Birmingham state herald., 1896-06-11
TIME ID SING OLD HUNDRED At 4 O'clock Today Congress
 Passes Away. PRIVATE J. ALLEN ON DECK He Breaks the Silence Which Marked i'm
 During the Sssson. NUMBER OF BILLS RUSHED 1HR SHoUsE The Contemptot Court Bill w sIhe Bone of Contention in the Senat Z All Diff ferences on AppropriatiSs,1 is, iS1 Bills
 Have Been Adjus x.
NUMBER OF BILLS RUSHED THR SHoUsE

Washington, June 1O.-The business of the first session of the Fifty-fourth con- gress was practically concluded today by the agreement of the two bodies upon the sundry civil and District of Columbia appropriation bills, the only remaining matters of difference between the two houses when they met this morning. To accomplish this the house voted to con- fer with the senate in it's amendments to the sundry civil bill, appropriating, direct and contingent $900,000 for cer- tain public buildings. This vote-100 yeas to SS nays-demonstrated what had been feared would not be found-a quo- rum of members still in the city. The senate agreed with the house provision in the District bill, cutting off appropri- ations to religious, benevolent and char itable institutions, amended so as to make the new policy effective after June 30, 1897
 Previous to reaching this conclusion the house passed many measures under suspension of the rules, among them the following:
 House bill to protect t<e timber on the public domain and forest reservations from the raVageS of fire, caused by ma licious or careless campers or others.
 Joint resolution extending the scope of the good roads investigation now be- ing conducted by the agricultural de- pertinent.
 .Forbidding the landing upon the shores of the United States of a foreign sub- marine cable without the consent of con- gress.
 Setting aside the Pacific forest reserve on Mount Tacoma for public park, to be known as Washington National park.
 Opening national cemeteries to the burial of army nurses.
 To protect public forest reservations.
 Appropriating $300,000 for the benefit of the Omaha exposition.
 Amending the shipping laws by provid- ing still further for the comfort and well being of sailors.
 Forbidding the transportation of liquor under false brands or names.
 Committee on elections No. 1 was au- thorized to take further evidence in the contested election case of Hopkins, re- publican. vs. Kendall, democrat, from the Tenth Kentucky district-the only case now remaining in committee.
 MT. Allen, democrat of Mississippi, broke the silence which has marked him during the session and entertained the house with the humorous speech which has become feature of the closing days of congressional sessions
 Upon consideration of the conference
 
 general debate was precipitated by MT. Cannon, republican, of Illinois, chairman of the committee on appropriations, who briefly reviewed the legislation of the session. Messrs. Savers, democrat, of Texas and Cookery, democrat, of Mis- souri, responded, charging the republ- cans with unparalleled extravaganza.
 MT. Dingley, republican, of Maine, de- tended the republican policy in the house and in the nation.
 rsl.1 Journment of congress at p. m. tomor- row was received from the senate and agreed to.
 At 7:3O p. m. the house took recess for two hours.
 The Senate.
 In spite of the fact that it was general ly believed that this would be the last day of the session, there was a rather slim attendance in the galleries and the days proceedings were devoid of interest or excitement There was also dearth of senators present, and when ever roll call for quorum was made considerable time was spent in looking up the requisite forty-ive senators. There always seemed to be feeling of doubt in the chamber that such a num- Der could be secured, and a feeling of relief was manifested whenever the quo rum was obtained. The contempt of court bill was the greatest bone of con- tention during the day, and it was finally passed. It divides contempts of court into two classes-direct, committed in the presence of the court, and all others indirect. Summary publication Is pro- vided for direct contempt. For indirect contempt reasonable opportunity Is giv- en the accused to purge himself of such contempt and to have a trial by jury. Writs of error will lie to the supreme court.
 In advocating the passage of the bill hI. .fk I Haw xIt ntfrxa the growing power of the supreme court to influence legislation After speaking of the instances in which the supreme court had upset legislation demanded by the people, referring especially to the in come tax, he described the supreme court as the third legislative house. elect ed by nobody, representing nobody, &C., countable to nobody, inconsistently arro- gating to itself the authority and power to decide that congress did not know what 1t was doing, and which had de- cided that the income tax was bad legis- lation as well as unconstitutional. It must have been an oversight in the bill, he said, which increased the power of these courts beyond that conferred by the constitution.
 He referred to the summary treatment of Debs, the Chicago labor leader, who was sent to prison for contempt of court in not respecting the injunction issued by the courts to prevent the strikers from interfering with the movement of trains. Such power vested in the judiciary was a relic of old world barbarism and tyran- ny, as protest to which this government was constituted. Yet, after only a little over 100 years of existence this govern ment was sinking into this groove of tyranny.
 Of the two appropriation bills on which the differences between the two houses blocked the way to adjournment the Dis trict of Columbia bill was compromised by continuing the appropriation of sec tarian charities, but declaring that no further appropriations for this purpose shall be made after June 30. 1897. The conferees on the sundry civil bill re- ported further disagreement, but just before recess was taken an agreement was reported, the house receding from