Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 February 1903 — CONGERSS [ARTICLE]

CONGERSS

The statehood bill’ again came up jn the Senate Tuesday, and Mr. Morgan spoke on it for some time. He referred to hills regarding trusts, which lie said hare beep kept back, and will lie kept hack until it is too lase for discussion regarding them. Tint lime of the Senate was being wasted on account of what Be termed “a peaceful political blockade” on the statehood bill, when: more important measures were awaiting action. Mr. Hanna presented the conference report ou the Department of Commerce bill, a final vote on it being deferred until Wednesday in order that it might be printed. The conference report on the general staff bill was agreed to. The conference report on the Department of Commerce bill was adopted in the House by a vote of 251 to 10. The remainder q£ the day was devoted to tho sundry civil appropriation hill. A feature of tile' debate -was a speech by Do Arrnond (Mo.) on the Hanna bill to pension ex-slaves. He spoke in a sarcastic vein, but the subject, assumed a serious phase when Mr. Richardson (Tenn.) .paid adventurers iu the South were using the bill to impose on ignorant, credulous negroes, and called on Mr. Cannon to give’ assurance that the passage of such a measure was net contemplated. This Mi. Cannon gave. ; -• . ~ ' ~ r * » , Mr. Ilanna called up the conference report on the Department of Commerce hill iu the Senate on Wednesday, and it was agreed to without debate. Mr. Morgan almost immediately after the! opening of the session resumed bis remarks oil the statehood hill, but branched off on tlie subject of the proposed treaty with Colombia. Mr. Depew spoke in opposition to the statehood bill. Ho did not conclude 'his speech. The Senate then went into executive session and ratified the Alaskan treaty. The House made fair progress with tho sundry civil appropriation hill, covering eighty-six of the 150 pages of tho bill. The amendments for the completion of the east front of the capitol, and tho erection of an office building for members, were adopted, points of order raised against them being overcome by the adoption of a special rule making them in order. By the terms of amendments $500,000 is appropriated for work on the main building of the capitol, and a limit of $2,500,000 is fixed. For a site for a new office building $750,000 is appropriated. The cost of the building is to be $3,100,000. Mr. Grosvenor from the Ways and Moans Committee, called up tho hill to amend tlie Djngley act so as to admit free of duty domestic animals for breeding purposes. It was passed.

With tlie exception of a few minutes, during which some routine business was transacted, tlie session of the Senate Thursday was behind closed doors. After being ill executive session for five hours the Senate adjourned. The House mpde slow progress with the sundry civil bill, covering only twenty-seven pages and leaving forty pages still to be disposed of. Tho delays were occasioned by a rather protracted discussion of the item in tlie hill for the maintenance of the White House, and considerable dehato upon tho item appropriating $3,000,000 for the relief of distress in the Philippines. Mr. Gaines (Ijpni., Tenn.) and Mr. Fitzgerald (Dem.. NY Y.) Criticised the greatly increased cost of maintaining the White House. An amendment to cut irTTialf tlie appropriation for tlie relief of distress in the Philippines was defeated, hut the language of the paragraph was modified to require annual reports of the expenditure of tlie money.

An immense crowd was attracted to the Senate Friday to hear the invocation of Gen. William Booth, founder and commander-in-chief of tho Salvation Army. The resolution of Mr. Morgan calling, for the correspondence of naval officers regarding the military occupation of the bays of Panama and Colon, was agreed to. When the statehood bill came up Mr. Depew resumed his remarks. He attacked the Mormon Church, because, lie said, lie believed its members still cling to the practice of polygamy. Mr. Rawlins replied, saying that if the Mormons were not interfered with they would work out their own destiny. The Elkins bill to prohibit rebates to shippers was passed by the House by a vote of 241 to G, those voting in the negative being Democrats. The remainder of the session was devoted to the sundry civil appropriation bill, which was practically completed. No effort was made to pass it, as there wgs no quorum present.

The Senate listened to the reading of the Indian appropriation Dill on Saturday and spent some time in the consideration of that measure. It was not, however, finally disposed of. The greater part of the remainder of the day was given over to eulogies of late members of the IldWse of Representatives, including Charles Q. Russell of Connecticut, Joshua 8, Salmon of New Jersey, Amos J. Cummings of New York, and It. O. Crump of Michigan. The House passed the sundry civil bill, nud then broke all records in the matter of private pension legislation. It was llie last opportunity of passing pension bills at this session, and the calendar was cleared, not only of House but of Senate bills, 325 in all being passed. Three hundred and twelve is the highest previous record, made in the Fifty-first Congress.