Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1906 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE]

CONGRESS

The Senate Monday gave attention to the Panama canal, the situation in San:to Domingo and the merchant marine shipping bill. The canal matter came np in connection with a message from the President transmitting the annual reports of the isthmian canal commission and the Panama Railroad Company, which were referred to the committee on , interoceanic canpls. The Dominican dismaking inquiry of the President concerning the status of affairs in the island republic. Mr. Gallinger opened the debate on the merchant marine shipping hill. JLegislatiaii for the District of .Columbia had tlie right of way under the rules in House and the few bills on the'ealendar from the Distriet,eommittee were disposed of. Mr. Sullivan of Massachusetts then spoke strongly for tariff ■ revision from the. Democratic standpoint, the Philippine tariff bill being up for discussion. The Senate Tuesday adopted two plutions of inquiry. One authorizes an investigation by the committee on interoceanic canals into the general conduct of Panama canal affairs and the other an., inquiry by the finance committee into, the question of the exchange rate on money on the isthmus. The ren«,inder of the open session was devoted to a speech by Mr. Morgan on the railroad rate question, his bill being referred to the-committee on interstate commerce. At 1:30 p. m. the Senate went into executive session-.to .take up Me.- Bacon’s resolution calling on the President for information regarding the attitude of the United States government on the Moroccan question. The Philippine tariff bill was the single topic of consideration in the House. The speeches were nnifnrmly a gains t-the-mea sure and in -gea*.eral allowed to go without answer. The Senate Wednesday disposed of COTftlcferaßTe Triisuie¥s7 about eighty bills" being passed, leaving only six or seven on the calendar. Most of the measures grant private pensions or authorize the construction of' bridges. One favorably acted on appropriated $200,000 for the marking of the graves of Confederate soldiers who died m. northern prisons during the jjCivil. War. Then attention wasgiven to the question of Panama canal salaries, for pure food measure and the merchant marine bill, but without taking action on them. The Senators fought shy es the Moroccan controversy, and when the resolution dealing with the subject was reached on the calendar an ex-~ ecutive session Was taken to avoid discussion. Consideration of the Philippine tariff -bill was continued in the House, Mr. Dalzell (Pa.) speaking for it and Mr. Keifer (Ohio) leading the opposition. The incident of the ejection from the White House offices of Mrs. Minor, Morris was brought up by Mr. Sheppard (Texas). —4n 4he Senate Thursday Mr. Hepburn spoke in support of bis,bill creating a national board for the control of corporations. The message of the President, transmitting the letter of Secretary Taft to him on the subject of Poultney Bigelow’s article on the condition or affairs in Panamn, was received and ordered printed, together with the Bigelow article. Mr. Bacon revived liis Moroccan resolution, and the doors were closed for discussion. It was decided to leave the resolution on the calendar, which virtually ends the incident. The Senate adjourned until Monday. Debate on the Philippine tariff bill occupied the entire session of the House, Messrs. Grosveuor, Williams, Adams and McKinley speaking. Debate on the Philippine tariff bill again occupied the entire attention of the House Friday, and the number of speeches to be offered on this subject resulted in an agreement whereby the discussion was to continue for two days more. The not in session. There was no session in' the Senate Saturday. Nine speeches were made in the House on the Philippine tariff bill, consuming nearly six and one-half hours. At 5:21 the House adjourned until Monday. National Capital Note*. The President has nominated A. O. Marsh as pension agent at Indianapolis. The State Department has received a cablegram from Nicaragua announcing that the Albers brothers, who have been In prison there, have been pardoned by the Nicaraguan government. President Roosevelt, in a letter to Congress transmitting the annual reports of the isthmian canal commission and the Panama Railroad Company, praised the work being done on the big ditch and replied .in a vigorous, manner to hostile critics. Among the nominations seut to the Senate the other day was that flf Logan Tucker of Ulluois, to be n lieutenant in the marine corps. He is a son of Lieut. Col. W. F. Tucker of the pay corps, U. 8. A., and n grandson of Gen. John A. Logan. Representative Fowler -(New Jersey), chairman of the House committee on banking and carreucy, has introduced n bill providiug for the current deposit of public moneys with national banking associations at 2 per cent a year In amounts not exceeding 50 per cent of the paid up nud unimpaired capital of the bank*. The bill also provides that any nation.si bank may issue an amount of national hank notes not exceeding 50 per cent of its unimpaired capital without depositing United States bonds. Secretary Wilson of the Department of Agriculture has asked Congress for an appropriation of $135,000 for -additional inspectors and inicrnsnppist* to facilitate inc reased exports of pork to meet the growing demand abroad. - ' ' The Static 'Department ha* received news from Ban Domingo that ex-Presi-dent Morales has offere»T'to_ resign jf he will be jillowcdito leave the country in safety. This proposition. It is understood, will be accepted. Tbe Dominican congress Ipi* temporarily suspended the constitutional guaranties throughout the republic, ‘-•