The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1896-12-31
SENATE AND HOUSE.
WORK OF OUR NATIONAL LAW.
MAKERS.
A Weeks Proceedings in the Halls of
COngrcss-Important Measures Dis
cussed and Acted Upon-An par
tial Resume of tho business.
The National SO1Ons.

The National So1ons.
The Senate Thursday passed the immi-
grafton bill known as the Lodge bill, with
a new section providing that the exclusion
shall not apply to persons arriving from
Cuba during the continuance of the pres
ent disorders there. AS passed, the bill
amends the immigration laws so as to ex-
cludc from admission to the United
States all persons over 16 years of age
who cannot read and write the language
of their native country or some other
language, but an admissible immigrant.
over the age of 1G, may bring in with him.
or send for. his wife or parent or grand
parent or minor child or granchild, not
withstanding the inability to read and
write. The House passed the third of
the regular appropriation bills, that for
the support of the army, and entered up
on the consideration of the legislative,
executive and judicial bill. The army
bill as passed makes no provision for the
army and navy hospital at Hot Springs,
Ark. The House also passed several bills
relating to the District of Columbia and
three resolutions for the use Of flags of
the war department. government reser-
'dllOHS, etC.. On tle OccuSlOu OF MT. NC
kinley's Inauguration.
Friday was private bill day in the
House, but most of the session was de-
voted to the passage of the thirty-seven
pension and relief bills favorably acted
upon by the committee of the whole Fri
day. The bill to pay Flora A. Darling,
the wife of Il Confederate general, 3d.
6S3 for Tennessee and Louisiana bank
notes taken from her in 1864 while under
a flag of truce. which was attacked by
Mr.. Dalzell Friday, was laid IN the table.
Only five bills were favorably acted upon.
One of them, a bill to refer a claim of
Thomas b. Reed, a Pennsylvania SOL
der during the war. to an unpaid bal
ance of salary to the Court Of Claims
created some merriment owing to the
fact that his name was identical with
that of the Speaker of the House. The
other bills were to pay the officers and
crews of the United States gunboat
Kineo and Chocura S12,474 prize money;
to pay William b. Isaacs & Co.. $16,9S7,
the finding of the Court of Claims; to pay
George McAlpin, the sutler of the Elev-
enth Pennsylvania Cavalry, $G,90G illeg-
ally collected from him; and to repay
Matthias Peterson of Spring Valley, Wis,
$500 paid by him for Il substitute during
the war, Peterson not at that time being
a citizen Of the United States. The Sen
ate did nothing of Importance.
A report presenting additional views on
the Cuban question was presented to the
Senate Monday by Senator Morgan of
Alabama. in behalf of himself and Sen
ator Mills. 1t indorses Senator Gamer
on's views and discusses the action of the
Committee on Foreign Relations in 1859,
on the bill to facilitate the acquisition of
the island Of Cuba. The report reviews
the alleged misgovernment of Cuba and
messages by former Presidents on the
subject, and then refers to President
Cleveland's attitude, whose message, it
afirms, is in corroboration of all former
testimony on the subject. Debate was
sharp and rancorous. Mr.. Vest offered Il
resolution to the effect that Congress,
and not the President, is vested with
10 oouopuodopu! oz!uSoooL o. IaMod
belligerency of any insurgent people. De-
bate was stopped by Mr.. Hale, upon a
point of order. Mr.. Hill introduced n
resolution looking toward recognition OF
the Cubans as bclligerents, and pledging
neutrality of this government. No final
action was taken. Nothing of importance
| was done by the House.
The attention of the Senate was uneX-
pectedly diverted Tuesday from Cub
to the Pacific railroads.. Soon after the
session opened Mr.. Pettigrew of South
Dakota called UP his resolution appro-
p~riating S10,000,OO0 to take up the trust
notes of the Pacific railroad. This opened
| the entire question and Mr.. Morgan of
| Alabama followed with q bitter arraign-
ment Of the Pacific roads. charging them
with fraud and crime on 4 gigantic scale.
The speech lasted until shortly before )
| o'clock, when the morning hour expired,
thus sending over the Cuban question UNI
til after the holidays. Further than this
the session was unerentful. The House
passed the Legislative. executive and jul
dicial appropriation bill and then adjourn
ed for the holiday recess. This is tho
first time in the history of Congress that
the legislative bill has passed before the
holidays. The day was devoted to the
annual debate of the civil service law
and, as usual. the attempt to strike out
the provision for the commission was
overwhelmingly defeated.