Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-26

warmest sympathy with the revolutions ists, argued that the declaration of bel ligerency was solely an executive func- ton and outside of the constitutional powers of congress.
 Without action on the resolution the senate at p. m. adjourned unti tomor- row.
 Immediately after the reading of the journal the house, in committee of the whole, passed the Indian appropriat tion bill without further discussion, the par agraph relating to the purchase of the title of the ogden Land company to lands in the Allegheny and Cattaraugus Indian reservation in the state of New York having been stricken out by unan- imous consent.
 Mir. Dingley called up the bill intro duced by him and unanimously reported by the committee on ways and means relating to the fur seal industry. It di- rects the president to enter into negotia- tions with the governments of Great Britain, Russia and Japan, or either of them. for the appointment of joint com mission to investigate the fur seal in- dustry in all it's bearings and to report what. if any, additional regulations are necessary for the preserva tion of the fur seal It also provides for the establish ment of a. modus vivendi between the several governments under the findings
 
 the protection of the seals, with pro- viso that if this modus vivendi be not concluded in time to govern the season of 1896 the secretary of the treasury be directed to kill every seal that can be reached on the Pribyloff islands and sell the skins for the benefit of the treasury. The report of the committee setting forth the necessity for the proposed legislation was read and the bill was passed unan- imous1y, as it did in the house last con gress.
 Three bills local to the District of Co lumbia were passed and the house then took up the report of elections commit tee Mo- on the contest of Robert T. Vanhorn vs John c. Tarsney, from the Fifth Missouri district, favoring the con testants right to the seat occupied by MT. Tarsney. The resolution declaring that this be the judgment of the house was read. At the suggestion of MT. Bai- ley, democrat, of Texas, the resolution recommended by the minority was read. It provides for a recommittal of the con test to the committee with instructions to open up the case as to the vote of the Second, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Twen- ty-seventh precincts and take testimony with view of the segregation of illegal from legal votes cast therein. MT. Taylor, republican, of Ohio, filed separate statement of his views. He agreed with the committee that upon the
 
 horD had made out his case, but, with the minority, he held that there should be a recount of the ballots cast in the precincts whose votes were thrown out by the committee.
 The adoption of the committees rec ommendation was advocated by MT. Strode republican, of Nebraska in speech of nearly two and a half hours, in which he set forth in detail the ex- tent and character of the frauds com | mitted and contended that the conditions were such that the returns from the pre- cincts in question could not be purged of their taint of fraud, but, as the committee had found must be rejected entirely MT. Taylor defended his position in an hours speech, which held the attention of the house throughout, and the close of which won him many encomums from the older members. He contended that the fraudulent ballots could be segre- gated from the honest ones, and it was the duty of the house to have this done before passing upon the contest. He ad mitted his belief that if the count were made as he recommended it would result in demonstrating the fact that Vanhorn had received a majority of the legal votes cast.
 The house at 5:05 D. m. adjourned until tomorrow, with prospect of spending day or two in the further discussion of the election case.