The herald., 1896-06-02
IN THE HOUSE
Bill Passed Under Auspices Of the Rules.
Contest Decided

Contest Decided
WASHINGTON, June 1.-This was
suspension day in the house and num-
ber of minor bills were passed under
suspension of the rules. The Johnston
Stokes election contest from the Seventh
district of South Carolina, was settled
by the adoption of a substitute for the
committees report offered by Mr.. Nc
Call of Massachusetts, chairman of the
elections committee, which declared that
there had been no election and the seat
was vacant.
Mr. KEN (Neb) in accordance with
his announced policy of obstruction.
raised the point of no quorum. 1t took
ten minutes for the speaker to count a
quorum, when he remarked "the chair
hopes members will be present promptly
hereafter and save these annoyances.
The bill for validating certain terri
torial bonds of New Mexico was passed
with senate amendments, but will have
to be again acted upon by the senate
on account of parliamentary error. The
Phillips bill for an industrial commission
and the bill for funding all obligations
of Arizona were also passed.
Mr.. Phillips chairman of the commit
tee on labor, called up his bill to create
an industrial commission of twelve
members, three representatives each of
labor, agriculture, manufacture and
business, salaried at $4,000 each, each
member to have a legal adviser at $4,000,
the duties of the commission being to
investigate questions pertaining to i'm
migration and other subjects mentioned
and to recommend legislation to con-
gress. The bill was opposed by Mr.. Bart
lett (Dem., N. ", advocated by Messrs
Henderson (Rep.. Iowa), Stewart Rep.,
N. -, Belknap. Rep. Ill.), Howe (Rep.,
N. W, and passed without opposition,
The bill to give Jurisdiction over the
offenses in Indian Territory to the
United States courts of Arkansas, Kan
sas and Texas was defeated, 63-6
The bill for funding all outstanding
obligations of the Territory of Arizona
and it's counties, municipalities and
school districts, was passed.
An attempt was made to pass the bill
for the reorganization of the Indian Ter
ritory. based on the Dawes commission
report, and the amendments by Mr..
Curtis, but on account of the lack of a
quorum, the house adjourned at 5:45
p. m.
The report Of the majority of the house
committee on commerce in favor of the
Nicaragua canal signed by nine members
was submitted to the house today by
Mr.. Sherman of New York. It deals
with the canal project from the financial
and engineering standpoints and partic-
ularly analyses the report fthe govern
ment board, of which Col. Ludlow was
chairman. The questions proposed for
ibility, permanence and the construction
of the canal. The first two questions
are said to have been definitely settled
in the affirmative. The modification of
the company's project suggested by the
board is said to look to results desirable
at some other time, but which the com
pany deems best to defer until ffne de-
mands of commerce require a larger
accommodation so that they may be
accomplished when the canal is in ope-
ration and p revenue accruing to make
the charge less onerous. To have charged
the railroad system of this country in
it's insipiency with the cost of the heavy
superstructure and equipment now in
use would have been injurious. The
deepening and widening of the Suez
canal after its building is quoted as a
precedent.
The report impeaches the committees
estimates Of unit prices of work on the
canal by exhaustive quotations from
statements of engineers. Whether the
depth of the canal and harbor shall be
thirty feet at the outset, whether four
locks shall be used instead Of three,
whether the water elevation should be
10 feet instead of 106 and other differ
ences between the commission and the
company are said to be details depend
ing upon whether the policy of the MAX
ing preparation for all demands for all
time to come is adopted. Because of it's
testimony on unit prices the report re-
duces the estimates of cost, on the basis
of the boards plans. from $13S, 900, 900 to
S102, ,000,0 000 but holds that 500, ,00O, 900 will
be an ample appropriation. Stress is
laid upon. the prospective benefits Of the
canal to the Pacific coast states and the
Allegheny coal mining and iron inter-
ests. In conslusion the report says that
the board of engineers have stated that