Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 December 1902 — Congress. [ARTICLE]

Congress.

The Senate passed the pension appropriation bill on Wednesday without discussion. It carries $139,847,000. An urgent deficiency bill also was passed.' The amount carried by this bill is sl.148,400, and includes an item of $500,600 to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to stamp out the foot and mouth diseasfe, which has become epidemic in the New England States. The militia bill was up for a short time. At 2 o'clock Mr. Kean (N. J.) called up the resolutions expressing the regret of the Senate at the death of the late Senator Sewell. He spoke feelingly of the lisp and character of the deceased. He was-followed by several other Senators, and as a further mark of respect au adjournment vias taken until Saturday. The Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Governor of Maryland notifying thio House of the presentation by the State of Maryland of the statues of Uharles Carroll of Carrollton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and John Hansen, president of the Continental Congress. These, statues are now in Statuary Hall. A resolution was adopted setting aside Saturday, Jan. 31, after 3 p. m., for the exercises in connection with the acceptance of these statues. The House then resumed the consideration of the legislative appropriation bill. Mr. Bartlett (Ga.) offered an amendment appropriating $250,000 to enable the Attorney General to prosecute the violators of the anti-trust laws. Mr. Hepburn, (Iowa) offered a substitute increasing the amount to $500,000. Mr. Cannon (111.) indorsed the latter amendment. Mr. Hepburn’e amendment was adopted with division. A bill was passed to transfer -the census records from 182 Q to 1900 to the census bureau. There was no session of the Seriate Thursday. In the House the McCall resolution calling upon the Secretary of State for the facts in relnnoii to Hie Venezuelan affair and generally for a statement of the situation in reference to the Monroe Doctrine was passed. The House then, after a great deal of discussion, passed the bill to reduce the du-’ ties on articles the growth and product of the Philippine archipelago, from 75 per cent to 25 per cent of the Dingley rates. Several amendments to the ineas-, ure were voted down in committee of the whole. The pure food bill was thou considered. Mr. Tompkins (Ohio) spoke in favor of the measure and Mr. Adamson (Ga.) against it. Mr. Gardnee (Mass.l opposed , the bill, taking the ground Miflt it would interfere materially with many legitimate industries. After further discussion, and without taking any action on the tall, the House adjourned at 4:35. The Senate held no session Friday. The House passed the pure food bill by a vote of 72 to 21, the point of no quorum not being raised by the opponenfs z ol the measure. Bills were also passed tc make Portal, N. D., a subport of entry for the immediate transportation dutiable goods; for the relief of the Minnif Indians of Indiana; to donate a piece oi ! ground to Challam, Washington, nnd-tc amend the act relating to the location 01. a public building at Muskegon, Mich.

Only twenty-seven Senators were pres ent when the Senate was called to ordei on Saturday. Mr. Allison, of the Senntt conference on the coal strike arbitration bill, presented the report of the confer ence committee. He explained that this Senate amendment fixing n definite suir for the expenses and compensation of th< commission and employes and taking the question of fixing these out of the hands of the President had been retained, but that the Senate conferees had yielded tc the House to the extent of allowing $K per day to the commissioners for expenses instead of $lO as fixed by ths Senate. Tlje report was agreed to. .4 bill authorizing the payment of judg ments amounting to $1,000,000, to be paid on account of the destruction ol property in Hawaii in connection with the fight on the bubonic plague in those Islands in 1899, was passed. The resolution heretofore offered by Mr. Patter son (Colo.) requiring railroad companies to supply to the interstate commerce commission data as to brakes was adopted. Mr. Morgan then addressed the Senate on the question of the isthmian canal. There were not over seventy-five members of the House present to-day. Immediately after convening Mr. Chnnon explained that it was important that the coal strike commission bill and the urgent deficiency bills be finally disposed oi before the* holiday recess. The conference report upon the former, lie. said) was in the Senate, anti he asked that a recess be taken until it was returned from that body. A recess was accordingly taken for twenty minutes. When the House reconvened Mr. Cannon presented the conference report on the coal strike commission bill, nnd the report was adopted Without discussion. The House remained in session until the bill wae enrolled and signed by the Speaker, and then adjourned until Jan. 5, 1903.