Evening star., 1896-04-06
BY A BIG MAJORITY
Passage Of the Conference Cuban
Resolutions by the House.
RESULT GREETED WITH APPLAUSE
Politics and Small Post Offices
Discussed in the Senate.
RIVER AND HARBOR BILL

There was a very large attendance in the
| galleries Of the House today to witness the
final action on the Cuban resolutions, and
also In anticipation Of an exciting contest
over the attempt to be made to pass the
river and harbor bill under the suspension
| Of the rules. Many of the spectators were
| strangers from New York. Under the agree
ment made Saturday the vote on the adop-
ton OF the report of the conferees on the
Cuban resolutions was the first thing in
order after the reading of the journal
Before Chairman Hit demanded the reg
ular order Mr.. Wadsworth chairman Of
the committee on agriculture, presented for
the information Of the House letter from
the Secretary of Agriculture notifying him
that In Difference to what seemed the
unanimous desire of the House of Repre-
sentatives. he had teiegraphed accepting
the proposition to put the seeds 10 be DIS
| tributed by congressman into packages of
five instead of fifteen packets (malSng o.
O25.OOO packages instead of 6l5,uoo). The
members expressed their qualification by
applauding the announcement
The Cuban Resolutions Adopted.
Mr.. Hit then demanded the regular or
der. The Speaker put the question on the
adoption of the conference report. The
great swelling chorus of ayes was followed
by feeble scattering negative vote, and
the Speaker was about to declare the mo-
tion carried when Mr.. Hit asked for the
yeas and nays. Yielding to the appeals OF
many members, however he withdrew IL.
Mr.. Boutelle (Me.), who had made himself
conspicuous by his opposition to the report,
made no effort to secure the yeas and nays,
and the report would have been dec Jared
adopted had not Mr.. Tucker fNa.), men,
ber Of the foreign affairs committee. wLo
has opposed the Cuban resolutions, at this
juncture stepped forward and demanded
record-making vote, and the roll was called.
The report was adopted, 24t-2I. The am
nouncement was greeted with a great DEM
onstration on the floor, which was taken
up by the galleries.
The River and Harbor Bill.
As soon as the tumult had subsided Mr..
Hooker On. W, chairman of the river and
harbor committee moved to suspend the
rules and pass the river ana harbor bill.
He asked that the reading Of the bill be
dispensed with, but Mr.. Richardson Crenn)
objected to passing a bill carrying millions
of dollars without The formally of read
ing it.
Mr.. Hooker attempted to effect an ar
rangement about the time for debate. Tn.
der the rules, when motion IS made to
suspend the rules but thirty minutes ara
allowed on side, but he asked that The
time for debate be extended 10 3 o'clock.
To this Mr.. Gibson CTenu.) objected, and
the bill was then read.
The reading of the bill consumed one and
one-half hours.
At the conclusion of the reading Mr..
Hooker asked that the time for debate
be extended until o'clock. MIR. Hepburn
Qowa) protested, saying that the bill in-
volNed the appropriation of $63,000,E0.
Some amendments mad teen reported only
this morning, and he submitted that this
extraordinary expenditure should not be
authorized without due debate. He sug-
gested that the time for debate be exten,ied
x Nv ~a1 ia
whether opportunity would he offered for
amendment Being Informed that there
would not be he objected Subsequently he
attempted to withdraw his objection, but
Mr.. Grosvenor (Ohio) renewed ii, and the
debate was entered upon, twenty minutes
being allowed on a side.
The Contract System.
A few minutes were given to Mr.. Burton
(Ohio), a member of the river and haroor
committee, who particularly exploited the
contract system extended by the bill ta
thirty-two new projects.
THE SENATE.
Many Of the Senator's who have been
prominent Of late in the affairs of their
| states were back in the Senate today, includ-
| ing Senators Chandler of New Hampshire.
Harris of Tennessee, Lindsay of Kentucky,
| Palmer of Illinois and Thurston Of Ne.
| braska.
Among the bills favoratly reported was
| one to prevent wholesale divorces in the
territories by requiring one years residence
before application for divorce.
To Pension Gen. Casey's Widow.
Mr.. Frye of Maine introduced bill to PEN
| sion the widow Of Gen. Thomas l.. Casey.
chief engineer of the army, on the retired
| list at slOO per month.
Mr. Allison WAS abouf n ,,rorcai with con.
| sideration of the post office appropriation
| bill when Mr.. Call (F'la.D asked . go on with
| the Cuban resolution offered by him some
days ago, proposing the immediate use OF
| the United States navy to protect American
citizens in Cuba, and TO prevent barbarit.es
Mr.. Allison insisted, however, that the ap-
| preparation bills We're of supreme import
ance, and must be kept to the front.
Mr.. Call then gave notice that he would
| move to take up his Cuban resolutions to-
morrow. Inquiries by Mr. Hale (Maine) as
to the parliamentary status OF the res ol l..
| tions Indicated that Mr.. Call would meet
with opposition in returning to the Cuban
subject.
| Post Office Appropriate atfon Bill.
The post Office appropriation bill was then
| taken up. the pending question being that of
| consolidating country and suburban post
| offices as adjuncts to city or metropolitan
districts.
Mr.. Wolcott advocated the reform as es-
| sential to the vast postal service of the
country, small post offices being created
| at the rate of over 1900 year, and the ag-
| gregate army of 10000 postmasters main
| tanning separate accounts with Washing .on.
He believed the change would do away
with the system of giving post offices as
| rewards for political services, the demo-
| cratic grocery store keeper running the post
office one administration, and the republican
| grocery store keeper running it the next
| administration.
Postmaster General Commended.
Mr.. wolcott said he was by means
| friendly with the present administration.
vet he desired to commend the able and in
telligent conduct Of the postal adnl;nistra-
ton under Postmaster General Wilson.
4 The Senator added that this was a move
| tow ard throwing off the domination Of the
| spoils system from the postal service.
| "Civil service is" he said, largely an
| acquired taste, but any public man who has
| remained here through an opposing admin
| istration and has seen men appointed to
| office as a reward for political dirty work.
| unworthy men, not fit to hold office, many Of
| them unintelligent and unprincipled men,
can appreciate the virtues of civil service" /"
| Mr. Wolcott and Mr. German joined iasua