The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-03-01
Last Days of Congress.

WEDNESDAY, February 22.-The sundry
civil appropriation bill was taken up in the
senate. and was passed after all the amend
mentS made in committee of the whole had
been agreed to- The report on the army
appropriation bill was called up and agreed
to after a lengthy discussion as to the rank
which the next chief Of the signal service
will hold. The committee had struck out
the senate amendment fixing the rank
AS that of Northumberland instead of
brigadier-general. A motion was made to
recommit the bill to the conference commit.
tee, but that motion was defeated and the
law on that pointremains unchanged. -
In the house, the post Office appropriation bill
was passed. The motion to strike out the
clause making an appropriation for special
mail facilities was lost The passage of this
bill was the signal for another parliamentary
struggle for the floor, which was finally
gained by Mr.. Peel of Arkansas, who spoke
three hours in explanation of the Indian APP.
preparation bill.
THURSDAY. - The legislative, executive
and Judicial appropriation bill was taken
up in the senate. An amendment, increaS-
ing an item for the pay of special agents of
the department of labor, and for expenses
connected with the investigation Of the
slums of the cities, provoked a discussion in
which such investigation was severely
criticised by Senators Mcpherson and Vest
as a matter about which congress had no
jurisdiction The amendment was re-
JeCted - Consideration of the Indian
appropriation bill was resumed in the
house. MIR. Holman of Indiana moved TO
reduce the number OF Indian agents from
tifty-eight TO twenty-six. This amendment
was stlenuously opposed by Mr. Pickler of
South Dakota and other members from the
northwestern states A point of order was
made against the appropriation of S55S, 900
for the payment OF arrears of interest to the
Chickasaw Indians. Pending a decision,
the house adjourned,
FRIDAY Both houses put in the day on
the appropriation bills. In the senate, the
legislative appropriation bill was taken up
and an amendment was agreed to which
makes clerks of senators who are not chair
men OF committees annual clerks at one thou
sand two hundred siXty-fve dollars a year
The amendment reported by the committee
on appropriations TO strike out paragraph
abolishing the Utah commission and sub
stituting for it paragraph appropriatng
SlO,OoO for the compensation OF five COM
missioners was agreed to. The house
went into committee Of the whole, and the
Indian appropriation bill again came up.
Mr., Lodge moved TO increase the appro-
priation for Indian schools from 81 ,O0O. 900
TO Sl,075 coo. In supporting this amend
ment, Mr.. Morse OF Massachusetts put him
self on record az opposed to sectarian
schools. He characterized them as un-
American, un-democratic, un-republican,
and contrary to our free institutions The
amendment was agreed to.
MoNDAY.-The pension appropriation bill
came up in the senate and was passed after
nearly the whole day had been spent in dis.
cussing 1t. It calls for S166 100000
The Indian appropriation bill was finally
passed in the house, and the sundry civil
appropriation bill was discussed up to the
time of adjournment - The senate hon.
ored Vice President Levi F. Morton last
Monday evening by rendering him a han
quet at the Arlington. The entire senate,
without distinction of party, gladly Joined
in bearing testimony 10 the admirable man
ner in which he had presided over the de-
liberations OF the upper house for the past
four years. Felicitous speeches were made.