Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1906 — CONGRESS [ARTICLE]

CONGRESS

In the Senate Mondf.y Senator Tillman reported the Hepburn railroad rate bill. Senator Aldrich made a brief statement of the position of, the five Republicans who opposed it in committee. Mr. Cul-be-sen moved that his own bill on the subject be substituted for the Hepburn measure, and it was ordered printed and bi in ou the table until the rate bill m taken up. Mr. Clapp called up the WIL , to dispose of the affairs of the fivecivitized tribes in Indian Territory, and it was tfiscussed at length. Mr. Dick, in ' the afternoon, occupied the floor, speaking l in behalf of the statehood bill. A number of bills of local importance were passed, including one for the erection of pt $75,000 public build'ffig at Alton, 111. * Legislation for the District of Columbia occupied the first hour of the House session, eight local bills being passed. Two hours of hot debate on the question of allowing the incorporation of the Lake Erie and Ohio River Ship Canal Company followed, but the matter did-not come to a vote. The Senatg Tuesday agreed to vote on the statehood bill Friday, March 9. Mr. Hopkins made a in support of tne measure. The remainder of the day was devoted to a discussion of the bill providing for the settlement of the affairs of the five civilized tribes of Indians, the greater part of the time being given to the provision for the disposal of the coal iands in Indian Territory. A bill was passed extending the time allowed to the Kensington and Eastern Railroad Company for the construction of a bridge across the Calumet river in Illinois. Military matters held the attention of the House, the army appropriation bill being under consideration for amendment. 1 hat Gens. Corbin and MacArthur might become lieutenant generals_ the provision abolishing that rank was eliminated. Only eight of the fifty pages of the bill were passed upon. The Dalzell bill chartering the Lake Erie and Ohio Ship Canal Company, with an authorized capital of SOO,000, was passed. A resolution of inquiry aimed at the State Department was ordered canceled and destroyed, as Mr. Van (Nevada), by whom it was purported to have been introduced, repudiated it.

Senator Foraker’s speech opposing railway rate legislation occupied three hours of the session of the Senate Wednesday. A further discussion of the railroad land grant in Indian Territory followed, with the result that a resolution was passed extending the tribal government of the five civilized tribes until March 4, 1907. An executive session was had at 4 :15 p. tn., but the doors were reopened ten minutes later and the remainder of the day was devoted to the passage of private pension bills. The army appropriation occupied the attention of the House, but its consideration was not completed. The discussion was marked by a controversy between the members of the appropriations and military, committees over the amounts carried in the bill, and honors were about evenly divided. A proposed amendment to pay ?;>,OOO each to the widows of two San Francisco firemen who lost their lives in the recent fire on the transport Meade was ruled out of order. Provision for more than 300 clerks employed in the staff aud at army division headauarters also went out when it was shown that there was no authority in law for their employment. A resolution was adopted calling on the Postmaster General for all information on which he based his order withholding the rights and privileges of the mails from* the People's United States Bank of St. Louis. The discussion of the railroad rate question was continued in the Senate Thursday by Mr. Dolliver, who spoke in support of the Dolliver-Hepburn bill. The remainder of the session was devoted to the bill providing for the settlement of the affairs of the five civilized tribes of Indians after the termination of their tribal relations. No action was taken. The House passed the army appropriation bill, carrying about $09,000,000. Provision for a cable ship for the Atlantic coast and for a ship for wie planting on the Pacific was eliminated ou points of order. The powder trust came in for an attack in the debate, and an attempt by Democrats to have the government begin the manufacture of its own powder consumed considerable time, but met with defeat. The Foraker bill providing for the marking of graves of Confederate dead in the North was passed unanimously. The Senate joint resolution continuing the tribal government of the five civilized tribes of Indians in Indian Territory until their property shall have been disposed of was agreed to.

Th? Senate Friday passed the bill providing for tho settlement of the affairs of the five civilized tribes of Indians. Under the guise of considering the measure, practically the entire session was given over to a discussion of the railroad question, raised by Mr. La Follette’s proposed amendment to the Indian bill prohibiting railrogd companies and their stockholders from acquiring the coal lands in the territory. This amendment, together with all the Indian committee’s amendments, was laid* on the table.At 5:32 p. m. the Senate went into executive session and at 5:40 adjourned until Monday. The first private claims session of this Congress occupied the ' House, twenty-five bills being passed, all for small amounts, □position to many of the measures accounted for the small number put through. Five which were reported favorably by the committee went over because there was no quorum at 5 :30 p. m., when the House adjourned until Mqnday. Notes of tke National lanital. An, investigation of alleged railway ownership of oil and coal companies Ims been ordered by the interatate commerce committee of the House. President Roosevelt has decided lo veto any rate bill which does not meet his approval. This warning has been served on the Senate committee. A conference at the White House between the President and merchants, appraisers and 1 other officials ranked in a refusal to have the right of open hearings In cases of contested valuations.