Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-03
BANKRUPTCY BILL PASSED
House Refused to Strike Out the
Involuntary Features.
SIMILAR TO T0RREY BILL
Mckinney Democrat, of Virginia, Unseated
for Republican.
NAVAL BILL PASSED BY THE SENATE
1t Goes to Conference to Determine Wheth-
er There Shall Be Two or Four Bat
tleships- s-Gorman's Amendment
Was Shut OFF.
NAVAL BILL PASSED BY THE SENATE

washington, May 2-After debate
continuing for over four days the house
today, by vote of 157 to 81, passed the
bankruptcy bill reported by General Hen
deIson from the committee on judiciary
and managed by him throughout the de-
bate. 1t is substantially what is known
as the Torrey bill Although the debate
was supposed to be under the five minute
rule upon amendments, the house in
dulged several members beyond that linn
1t While they expressed their views upon
the measure. These were notably Messrs.
Hepburn, who opposed the bill, and Gros-
venor, Bartlett and Dingley, who advo-
Gated it's passage. Action upon the bill
was confined altogether to the second sec
tion, which defined acts of bankruptcy.
The ninth and last clause of Involuntary
bankruptcy, as reported by the. commit
tee, was, ION motion of Mr.. Spalding, re-
publican, of Michigan, stricken out 1t
read: Having suspended and not re-
sumed for thirty days, and until a petit
tion is filed, while insolvent, the pay
ment of his commercial paper for or ag-
gregating $50 or over"
On motion by Mr.. Mahon, republican, of
Pennsylvania, petition to have person
declared a bankrupt was required to file
bond for damages and costs before the
court could act upon the petition; and on
motion by Mr.. Fairchild, republican, of
New York, the bill was changed to re-
quire at least three creditors to join in
any case to throw debtor into bank
ruptcy.
BY a vote of 102 to 72 the house re-
fused to strike out the Involuntary feat
ures of the bill, and by vote of 92 to 70
refused to restrict the application of the
involuntary features to cases of actual
fraud.
Mr.. Bailey's substitute for the bill was
rejected by vote of 120 to SO; and that
of Mr.. Broderick, republican, of Kansas,
was also rejected the latter being the
George bill, reported by the senate COM
mittee on the judiciary, by vote of 12S
to 1l2.
Pending the consideration of the bank
ruptcy bill Mr.. Hit, republican,, of llli-
nois,f chairman of the committee on for
eign affairs, called up, and the house
passed without a division, the bill passed
by the senate yesterday appropriating
$4,000 to defray the expenses of the COM
mittee to be appointed under the recent
treaty with Great Britain to determine
the claims for damages for the seizure
of alleged Behring sea poachers.
Upon the unanimous report of elections
committee No. g. r. r. Thorpe, republi-
can, was declared to be entitled to the
seat from the Fourth Virginia district,
occupied by w. r. Mckinney, democrat,
Snd he was sworn in by the speaker
The house at 5:15 o'clock, adjourned.
The Senate.
The naval appropriation bill, which
has been under consideration in the sem
ate during the entire week, was passed
today, and now it will be for a confer
ence committee to reconcile the disagree
ment between the two houses. The chief
of these is the reduction of the number
of battleships provided for. The house
fixed the number at four; the senate at
two. The ships are each to cost $3,75O,0O0,
exclusive of armament.
The discussion today was over an
amendment offered by Mr.. Chandler, ap-
propriating $4,00OOO0 for twenty addi-
tional torpedo boats. Speeches were
made in support of the amendment by
Messrs. Hawley and Lodge and against
1t by Senators Wolcott and German.
Mr.. Daniel and Mr.. Blanchard stated
that they had intended to offer amend
ments for dry docks at Portsmouth, Va,
and Algiers, La, respectively, but they
had decided not to press them in view
of the attitude of the committee on ap-
preparations.
At 2 o'clock the consideration of the
bill under the five minute rule was be-
gun. Short speeches were made by Sem
ators Chandler, Call, Peffer and Sher-
man. Mr.. Sherman advocated the lml-
tations of appropriations to an amount
not in excess Of the current revenues
The ships provided for were not made
mandatory, and the president would act
wisely If he were not to authorize them
to be constructed unless the signs of the
times indicated more revenue.
Mr.. Sherman did not fear war, but he
did believe In the moderate strengthen
ing of the navy as means of defense.
There was, however, no need of doing
this work when the revenues were in
their present condition The deficit for
the current fiscal year would be $4,000
600. and whichever party prevailed in the
coming campaign more revenue must be
devised. This was the motive which ac-
tuated him In casting his vote.
The discussion was continued by Mr.
Hale and Mr.. Villas, the latter protesting
against an extension of the navy to
such an extent that 1t would want to
"go a Jingoing and become a national
swash buckler."
The amendment of Mr. Chandler
sought to change the three torpedo boats
at not less than thirty knots and not to
exceed ten torpedo boats to have the
highest practicable speed, as reported by
the committee to the senate, SO as to pro-
vide for torpedo gunboats and torpedo
boat destroyers with a minimum speed
of thirty knots and torpedo boats with a
minimum speed of twenty-six knots
twenty in number. to cost In all, exclu-
sive of armament, not exceeding "a, ,0O0,-
900. When the vote was taken the
amendment was defeated by vote Of
% 10 8. Inc vote was as IOll0WS:
Yeas-Messrs. Bacon, Brown, Call
Cannon, Carter, Chandler. Davis, Du-
bois, Frye. .Gallinger Gibson, Gordon
Hale, Hawley, Lodge, Mcmillan, Mantle,
Mitchell of Oregon. Morrill,, Perkins.
Platt, Proctor and Squire-23.
Nays-Messrs. Allen. Allison, Baker,
Bate, Berry, Blackburn, Blanchard, But
Ter, Caffery. Clark. CockreIl, Daniel,
Gear, German, Hansbrough, Harris, Hill,
Kyle. Martin, Mitchell of Wisconsin,
Nelson, Palmer, Pasco, PETER. Pettigrew
Pritchard, Pugh, Roach. Sherman,
Shoup, Stewart. Teller. sTurpie Vest. W.
las. WalthaiI. Warren White anu VOL
cott--39. 49,
4 The further Amendments by the COM
80 I, ~