Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-05-05
FIFTY-FOURTH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, May S.
SENATE.

had been disposed OF Nlr. Cali olleieu
and asked imme date consideration fer
a resolution requesting the President TO
protest against the execution of United
States citizens captured on board the
schooner Competitor by Spanish
cruiser, and to request and demand Of
the government OF Spain that they
shall not be subjected to cruel treat
ment but be held only as prisoners OF
war.
The resolution was on the point of
being declared by the Vice President
agreed to, by unanimous consent, when
Mr.. Wolcott interposed with the ie-
mark that if the facts were as stated by
Mr.. Call (that the vessel was merely
carrying war materially, it was the
manifest duty of the President to inter-
fere, and it was rather unsual to request
the President to do his duty. He
should like to see how it looked in
print. He therefore objected and the
resolution went over until tomorrow.
The Senate then passed the bills to
license billiard and pool tables in the
District of Columbia, and to amend the
statute to improve the merchant ma
rine engineer service and thereby also
to increase the efficiency of the naval
reserve.
At this point Mr.. Frye interposed
and insisted on proceeding with the
river and harbor bill up to 2 o'clock,
when the PETER resolution will have
the right of way.
The various amendments reported
by the committee on commerce were
agreed to without question.
After disposing of 80 pages of the
bill, the hour of two o'clock arrived
and MIR. Frye said that ne would not
press the consideration of the bill fur
Their to day.
The PETER bond resolution was then
taken up, and Mr.. Hill continued his
argument begun yesterday in oppo l.
ton to it.
HOUSE.
The resolution introduced yesterday
by Mr.. Picker, setting aside Wednes-
day, the 9th and 18th instants for the
consideration of private pension bills
and which failed to pass for want of a
quorum, was presented by MIR. Hen.
derson, as an order, to-day from Il Q
committee on rules.
Mr.. Henderson stated that there
were 4O5 private pension bills upon the
calendar, and it was to get rid of these
that the committee on rules proposed
the order.
Mr.. Crisp, opposing the adoption of
the order, said the general pension laws
were very liberal. He criticised the
action of the invalid pension commit
tee IN reporting bills defining distinct
classes of pensioners not included with
in the terms of the general law. 1t was
intended, Mr.. Crisp said, that the invalid
pensions committee should consider
cases outside of the spirit of the geners |
law, but excluded by its letter. But it
did not confne itself to that class,
transcending in his opinion the powers
conferred upon it. He had been IT,
formed that there were three thousand
applicants before the committee for
pensions, and the cases of many OF
them had been reported. AS to the
rule ITSELF Mr.. Crisp said it would not
permit int. ligent consideration of the
bills-many Of the reports made by the
committee could not be read in the five
minutes allowed for the affirmative
discussion of the bill. "Can it be pos
sible,n he asked, that the committee
has reported bills which it does desire
or dare to have the country know the
facts? 1 shall oppose the rule, and in
so doing believe that 1 shall be doing
my duty as a representative.
Mr.. Loud also opposed the order.
He thought gentlemen misapprehend.
ed the sentiment of the country in re
spect of this class of bills. Ninety-eight
per cent. of the bills are without merit.
Let the committee confne itself to
meritorious cases, and there will be no
trouble about disposing OF them.
MIR. Henderson, replying to MIR.
Crisp, said that that gentleman COM
planned that ten minutes was not suffi-
Gent time in which to consider bill.
"Why," Mr.. Henderson asserted, "if
ten hours were allotted to a bill, there
would be found democratic tongues,
tipged with gall and bitterness, to ex-
haust that time in talking against the
bill. I remember" he continued, shat
the first time crossed swords with the
gentlemen from Georgia (Mr. Crisp,
when we were both entering upon our
career in the same Congress, it was upon
bill to pension private soldier, which
he was doing his best to defeat. But
he soon found that he wasn't at home
in that field and gave over the work of
antagonizing the passage of these bills
to the petty gatling guns on that side.
One of the gentlemen on that side, said
Mr.. Henderson, charged the republi-
cans with having soldiers trust. In
that respect, and in that only, l will con-
cede that the democratic members are
consistent and conscientious antitrust
ers." Referring to suggestion by Mr..
Crisp, that the House had wasted its
time in discussing measures for purely
campaign purposes, Mr.. Henderson said
he would hurl the imputation back to
his teeth. THE gentleman will fnd,"
he said, with great earnestness, "that
on this side, the members, many of
whom served with these poor follows,
can serve their constituents quite as
well in respect of these bills, as
in the matter of filled cheese,
bankruptcy and insolvent debtors"
Mr.. Henderson said that democrats,
some, not all, had been obstructionists
at the Friday night sessions. They
were the ones who had reopened the