The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-03-26

Caused a Little Breeze-Mr Cannon
Doesn't gwant to Be Lectured BY Mr..
Boutelle, He Said,
Washington, March 25.-In the Soma te
today, MIR. Gallinger introduced joint
resolution for the amendment to the Con,
stitution and asked that it lie on the
| table for the present.
1t provides that neither Congress nor
any state shall pass any law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof, nor shall use the
property OF credit of the United States or
of any state, or any money raised by tax
alton, for the purpose of founding, main
tanning, or aiding any church or relig-
ious denomination or religious society,
or any Institution that is wholly or in
part, under seotarian control
A resolution was offered by Mr.. Platt
of Connecticut and referred to the COM
mittee Oh appropriations for final ad-
journment of the present session on the
second day of May.
In introducing the resolution Mr..
Platt said he thought it time that the
matter should be considered.
The section fixing the sa laries of the
United States district attorneys occupied
attention several hours. The Senate ap-
preparation committee had in some par
tioular cases, reported in favor of increas-
ing the rates fixed in the House bill; in
other cases amendments were offered by
individual Senators to increase them.
Mr.. George, Democrat of Mississippi,
tead a paragraph from the Constitution
of Vermont declaring "tbat whenever
public office becomes SO profitable as to
occasion men to apply for it, the profits
ought to be lessened by the legislature. "
That sentence, he said, ought to be print
ed in letters of gold and hung up in every
legislative hall in the country. He COM
pared the salaries of governors and at.
torneys Of various states, with those pro-
vided in the bill for the United States
attorneys. the latter being uniformly
larger than the former. When some sug-
gestions were made Of oharaote unsat-
isfactory TO him, he exclaimed contemp-
tuously: "Bosh," and protested against
fun being made of a matter that in
creased the
BURDENS OF THE PEOPLE.
Finally all the changes proposed by the
committee were agreed to as well as some
other increases proposed by individual
Senators.
The paragraph giving the attorney gen.
eral Of the United States authority to al
low marshals to employ clerical assistants
and fix their compensation, was opposed
| by Mr.. Allen, on the ground that it was
turning over the duties or the Legislative
branch of the government to the exeou
tive department.
Mr.. Hoar, Republican of Massaohu
setts, chairman of the judiciary commit.
tee, which had considered this part of the
bill. rIdiculed Mr.. Aliens argument, and
said to act upon it would be to make
Congress the laughing stock of mankind
If Congress could not trust the attorney
| general with the duty of saying how
| many clerical assistants marshal shoulG
have, and what their compensation should
| be, the Republican government, ht
thought, should shut up shop. and had
better apply to the Emperor Of Russia Of
the head of some Populist club, and take
him for despot.
Mr.. Allen replied to Mr.. Hoar in th,
same tone, saying that the only sensible
remark Of the Massachusetts, Senator was
that about applying to some Populis
club, for information as to the course tt
| be adopted in running the government
Mr.. Aliens motion to strike out thu
paragraph was rejected.
| Without final action on the bill, th
| Senate went into executive session ant
soon afterward adjourned.