Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 137, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1903 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE]

CONGRESS

Panama and Cuba engaged the attention of the Senate Monday. Mr. Hale moved to reconsider the vote by which the Newland joint resolution for the annexation of Cuba was referred to a committee. and several speeches were made on the motion without disposing pf it Messrs. Hale, Lodge and Platt (Conn.) disavowed any desire on the part-of. the United States to acquire Cuba ,and expressed regret that the resolution had been introduced. Mr. Newlands defended the measure .as—presenting a neutral solution of 'the problem of the relationship between the two countries. The Panama question came up in connection with the announcement of reorganization of committees, Mr. Morgan (Dem., Ala.) Being relieved from the chairmanship of the committee on interoceanic canals. Before the order went into effect Mr. Morgan discussed the entire canal question, with liberal criticism of the president sos his course. He had hot concluded when the Senate adjourned. In executive session several appointments of postmasters, consuls at minor points and promotions in the army were confirmed. On motiou of Mr. Allison, Rev. J. F. Prettyman was appointed chaplain of the Senate., for the present session. Mr. Cullom presented the report of the committee on foreign relations on the bill to put into effect the Cuban reciprocity treaty and it went to the calendar. Mr. Cullom also presented an agreement that the Cuban reciprocity bill shall be takeq up on the convening of the regular session oP Congress, Dec. 7, and remain the order of business each day after the routine morning business until the 16th, on which date a vote shall be taken, the time on the 15th and 16th to be equally divided between the friends and opponents of the bill. The. agreement was accepted without dissent.

The Panama Canal question was the principal topic before the Senate Tuesday, and Senator Morgan continued his argument against the proposition. . He asserted that President McKinley favored the Nicaragua route, and declared the present situation due to the present President’s ambition to have a unique administration. The statement regarding McKinley was disputed by Senator Hanna, who said the late President had no personal choice. An invitation from the Governor of Louisiana, asking the Senate to attend the celebration of the one hundredthd anniversay of the transfer of Louisiana Territory to the United States, was presented. The -question of whether concurrent resolutions of Congress required the nproval of the President was discussed without decision. ( “• •*

The Senate on Wednesday completed the appointment of committees for the Fifty-eighth Congress, adopted the motion providing for the reconsideration of tho vote by which the Newlands joint resolution for the annexation of Cuba was referred to committee, and made the Cuban reciprocity bill the unfinished business. The first speech on the merits of the Cuban bill was made by Mr. Carmack (Dem., Tenn.), who opposed the bill and said nothing less than general tariff revision would give the relief needed. There was further debate between Mr. Hale (Rep., Me.), Mr. Teller (Dem., Colo.) and Mr. Newlands on the Newlands resolution, in which Mr. Newlands further outlined his views and Mr. Hale deprecated all agitation on the subject. Mr. Teller declared Cuba was in no sense a dependency of the United States. The House was not in session.

After a brief session the Senate adjourned Friday until the next Tuesday. The business was confined nlmost exclusively to the introduction of relief bills. Senator Daniel introduced a bill appropriating $5,000,000 for the of a patent office east of the capitol, the site to cost $600,000. The Cuban reciprocity bill was laid before the Senate, but as no one expressed a desire to speak upon it Mr. Cullom at 12:22 p. m. moved an executive session, and three minutes afterward the Senate adjourned. When House convened a message from the President transmitting correspondence relative to Pnhnma additional to'that forwarded to the House in response to a resolution was received. _ '''Mr.* Payne (N: Y.), the Republican floor leader, then moved that when the House adjourn it be until the next Tuesday; Thereupon Mr. Williams (Miss.), the minority leader, and Mr. De Armond (Pem., Mo.) twitted the'majority upon dilatory tactics and asked for a definite statement of party policy. In the course of his reply Mr. Payne said the Republicans would hardly care to take up the question of tariff revision and disturb conditions on ■ tlic eve of a presidential campaign. He also said tite time was not opportune to consider Reciprocity with Canada. There was a party alignment on the vote adopting the motion to ndjourn over, the Democrats roting against It, the vote being 81 to 63. Mr. Bartholdt (Rep., Mo.) by unanimous consent spoke briefly of Hie progress upou the St. Louis exposition. Mr. Patterson (Dem., Teun.) introduced a bill to abolish slavery iu the Philippine archipelago and to nbrognte the trenty with the Sultan of Sulu. Mr. Hepburn (Rep., Iowa) introduced the pure food hill which was reported to tho Inst Congress by the com* mitteo on interstate and foreign coni, merce. Mr. Parker (Ifep., *N. J.) intro* duced a bill providing for a national mill* tnry park commission to consist of five Civil War veterans and two from the Confederate army and a bill restoring the army canteen. Mr. Tnwney (Rep., Minn.) Introduced n bill providing a special copy, right procedure for the piPtection of for* eign art nnd literary exhibits and musical works at the St. Louis exposition.