The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-03
Conference Reports on Several Ap-
preparation Measures Adopted
After Much See-Sawing.
SUGAR BOUNTY AGREED TO
HOUSE RECEDED FROM ITS POSI-
TION BY VOTE OF 1913 TO 124.
Senate Holding Out for Its S50O,OOO
Appropriation for a Hawaiian
CabIe-This Mornings Work.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, March 2.--As Sunday in
tervenes, the Fifty-third Congress will, ac-
cording to it's journals, expire on Saturday.
March 2 This is accomplished by simply
continuing the Legislative day" of Satur-
day until Il o'clock next Monday-that is,
instead of adjourning over to-day, recess
will be taken from time to time, as the
committee work on appropriation bills may
require Congress ought legally to expire
on the Sd of March. but the fact that it
does not do so literally, can never be
proven, even in court of law. The
journals of the two houses afford the only
legal evidence of their action and as
they always agree in declaring that Con-
gress died at the legally appointed hour,
there is no way of proving the contrary.
Should person undertake to invalidate an
act of Congress on the ground that it had
been enacted after that body had legally
expired, he might overflow courthouse
with witnesses, and though every witness
might swear that he or she kept date and
time, it would count as nothing. The
journals would successfully controvert all
other evidence. After having served thirty
years in the Senate, Senator Benton, of
Missouri, was elected to the House. AS
Representative his only speech was a fervid
ary device the period of the Congress be-
yond noon of March g. He refused to par
ticipate in the proceedings beyond that
hour and walked out of the chamber. The
Congressional Record in it's autobiograph-
ical sketches of Senators. invariably states
that the term of Senator expires on
March 3 of a given year.
The sundry civil bill, as it will finally
emerge from all conferences and debates
in both branches of Congress, will make the
following appropriations for the Marion
branch of the Soldiers Home: For current
expenses, s23, 75D: for subsistence, $4,000; for
household, $4,000; for hospital. s17,500; for
transportation $500; for two additional
barracks, $4,000 for dining, $4,000; for
standpipe, $4,000; for farm, $500; in all,
s227, $50.
Few of the important amendments added
to the sundry civil bill by the Senate were
dropped in conference. The most important
of those which failed were several proposed
relaxations of the public land laws, one
to allow the sale of public lands for reser-
voir purposes to citizens or water companies
to the extent OF a quarter section to each
at $3.50 an acre; to allow timber culture
claimants to make final proof before clerks
of any court of record instead of the land
offices and one to refund to parties who
have entered lands under the provisions of
the desert land laws and were required
to pay double minimum price because
they were included in railroad grants, the
excess over $1.25 an acre paid. The Senate
conferees receded from the reduction of
the item for protecting timber lands from
$4,000 to 100000; also from the amend
ments that these agents must be selected
from and serve in the States in which
they were to be appointed. Among amend
ments on which the conferees could not
agree are the provisions that no United
States or treasury notes of larger denom-
ination than those Cancelled retired
shall be printed which was added by the
Senate; also that of the House which was
struck out by the Senate prohibiting the
printing of gold certificates; also the trans
fer of Fort Leavenworth military reserva-
ton.