The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1896-05-21
The legislative Grind.

By vote ot 81 to the Senate Thurs
day inaugurated al investigation, to be
conducted by the Senate Committee on
Finance, into the facts and circumstances
connected with the sale of United States
bonds by the Secretary of the Treasury
during the last thre. years. In addition
to some minor business, the bill was pass
ed extending the time for building a rail-
road by the Dennison and Northern Rail-
way Company through the Indian terri
tory. Also the bill. to send to the Court
of Appeals the case Of "book agents of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. south"
The House Friday voted to give each
member 500 q month for recess clerk
hire. A bill was passed to appropriate
$4,000 for the deportation of the Cana
dian refugee Cree Indians from the State
Of Montana. There are about 500 OF
these Indians. They have been in Mon
tana since the close of the Riel rebellion
The pension bills favorably acted upon
at the last Friday night session were
taken up and passed. The river and har-
Dor bill was completed in the Senate wig
the exception OF the item for n deep sea
harbor On the Pacific coast. A bill was
passed authorizing the Sioux City and
Omaha Railroad Company to construct
a railway through the Omaha and Win
nebago reservation in Thurston County,
Nebraska. Both houses adjourned until
Monday.
In the Senate Monday the Santa Mon
lea deep water harbor fraud was debated
most of the afternoon. The heat was so
terrific that early adjournment was taken.
The House has practically finished its
work, and did nothing of Importance.
The work of the House Tuesday was
confined to preparations to oust Mr..
Downing, the only Democrat in the 1lli-
nois delegation. Mr.. Moody, Republican,
of Massachusetts, presented the minority
committee report stating that Downing
was fairly elected. The animated con-
test in the Senate over deep water har-
Dor on the southern coast of California
was brought to a close by a compromise
between the points of Santa Monica, the
terminus of the Southern Pacific, and San
Pedro, the locality urged by the Califor-
MIA Senators. Senator Frye, chairman Of
the Commerce Committee, finally harmon
lied the differences by referring the de-
termination, as between Santa Monica
and San Pedro, to a commission to consist
of three civil engineers, naval officer,
and an officer of the coast survey. The
compromise was accepted by the Califor-
MIA Senators, and was unanimously pass
ed. An amendment urged by Mr.. Cor
man, limiting the expenditure under the
contract authorizations to S10,000,000
annually, led to a lengthy debate. A mo-
ton by Mr.. Vest to table the amendment
failed-yeas, 26; nays, 81.
Because of opposition by Mr.. Moody of
Massachusetts and Mr.. Dalzell of Penn
sylvania, both Republicans, the House
Wednesday reconsidered its action in
unseating Mr.. Downing, Democrat, of
Illinois, and decided that before Mr.. Rim
aker's claims could be considered there
must be recount of the vote. The river
and harbor appropriation bill was passed
by the Senate after an unusually stormy
experience, lasting many days. As finally
passed the bill makes direct appropria-
tions of So, 100000 and authorizes
continuing contracts of $64,000,000, an
aggregate of about $76,000,000. The bill
was passed with amendments authorizing
the construction of bridge over the Mis-
sissippi river to the city of st. Louis from
some suitable point between the north line
of st. Clair County, Illinois, and the
southwest line Of said county. Bills were
also passed to authorize lfe-saving sta
tion at Port Huron, Mich, and to es-
tablish a railroad bridge across the Illi-
nois river near Grafton, Ill.