The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1896-03-26
DOINGS OF CONGRESS-
MEN WHO MAKE THE LAWS OF
OUR NATION.
Report of the Measures Intro.
duccd, and the Action Taken
Lower House.


"C A'oA Nho ouoDthSlOl udN, dCtOIu-
ing 10 the rules of the House. and a number of
niils were passed. among which was one grant
ing the chicago, Burlington and Quincy Com
paly. as lessee of the Atchison and Nebraska
iailroad. right of way through the Sac and Fox
indian reservation. The rules were suspended
Tor the Immediate consideration of the Oklahoma
homestead bill. Mr.. Culberson of Texas, Of
Tered the following amendment which was ac-
copied: That the public land laws of the United
states are hereby suspended, until further legis-
laton by Congress, in SO far as they may affect
lne territory hitherto known AS Greer County,
Texas" This amendment was the outcome of
the decision OF the supreme court that Greer
county. Texas. belonged to the public domain
ana therefore to Oklahoma and not to Texas and
its design was to prevent s%quatters from rushing
INTO that county and entering lands under reg
ular land laws to the injury of bona fide resi-
dents who had purchased their lands on the sup
position that they belonged to the state of Texas
until Congress should have an opportunity to
consider legislation to meet the unexpected con-
dltl0n resulting from this decision. The bill was
passed without division. 4 bill prescribing pun
lsllment for mutilating coins and for altering or
passing mutilated or lightened coins was passed.
The Senate had an hour of spirited debate on
the cuban question on the 18th. after the early
part OF the day had been given to set speeches
by Senator Lodge on immigration and Senator
Pugh on silver. The Cuban discussion was
mainly important in bringing out the full read
ing of the statement of the Spanish side of the
case by Senior Dupuy de Lone. the Spanish min
lister. Senator Morgan read a letter from Secre-
tary Olney saying the Spanish Minister gave his
permission for the public use of the statement.
1t claimed to detail the insnrgent methods of
sicrrllla warfare, the burning of cane fields and
the dlS0rganiZed character of the inSurgent
bands. Senator Morgan commented severely on
the Minister'S statement. The Senator had sew
eral sharp controversies with Senator Hale over
ElrinlS 1hgSaS nf thn (Fn1nn niInstiop nrinO
the day Senator Elkins offered a resolution dt-
recting the on Foreign Affairs to re-
port as to the status OF the war in Cuba before a
rOtc was taken in the senate.
The House devoted Tuesday the 18th to the bill
to amend the administrative tariff act of 1890
and passed it without substantial amendment.
The purpose of the bill is to strengthen the act
of 1890. some week spot having been developed
during the six years it has been in operation.
The bill was drawn after extensive hearings and
the advice and assistance of the Treasury De-
partment, the board of general appraisers. i'm
porters and others with practical experience on
the subject. one of the important changes makes
increased duties and penalties for undervalua-
ton commence at the point of differentiation,
and not at 10 per cent. above the differentiation,
as provided by the present law. During the de-
bate Mr.. johnson OF California, asked Mr.. PAYNE
why the Ways and Means Committee had not re-
ported a bill reforming the tariff schedules. IF
We Nclc SIMPLY pids lHS W tie SdlltIltS, Itl)iltl
Mr.. Payne. I'VE might bring in such a bill.
knowing it could not become a law. | hope to
Join with the gentleman from California in the
Fitty-tifth Congress in the enactment of IA law
that will furnish ample protection to American
industries
The Cuban debate in the Senate is drawing to
a close, and the expectation Is that a final vote
will be taken within a day or two. Senator
Sherman is keeping the question before the
Senate continually. so that the speeches are not
liable to last much longer. Senators Mills and
Plat are yet to be heard. but their remarks will
not be lengthy. Senator Morgan occupied al
most the entire day on the 18th, speaking in sup.
port of the resolutions. If was mainly an argyll
ment, without dramatic interest. The Senator
severely arraigned Minister De LONE of Spain
for improperly in criticising Senators. He also
recited many evidences of the seventies and
atrocities with which Spain was prosecuting the
war. Senator Morgan said that he feared the
fanaticism of Spain would lead her to take up
the gauge of war, no matter how mild and proper
the course Of Congress might be.
The House on the 18th entered on the consi d
Grafton of the resolutions cenSuring Mr.. BayaId
for speeches delivered by him at Boston, Eng
land, and Edinburg, Scotland. last fall. The
galleries were crowded to overlooking. With
the exception of the speech of Mr.. Cousins of
Iowa, however, the O%ratory of the occasion was
disappointing. Mr.. Hit, Chairman of the For
eign Affairs Committee, and Mr.. McCreary, who
was chairman of the committee in the last Con-
gress, opened respectively for and against the
resolutions. Mr.. Cousins speech in support OF
the resolutions was the feature of the proceed
ings. He won for himself high distinction as an
orator. His bursts of eloquence. set off by a
keen and penetrating wit. aroused the House
and galleries to unbOunded enthusiasm. Mr..
DinsmOre of Arkansas, who was minister to
COrea during the former Cleveland adminiStra-
ton. In closing the debate for the day defended
the utterances of Mr.. Bayard as to the effect Of
protection. The debate was not concluded.
The first business considered in the Senate on
the 18th was Senator Cann0n's resolution direct.
ing Secretary Smith to execute the law for the
public opening of the Uncompahgre Indian Re-
servatiOn in Utah. Senator Cannon said 2,OOO,-
900 acres were involved and he wished this man
datory resolution to overcome the delays of the
Secretary of the Interior. He sharply criticised
the Secretary of the Interior for falling to exc
cute the law. At O'Clock Senator Cannon's reso-
luton was temporarily laid aside and the Du-
pOnt case was taken up. The following bills
were passed; Amending laws as TO fees and
costs in circuit court Of appeals; amending the
practice as to habeas corpus cases in circuit
courts of appeals; for the reconstruction of the
Rock Island bridge; authorizing the Secretary
of War to issue Springfield rifles to state troops
in exchange for an equal number of old arms;
authorizing the Rock Island. Muscatine and
southwestern Railroad Company to build a
bridge across the Illinois and Mississippi Canal;
fixing the salaries of the chief justice and justices
Of the court of claims at $500 and 5000 respec-
lively. and authorizing the Committee on Indian
Affairs to visit Indian reservations, schools, etc.
Queen Victoria owns 81, 0OO, 900 worth
Of china. A SevreS set Is estimated at
100000.
The city Of Philadelphia Is reported
to have made a profit Of nearly 100000
last year from its gas works.
Statistics show that about One-6fth
Of the ~wageearners Of New York City
are compelled to work On Sunday.
In China an army recruit must be
able to jump across a ditch six feet
wide, or he Is not eligible for enlist.