Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-05-21
The NATIONAL CAPITAL
|. REVIEW OF THE WEEK.

1 Il" = :
Speaker Reed Counted Noses
Again-River and HarbOr
Bill Passes.
THE SENATE.
The senate proceeded to consider
unobjected bills on the cslandar and
passed the following: Giving to the
evidence OF private soldiers the same
weight as to that of officers in pension
cases; amending the pension law Of
1890 &c that the absence of honorable
discharge shall not be bar to a pen.
sion provided there is no charge Of
desertion against the applicant;
amending pension laws relative to
false swearing in pension cases
amending pension laws so as to make
mastering into the service prima
facle evidence of sound body and
mind.
The senate committee on appropriat.
ing 100000 for q public building III
Aberdeen, 8. d.
The senate passed bills authorizing
the state OF South Dakota to select the
Fort Sully military reservation as post
act of admissions: for the restoration
of lands within Fort Lewis, COL, mill
tary reservation to the public domain;
- lot hn nnkc oP tot IN, -
United States marshals in the Indian
Territory.
Chairman Morrill, of the senate
finance committee has appointed Har-
ris. Vest and Waltham, democrats,
and Plat, republican, and Jones of
Nevada, populist, subcommittee to
investigate the bond sales under the
PETER resolution.
The river and harbor appro priation
bill was passed by the senate after an
unusually stormy experience lasting
for many days. AS finanlly passed the
bill makes direct appropriations OF
81, 2OO, 600, and authorizing continuing
contracts of S64, 100000, an aggregate
of about s76,OOO,OOO.
When the bill was taken up the
pending question was Germans
amendment directing the secretary OF
war to so apportion contract appro-
priations that not more than $4,000,
GOO he expended on contracts in any
one year.
Proceeding with the river and har.
Dor bill, Vest opposed the German
amendment, declaring it would permit
the secretary of war tn nullify the
river and harbor bill and substitute
his opinion in lieu of that of congress-
He did not believe there could be 9
partisan in the chamber who would
give such autocratic power to a cab
met officer. He had never known a
secretary of war to whom he would
extend such vast power. He opposed
any such abdication of power by con
gress and its transfer to one official.
| German insisted there was no abdi
cation of power, but merely limitation
of the power of the secretary Of war
SO that not more than S1O,OO0,OOl
would be spent annually on contracts
1t was q necessary provision, said
German, in view of the fact that athis
is the first time in the history of the
government that we have gone into
wholesale business of authorizing con
tracts" If he were secretary of war
said German, he wauld apply the rule
suggested by Sherman, of not obligat.
ing the government for one dollar OF
these contracts until congress made
provision for revenues to meet them
This amendment was merely eau
ton to an execution officer that liz
view of our condition he must moi
spend more than 100000 year.
/ Tho lohofn fnnlr xuSA al
the five-minute rule, which had beer
ageed on.
An amendment by Cray was accept
apply specifically to contracts, and not
to direct appropriations.
| Allison proposed an amendment fl
ing the limitation on contract expen
ditures at 12,OOO,OOO annually.
| Vest moved TO table the Gormar
proposition and all amendments
which motion prevailed--y 40, nays
o.
Allen, populist, of Nebraska said be
was astOnished that democratic sena
tors joined with republicans in sup
porting this bill. The vast amount in
volved would be expended largely bv {
republican secretary of war, and &C
cording to the present political out
look, be said, it would doubtless bene
1T the republican campaigns; the sen
ator said he could understand why thu
republican senators supported 1t, but
not why the democrats should.
Frye vigorously resented Aliens re.
marks.
The bill was about to be put on flnal
passage when Frye asked for fifteen
minutes to answer the criticism that
had been made on the bill. The sena
tor spoke with great animation and
was listented to with much attention
Never before, said Frye, had there
been such unanimous demand fol-
river and harbor improvements as
there has been this year. It comes
from all sections. 1t has been the de-
mand OF the American people, and il
response to that demand this bill is
presented.
The bill was then put on its passage
Smith, democrat, Of North Carolins
demanded the yeas and nays.
n 4 a u f.