The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-06-04
With the House and the River and Harhor
Bill Has Now Become a Law.
THE VETO POWER BITTERLY ASSAILED.
The Murray Elliott Contested Flee
tion Case Under consideration in
tho IIousc-victims OF tho Ford's
Theatre Disaster Are still Trying
To Obtain Indemnity.

Washington, June 3.-(Senate. .)-The
Senate of the United States followed to-
day the example set yesterday by the
House of Representatives in passing by
vote of 56 to 5, the river and harbor
bill over the Presidents veto. The five
negative votes came from Democratic
Senators, namely: Bate of Tennessee,
Ch!ltcn of Texas. Hill of New Yo:k,
Smith of New Jersey, and Villas of Wis
conS.n. tThe debate preceding the vote
occupied about four hours. Speeches In
favor OF overruing 'tae veto were made
by Senators Sherman, Vest, PetUgrew,
Berry (Dem) of Arkansas Stewart
Pop) of Nevada Hawley (Rep.) of Con-
nect!cut, and Butle. (Pop) of North Ca
rolina SpeecaeS sustaining the vt,lo
were made by Senators Smith, Villas
Bate and Hill-the latter Introducing O
joint resolution TO amend the Ccnsttu-
ton by giving the President power to
veto any items in an appropriation bill
a power w'7.ch the Constitution of the
State OF New York gives to the Cover
nor OF that State
MIR. Pettigrew's speech chara erized
The veto power as reEc of the past,
w2tch had no place in q free govern
meHt. He denounced the President in
severe terms, charging him with en- utter
disregard of Grs sacred oath of office,
with overriding the laws, influencing
congressman by TIE use of patronage,
enrtch!ns his favor!tes ut the public ex-
pease, and. IN fac. permitting no re-
siratrt but hts imperial Will
The conference report (par:iaD on the
naval appropriation biz was presented
ard discussed, and went over TIL to-
morrow-che vote TO be taken at / D..
m The points in discussion were as 20
'tae number of batsleshtps and as to the
contract price for armor plate.
Al o;l5 p IN. the Senate adjourned un-
III Tomorrow.
House.-The somewhat noted contest
ed election case of Murray VS.. Elliott,
from tbs Charleston. S c.. district. wa :
the principal matter Of business before
ing House today. Elliot's election from
that d!sG 10. has beer, contested three
times-in the Fiftieth. Fifty-first and
f1fty-fourth Congresses. The con:es-
tant IN his case was elected TO the Fifty
third Songress. The majority report of
the committee IN charge, of the case re-
commended the seating Of the contestart
ana was advocated by Mr.. Overs,reet
Rep0, of Indiana.
The minority found that Elliott was
entitled to retain his seat and thet, views
was urged upon the House by Mr.. Jones
(Dem), OF Virginia. Without dIsposInr
or the case. the House. at $50 O'Clock ad-
1ourned a vote will be taken the first
thing tomorrow.
Quite a contest preceded the considera-
ION or the election case over the APP
10 pay the amounts to victims of the
fordS Theatre disa ste. recommended nv
the CocIEre ssional Commission, which In
EeStisated the claims. They were added
IN me Senate and Mr.. Sayers Dem).
or Texas, moved 10 strike out the names
of several benefiCi'lres, the deaths of
whose principals We're asserted not TO be
due to the disaster. or who had not been
injured In 1t. according to the report of
The Board of War Department officials
hA
me motion was warmly supported by
savers and Cannon (Reps). of Illinois.
ana opposed by M tSsrS Henderson and
updergraff. the latter n member of the
commission making the awards by n
vote of 1913 to 96 the House agreed to
the motion. and thss5, claims. IL the SEN
ate agree. Will go back 10 the committee
Mr.. Vest opend the debate upon the
question of passing the river and harbor
bal over the Presidents veto. He said
that tAere were Statements in the Presi-
dent's message as To which. with all due
respect to the President and his high
office, something should be said lin de-
renee oil the two houses of Congress He
Snould endeavor to say Just as much
about the bin and the message as was
absolutely necessary and no more While
unques tionably the President of the
United States had the constitutiooaI
power to exercise his veto prerogattve
II was not the idea of the CONSTITUTION
that that veto power sAould be exercised
as one of the ordinary instrumentaEtles
of administering the Government The
veto power had been exercised only
seven times in the first twenty-e!ght
years of the Government-twice by
Washington and five times by Madison
never by John Adams or Thomas Jeffer-
SON.
Mr.. Vest proceeded to discuss the mes
sage in detail. and pointed out various
Inaccuracies in 1t Among these was
the statement that the bill appropriated
directly abour fourteen millions and
covered continuing contracts ito the
amount of siXtytwo millions. The for
mer sum exceeded the actual figures by
Sl.39O,0 900. and the latter sum by S2,3i3,-
W. The President, Mr.. Vest said, had
rhetorlcally charged Congress with ex-
traVagance, burt If the President had
turned to the river and harbor bills en-
acted lin the last six years he would
have discovered that considering the size
or the country and demands OF internal
commerce, the bill was compara,iyely
economical. Then 1t had to be remem-
bered that the appropriation was no. for
one year but for two years, so that in
stead of an appropriation of about four
teen millions. as the President said, the
amount Ito be spent in the next fiscal year
would not be more than six millions, be-
ing one half OF the twelve millions al
ready mentioned.