The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-04
A SUNDAY SESSION.
Both Houses of Congress Con-
tinue in Session (
Untila Late Hour This Morning,
Doing Much Business.
NO HAWAIIAN CABLE.
The Senate Recedes From It's
Position on That Question.

WASHINGTON, March A.-The un-
usual attraction of a Sunday session
of congress in the pleasant setting of
mild spring like weather furnished
to Washing ton a holiday in the
modern acceptance of the word.
Throughout the afternoon all the
driveways and walks approaching the
capitol were filed with carriages,
and the Sunday professions turned
their steps from Connecticut avenue,
the swell northwest, to the
other end of town. The broad steps
of the capitol had somewhat the APP
pearance of Inauguration day, the
great plaza to the east was dotted
with strolling groups, lines of car
riages were drawn up stretching clear
across the streets waiting for the
business they would have won had
they been favored with rain or slush.
Within the building the jam was so
great it interfered with business.
The doorkeepers were fighting to re-
strain the people for whom there was
not room, the elevators were loaded
to the limit of their capacity every
trip, two streams of people elbowed
their way from the house to the sem
ate, and from the senate back to the
house, while the pages plowed
their way at angles through
the jam. The comparatively small.
detachments which could be accomo-
dated in the galleries of both houses
kept up babble of chatter, which,
com ined with the rushing back and
forth and clamoring of members like
a busy day in the pit of a stock ex.
change, almost overwhelmed the
routine proceedings and kept the
speakers Gave1 hammering inceS-
sanity.
The house was the scene of the
populace which preferred a lively
scene, while in the senate the spec
tators were more orderly and fewer.
though more OF the notables were to
be seen in the reserved galleries, par
ticularly in the diplomatic seats,
where the sky-blue robes of the Chi
nese minister were the center of
interest. After nightfall and until
The street cars stopped running at
midnight the crowds pushed in and
out, hung around the rotunda looking
at the historic paintings when they
could not secure admission to the
galleries, and not a few spectators
were holding their seats into the
early hours of this (Monday) morn
ing.
The senate was called to order at 2
o'clock, but by an ancient legislative
fiction it was still Saturday, March
2. The greatest fight was over the
new naval bill. The pending amend
ment was one to reduce from three to
two the number of new battleships
to be built.
The conference report on the sun
dry civil appropriation bill was then
cOncurred in and the naval bill ca me
up again.
Mr.. German renewed his request
for final vote on the naval bill prior
to 10 o'clock and that after that hour
business be limited to conference re-
ports, house bills and senate bills
with house amendments. This agree
ment was entered into by unanimous
consent and after passage, with an
amendment of a house bill appropri-
ating $50, coo for the payment Of sal
aries of judges and court officers in
oklahoma, at 6 p. m a recess was
taken until $50 o'clock.
At 10 o'clock the vote was taken on
the amendment fixing the number of
battleships at two instead of three,
and it was agreed to-33 to %.
The naval appropriation bill was
then passed without division.
Mr.. Blackburn presented another
conference report on the diplomatic
consular appropriation bill, stating
no agreement had been reached on
the Hawaiian cable and no prospect
that the house would ever yield.
Mr.. Blackburn's motion to recede
on the ca BILE item was then put to a
vote and carried without division.
At 1:O5 this (Mouday) morning the
senate was still in executive session.