Connecticut western news., 1897-02-25
ACTION OF CONGRESS.
THE SENATE PROGRESSES SLOWLY
 WITH THE INDIAN BILL.

Confirmation of the New Jersey Postrna.-
 ters Who Were Politically Objection.
 able to Hobart-The House Passes the
 Last of the Appropriation Mensures.
 WASHINGTON. Feb 24. - The senat, made slow progress on the appropriations bill, disposing of only one item of the In dian bill-that directing the opening oi Uncomrahgrc Indian reservation in Utah It involved conflict with the executive branch, which has steadily resisted open. ing these lauds, on the ground that they contained valuable mineral deposits. MT. Villas endeavored to have 0 royalty re- served to the government, but was defeat. ed in this, and the clause was agreed to after long debate.
 During the session resolution by Mir Mills of Texas was adopted asking the president for information as to the death of Dr. Ruiz at Guanabacoa, Cuba
 Mir. Merrill (Rep.) of Vermont an- nounced Cuban speech on Thursday.
 In executive session the senate by a vote of 3s to 23 refused to adopt Senator Sew ell's motion to reconsider the votes by which number of nominations for the offices of postmaster in New Jersey were confirmed few days since. The test vote was taken on the nomination of H. ]. kohlhaas to be postmaster at Paterson, In which there was special interest because of the fact that this is the home of Vice President Elect Hobart, whose name fig ured in the brief debate that rec eded the vote. Mir. Sewell said that Kohlhaas was ob ectionable to Mir. Hobart because he was Democrat, but he refused to say the nominee was personally objectionable to Mir. Hobart The Democrats. Populists and Silver Republicans voted solidly against reconsideration, while the straight Republicans supported the Sewell motion. The vote had the effect of confirming Mir. Kohlhaas, and after tho result was an. nounced Mir. Sewell withdrew his objec- ton to the others involved.
 Civil Service In the House.
 The house passed the naval bill, the last of the appropriation bills, and sent 1t to the senate. Mir. Boutelle, chairman of the naval committee, was in charge of the measure and displayed such skill in Its handling that its provision aroused little opposition, and it was passed practically without amendment.
 Mir. Barrett of Massachusetts made m effort to secure an authorization for a dry dock at Boston to cost Sl, 900, 900, but aft CT somewhat acrimonious debate the amendment was ruled out of order. He then tried to secure tho appointment of a commission to pass on the relative merits of Boston and Portsmouth as location for drydock and was also unsuccessful
 The feature of the session was an ex- ccedingly interesting political debate on the subject of civil service reform. 1t oc- cured during the consideration of bill to permit the governors of the territories to appoint certain officers of the territories in eases of vacancy without the consen; of the legislative councils, which is now re- quired by law.
 IL was prscipitated hy some remarks oi MT. Bailey of Texas, which Tod to de. nunciation of tho law by Delegate Flynn of Oklahoma and General Grosvenor of Ohio. Every time they thrust their weap- ons into the law they were greeted with enthusiastic applause by most of the Re. publicans.
 Mir. Bailey himself boldly declared the law to be a humbug, but he could not re sist the temptation to make political capi tai by suggesting that General Grosvenor, us the representative of the incoming ad. ministration, had given notice that the law was to be repealed
 General Grosvenor parrled this neatly, however, by recalling the fact that his first controversy in the house with Mir. McKin- ley was uvcr this very question. Mir. Bro sius (Rep.) of Pennsylvania, chairman oi the committee on civil service, defended the law and declared that General Grosve- | nor had flashed the sword in the heart oi the president elect" He called attention to Mir. Mckinley's letter of acceptance, In which the president elect said he would take mo step backward, in the matter oi civil service reform