The San Francisco call., 1896-03-26
Cannon and Boutelle Discuss
Naval Appropriations in
the House.
THE MIsCALLED OBSERVATORY
Hot Words Which Ended in an Ex.
planation by the Illinois
Congressman.

WASHINGTON, D. c., March 25.--The
Senate joint resolution to authorize Pro-
fessors Newcomb and Hall, United States
navy, to accept decorations from the
French Government was to-day reported
by Sherman (R.) of Ohio from the Com
mittee on Foreign Relation and passed.
Sherman, also from the same com mittee,
reported a joint resolution authorizing
Benjamin Harrison to accept certain
medals (now in the custody of the State
Department. presented to him by the Gov
ernments of Brazil and Spain during the
term of his service as President of the
United States, and asked that 1t be put
upon its passage.
'Let that resolution go over" Allen
(Pop.) of Nebraska objected, and it went
over until tomorrow.
Gallinger (R.) of New Hampshire intro
duced a joint resolution for an amendment
to the Constitution OF the United States
and asked that it lie on the table for the
present. 1t provides that neither Con-
gress nor any State Legislature shall pass
any law respecting an establishment OF
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof; nor use the property or credit Of
the United States or of any State or any
money raised by taxation for the purpose
of founding, maintaining or aiding any
church, religious denomination, or relig-
ious society, or any institution that is
wholly or in part under sectarian or eccle-
siastical control.
The Senate then resumed the considera-
ton of the legislative, executive and
judicial appropriation BILL The section
fixing the salaries of United States Dis
trict Attorneys occupied attention for
several hours. The Senate Appropriation
Committee had in some particular cases
reported in favor of increasing the rates
fixed in the House bill and in other cases
amendments were offered by individual
Senators to increase them.
Strenuous opposition to all these in
creases was made by Allen (Pop.) of Ne.
braska. They were also antagonized by
George CD of Mississippi, who regarded
the propositions by either House as ex-
travagant and extraordinary.
Finally all the changes proposed by the
committee were adopted, as we'll as some
other increases proposed by individual
Senators.
A paragraph, giving to the Attorn ey-
General of the United States the authority
to allow marshals to employ clerical as
sistants and to fix their compensation,
was opposed by Allen (Pop.) of Nebraska
on the ground that it was turning over
the duties of the legislative branch of the
Government to the Executive Department.
Hoar (R.) of Massachusetts,, chairman
of the Judiciary Com mittee, which had
considered this part of the bill, ridiculed
Aliens argument and said that to act
upon it would be to make Congress the
laughing-stock of mankind. If Congress
could not trust the Attorney-Gene with
the duty of saying how many clerical as
sistants marshal should have and what
their compensation should be, the repub-
lican government, he thought, should
shut up shop and had better apply to the
Emperor of Russia or to the head of some
Populist club and take him for despot.
Allen replied to Hoar in the same con-
temptuous tone, saying that the only
sensible remark of the Massachusetts, Sem
ator was that about applying to some
Populist club for information as to the
course to be adopted in running the Gov
eminent.
Aliens motion to strike out the para
graph was rejected.
Without final action on the bill the
Senate, at 5:25 o'clock, proceeded to the
consideration OF executive business, and
soon afterward adjourned until to-mor-
row.