Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-11-03
Congress-.

Congress.
The Senate yesterday spent its entire
session after the morning hour in the
discussion of the House bill passed on
October IS to amend the act of May
5. 1892, prohibiting the coming of Chi
nese persons into The United States.
All the amendments that were offered
to it were either Withdrawn or rejected,
and the bill was passed in the exact
form in which it came from the House.
1t requires all Chinese laborers in the
United States entitled to remain before
It's passage to secure their certificates
of residence within six months from the
passage of this act, this being an extern
sion of six months in the time fixed by
the Geary act. Cinnamon failing to
register within six months shall be de-
ported as under the former act, except
That the requirement of n white witness
is removed. All proceedings for viola
tions of the Geary act as originally en-
acted, except as to criminals, are sus-
pended. The word "laborers" in the
act is construed to mean skilled and
unskiled manual laborers, and the
term "merchant" is defined so az to
mean person engaged in buying and
selling merchandise at fixed place OF
business carried on under his name.
1t is provided that the certificate shall
contain the photograph of the appli-
cant, together with his name, local res
idence and occupation.
In the House the chairman OF the
committee on ways aud means, Mr..
Wilson, asked that the committee be
allowed to sit during the adjourn
ment.
Mr.. Reed objected that the commit
tee should not sit when it could not
submit its acts to the House. Mr..
Reeds objection suiliced to send the
resolution to the committee on rules
and Mr. Catchings reported back from
that committee the resolution author
izing the committee on ways and means
to sit during the adjournment of Con
gress for the preparation of tariff mea-
sure and to report the same.
This gave the House foretaste OF
the tariff fight which is to come. The
republicans led by Mr.. Reed began
tilibustering. Mr.. Reed said the COM
mittee on ways and means had beenap
pointed for nearly three months yet it
had not had single meeting upon the
tariff bill. So far as the committee was
concerned, it could hasten nothing, be-
cause this bill was not going to be the
result, when it was passed, of the opln-
ion of any set Of gentlemen, known or
unknown. 1t was going to be modified
according to the carefully formed opin-
ion of the people of this country, and
they were going to make hearing Oh
it. Therefore, he said, that to bring in
this resolution at the close Of the ses-
sion, under the whip and spur of the
report of a committee that did not even
have to have matters referred to it by
the House, was something that certain
" was not either suitable or proper.
After a colloquy between Messrs.
Reed and Wilson the Speaker put the
question On agreeing to the report of
the committee or rules, when the re-
publicans refused to vote.
Mr.. Catchings then asked for re-
consideration of the vote for an ad-
journment of Congress to-day.
Mr.. Wilson then offered resolution
directing the sergeant-at-arms to bring
in the absent members and it was
agreed to.
After more filibustering Mr.. Reed Of
fered an amendment to Mr.. Wilson's
resolution, as follows: The. chairman of
the committee on ways and means shall
have the right to call together the COM
mittee, and 10 file with the clerk of the
House any revenue bill which shall be
ordered by the committee for publica-
ton, and the report of the committee,
together with the views of the minority,
shall be filed together for publication
not less than ten days after the filing
and publication of the bill, unless an
earlier date can be agreed upon. Either
report may be filed after ten days if the
other is not ready.
This compromise was satisfactory TO
Mr.. Wilson, and he signified his will
ingness to accept the amendment. The
cause ofthe contention being then re-
moved, the republicans signified their
willingness to vote to make up quo
rum, and enough having answered to
their names, the motion to dispense
with further proceedings under the call
was agreed to, and the resolution of
Mr.. Wilson, as amended by Mr.. Reed,
was agreed to.
Mr.. Catchings, thereupon, moved to
lay on the table his motion that the
vote by which the House agreed to
adjourn today at three o'clock should
lie on the table, and it was so ordered.
The conferees on the urgent defcien-
cy bill reported further disagreement
to the Senate amendment. The House
insisted, and another conference was
ordered. The point at issue is the back
pay ofsenatorial clerks.
The Senate amendments to the bill to
increase the number of army officers
detailed to colleges were concurred in,
and the House, at $50, adjourned until
to-day at noon.