Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-02-07
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
Cleaned by Telegraph and Mail
CONGRESS.

| its admission as State. The credentials oi
| Senator-elect Butler Is. c. were presented
| A bill for the construction Of bridges across
| the Missouri river near Leavenworth, Kan,
and Kansas City, Mo, passed The Army
| Nurses Pension bill also passed 1t allows Q
| pension of s25 per month to women nurses dur
| ing the war (under certain conditions and linn
| itations) The Diplomatic bill was then taken
| up and Senator Glbson's amendment to inserl
the word "Ambassadors' instead OF ministers
| Extraordinary" ETC., as applied TO France
| Great Britain, Germany and Russia was under
| discussion until adjournment. In the House
| the Senate bill passed increasing the pension OF
1 soldiers or sailors who have lost both hands to
| 500 per month. The Senate joint resolution
for meeting February 13 to count the elect.
| oral vote was concurred in. The Sundry Civil
| bill was taken up, and, pending debate on an
amendment appropriating $4,000 for the educa-
| ton Of children in Alaska without reference to
| race, the House adjourned
In the Senate on the 29th a bill passed
authorizing the Secretary Of War to deliver to
any soldiers home Two obsolete serviceable
cannons suitable for firing salutes." A resolu
tion was adopted calling on the Secretary OF the
Navy for a statement of expenditures for con-
| struction and repair Of vessels, and the Senate
| took up the Diplomatic bill, the question being
| the amendment making the title OF Ministers to
| France, Germany, England and Russia Am
bassadors" which was after q long debate
| adopted by a close vote. When the amendment
| In regard ia Samoa was reached the Senate
went into executive session. When the doors
were opened Senator Sherman made state
ment in regard to the Samoan trouble. after
which Senator Dolph obtained the floor and the
Senate adjourned. -. In the House petition OF
| Is, 600 citizens of Utah against admission as a
State was presented. The Sundry Civil bill
was further considered and the bill passed.
IN, KIN Aa%% nfT Tho f,r
seal and salmon fisheries Of Alaska was favor
ably reported and the House adjourned
The credentials of Senator Plumb, re-
elected from Kansas, were presented in the
Senate on the 3Oth. After adopting resolution
calling on the Secretary Of the Treasury for a
statement of the amount in the sinking fund to
the credit of the Union Pacific and Central Pa
cific roads on February /, etc., the Senate re-
sumed consideration of the Diplomatic bill, the
question being on the amendment affecting the
Samoan Islands, and the question was under
debate at adjournment. =. When the House met
Mr.. Springer Qu.) moved to go into Committee
of the Whole on the Oklahoma bill,
which was agreed to, the pending amendment
being that of Mr.. Payson Qll) that the prIvi-
ieges and rights of honorably discharged
soldiers to make homes on public lands shall
not be impaired but extended to all public lands
opened to settlement under the bill. The
committee with the understanding that a
vote should be taken in the House. Several
other amendments were made and the COM
mittee rose and reported the bill to the House.
Mr.. Payson's amendment was agreed to, yeas
ia, nays Ill. Pending further consideration
the House adjourned.
The credentials of Senator. .elect Hig-
gins (Del) were presented in the Senate on the
31st. The House amendments to the bill in
tn rh nm had lnS
both hands were concurred in. After the pas
sage Of several private bills consideration of
the Diplomatic Appropriation bill was resumed
the pending question being the Samoan amend
ment making an appropriation to protect Amer
ican interests, which was finally agreed to-
The amendment raising to the rank Of Ambas-
sadors the Ministers to England. France, Ger
many and Russia were defeated and the
bill passed. The British Extradition
treaty was considered in executive session
-. Many petitions for Sunday rest were pre-
sented in the House and Saturday, February
% was set apart for eulogies on the late Rep
resentative Burnes, OF Missouri. The Okla
homa bill came up as the special order. The
vote by which the soldiers homestead amend
ment had been adopted was reconsidered and
the clause declaring that the rights of soldiers
shall not be impaired by the passage of the bill
was agreed to. The second clause extending
the right of homestead entry on the lands to
soldiers (under existing laws) was defeated.
Pending further consideration the House ad-
journed
In the Senate on February 1 the House
amendments to the Senate bill for the admission
of South Dakota were non-concurred in and a
confer nee asked Senator Salisbury offered a
resolution which was agreed to, instructing the
Foreign Relations Committee to inquire into
the condition of affairs in the Samoan Islands
and report as soon as practicable what meas
ures are necessary to protect American in
terests. Senator Chandler's resolution as to
claims of naval officers for arrears of pay for
mileage. ETC., was discussed and laid aside
Senator Sherman presented letter from the
Secretary of the Navy with copy of the
formal cession of the harbor of Pago-
Pago to the United States by the Samoan
Government, which was referred. After
an executive session the Senate adjourned un-
til Monday. lin executive session the British
Extradition treaty was rejected In the
House the conference report on the bill to
create the Department of Agriculture was
agreed to. The Diplomatic bill. with Senate
amendments. was referred. The Oklahoma bill
was then taken up and after futile attempt
at fillbustering was finally passed by vote of
14S ayes to 102 nays. The remainder Of the
session was occupied in Committee of the
Whole. An evening session was held for the
consideration of private pension claims