and to a few other minor measures. Mr. Loud (Cal.) criticised the special pension legislation as a disgrace and drew emphatic responses from Messrs, bulloway (N. H.l. Sulzer (N. Y.i and Miors (Ind.). In all 103 private pension bitts were passed.