Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-12-18
CONGRESS In ACTION.
BOTH HOUSES CONVENE, WITH
THE GALLERIES PACKED.

diplomatic Representatives of Other
Nations Among Those Who Attend
the Opening misunderstanding of
Presidents Message.
solons Reassemb!e.
Washington correspondence:
The r~eassembling of Congress for the
closing session of the Fifty-fourth Con-
gross was an occasion of unusual bril-
liancy and interest. The opening day is
! always n gala affair, marking us it does
the official Inauguration of the social US
well as the political season in Washington,
but Monday it was all the more interest
ing because of the long md hard fought
political battle that had been waged dur.
ing the recess.
Proceedings of the Senate.
The Senate began the second session of
The Fifty-fourth Congress with crowded
galleries and with that accompaniment
of activity and of greeting that usually
attends the r~cassembling of Congress.
But the upper branch of Congress never
! puts aside its dignity. and the meeting
developed no demonstrations of dramatic
incidents.
The reading of the Presidents message
".so S.N (tAeuA VI NAC pkOSNCAAtASos AAiA
beyond this no attempt was made to enter
upon the business of the session. To
mnay of the foreign representatives occu-
pying the diplomatic gallery the message
had special interest and significance. W
ing to the part they had taken in the con-
spicuous foreign events to which the Pres
ident referred. Sir Julian Pnuncefote,
the British ambassador, and the new
Turkish minister, Moustnpha Bey, We're
present. Senior Dupuy De LONE. the
Spanish minister, was not in attendance
during the day. but two of the secretaries
of the Spanish legation carefully noted
the references to the Cuban conflict. Min
lister Hatch of Hawaii mud Mr.. Cooper,
the Hawaiian minister of foreign affairs,
were listeners, although the message con-
tanned no reference to the Hawaiian ISL
ands. The diplomatic gallery was vacated
us soon as the foreign questions referred
to in the message had been read.
On the floor of the Senate printed copics
of the message were distributed and these
gave the Senators opportunity to read the
salient features instead of listening to
them. AS a result there was scant atten-
ton after the reading had proceeded be-
yond the first half hour. The reading of
the message covered one hour and fifty
! minutes md ut its conclusion the Senate
adjourned.
Proceedings of the House.
While the scenes attending the opening
of the House We're both brilliant and in
teresting in the crowds that thronged the
galleries and the conspicuous %personages
present, the proceedings themselves We're
dull and spiritless. being distinctively
routine. The House met, the chaplain
invoked the divine blessing OH the work
of the session. the roll was called, n COM
mittee consisting of Mr.. Cannon of ILL
nois, Mr.. Payne of New York and Mr..
Turner of Georgia was appointed to wait
on the President and the latter's annual
communication was read.
Before the Tuesday session closed the
House had passed three bills md the first
of the regular supply bills-that for pen
sions. One of the bills provided for the
use of private mailing cards of the same
general size and character as the present
postal cards, when 1 cent stamps are
affixed. Another provided for limited in
dcmnity of $40 for the loss of registered
mail matter and the third provided that
on the application of twenty persons re-
cciving their mail ut the same office the
postmaster shall appoint such persons as
are willing to undertake the collection
and delivery of mails ut the charge not
to exceed 1 cent for each letter. and that
the charge shall be paid Ivy the bene-
ficiaries. The pension bill carries SILL
2G3.SsSO. about S55.OGO less than the law
for the current year. The notice of the
opening of IL Cuban discussion was about
the only feature of interest developed at
the brief session of the Senate.
In the Senate "Wednesday the prayer of
Rev. DIR. AIi!burn made eloquent refer
c,cc to the late Charles Il. Crisp of Gcor-
gia-"A man faithful and loyal in all his
relations and faithful servant of the peo-
pile: may his name be craven on the tablet
of the n~ntion's memory" Early i'll the
day three sets of vigorous resolutions for
Cuban independence furnished an inter-
esting feature. The Senate by Il vote of
81 to 21 adopted Il motion to take up the
Dingley taritf-silvcr hill. The House
passed Il dozen bills of minor Importance.
The House also agreed to the Senate
amendment approving certain acts of the
Legislature of New Mexico for the issue
of bonds. so us to v~ali,lntc $172,5OO of
bonds of Santa Fc County.
The Senate Thursday took UP the i'm
migration bill, and also heard the first
of the speeches OH Cuba-those of Mr..
i Ntlilpil anu .lI. NJittI. Ilt Immigration
bill was not finally passed upon. but the
Senate agreed to the Lodge hill as II sub
stitute to the House measure. The sub
stitutc requires that all immigrants over
the age of ii years shall be able to read
and write their native language and shall
be required to read and write in the pres
cnce of IL United States official at least
five lines of the United States Constitu-
ton. The Senate adjourned to Monday.
Pending the preparation of the next ap-
preparation bill the House again de-
voted its time to the consideration of bills
on the calendar, but only two were passed
during the four hours session. One of
these was a copyright bill, urged by prom
inent playwrights and theatrical MANI
gers to secure to musical compositions
the same measure of protection under the
copyright law as is now afforded produce
tions of Il strictly dramatic character.
A bill to prohibit the sale of liquor in the
capitol building was also passed. a bill
TO modify the law forbidding the alien