Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-24
ANOTHERCONFERENCE ASKED
The Senate Disagreed to the
First Report.
ON MOTION OF Mr.. SHERMAN
The Same Conferees, Messrs. Sherman, Nor
gan and Lodge ReappOinted.
TWO MORE RESOLUTIONS INTRODUCED
District of Columbia Business Occupied the
Time of the House-A Communication
From the Mississippi River
Commission.
TWO MORE RESOLUTIONS INTRODUCED

resolutions took the course today IN the
senate to which the current of the debate
has been drifting for some time past.
That is, the conference report was, on
the motion of Mr. Sherman himself, dis
agreed to, and the senate insisted on it's
disagreement to the house substitute for
the senate resolutions, and asked for a
further conference The same conferees
on the part of the senate were reap
pointed-Sherman, Morgan and Lodge
g This disposition of the question does not
however, remove it entirely from the con-
tinued consideration of the senate, for
two resolutions were introduced today
which will keep the matter alive in spite
of the action of the conference commit
tee.
The first was joint resolution by Mr..
Mills. 1t directs the president of the
United States to request the government
of Spain to grant to the people of Cuba
the power of local self government, and
lin case the government of Spain should
refuse) to take possession of the island
of Cuba and to hold it until its inhabi-
tants can institute self government, such
as they may wish to organize, and arm
and equip military forces as may be
necessary to protect them from invasion.
Mr.. Mills Is to speak on this joint reso-
luton tomorrow
The second was a concurrent resolu-
tion introduced by Mr.. Platt, republican.
of Connecticut 1t expresses the earnest
desire and hope of the senate that Cuba
may soon become a free, Independent
and republican government, and requires
that the friendly offices of the United
States shall be offered by the president
to the Spanish government to secure such
result. This concurrent resolution was
referred to the committee on foreign re-
lations.
The legislative, executive and judicial
appropriation bill was taken up and con-
sidered for upwards of two hours-some
thirty out of 1876 pages being disposed of.
The senate at $50 p. m. adjourned until
tomorrow.
Today's session of the house under the
rules was given to District of Columbia
business, but the district calendar was
soon cleared up and the remainder of the
session was spent in consideration of
bill to modify the existing law regarding
the punishment of crimes committed un-
der federal jurisdiction involving the
death penalty so as to allow sentence
to prison for life. After three hours
discussion the passage of the bill was
frustrated by point of no quorum made
by Mr. Barrett, republican, of Massachu-
setts, and the house adjourned until to-
morrow.
In the morning hour bills were passed
authorizing the construction of various
bridges, authorizing the leasing of school
lands in Arizona, exempting logging
trains from the law requiring patent
couplers and air brakes. i
The speaker laid before the house to-
day communication . from Secretary
Lamont submitting a letter from the
president of the Mississippi river COM
mittee. reporting the caving of the west
bank of that river in front of Helena,
Ark. The damage already done is seri-
Gus enough to excite alarm for the safety
of valuable public and private interests.
and it is recommended that $4,000 be
made available to construct the necessa-
ry protecting works.
Secretay Lamont sent to the house to-
day the report of the corps of engineers
giving the estimate of the cost of con-
Structing ship canal from Norfolk, Va,
through the Dismal swamp to Newborne,
N c.. The cost of a 1O-foot waterway is
placed al 81, I'll $50, and the cost of one
feet deep is estimated at S1,364,930. The
report makes no recommendation, simply
calling attention to the fact that the Dis
NAL swamp canal is the property of a
private corporation.
The house committee on election of
president and vice president, through Mr..
John b. Corlss of Michigan, has favora-
bly, reported bill providing for the cleo
tion of United States senators by the peo-
pie.
Senator Hale, leader of the opposition
to the Cuban resolutions, said this after
noon that he did not believe that the con-
ferees could agree upon a report that
would be satisfactory to both houses.
He rather looked upon the Cuban mat
ter as finally disposed of, and said that
it would probably now be left where it
should have been left from the start
with the president This course would,
Mr. Hale added. subserve the public good.
With that out of the way congress would
proceed with the appropriations, and
when they were passed would go home.
He predicted an adjournment as early as
4bo ,,,iddIa af Nav