Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-12-23
NATIONAL LAWMAKERS.
Work of the Fifty-Fifth Congress from
bay to Day In Brief.

CHAPLAIN MILnuBN IN his invocation at the
opening OF the senate on the 18th, made q
touching reference TO the death OF President
McKinleys mother Senator Pettigrew Is d.
called up the bill granting to settlers the right
10 make second homestead entries OF 100 acres
and It was passed An agreement to vote on
the immigration bill January II was reached
Senator Butler ~ ca then spoke In favor OF
the amendments he had offered to the bill pro-
viding for postal savings bank system, SEN
ator Perkins Cali introduced bill 10 amend
the paragraph OF the revised statutes relating
TO the appeal on haboQs corpus of criminal
cases to the supreme court OF the United
States, -. In the house the blind chaplain re-
ferred to the death OF Mrs Mckinley In his
prayer and after the legislative, executive and
judicial appropriation bill had been reported
the balance Of the session was spent in adiust-
ing personal dispute between Mr. Hepburn
Qa.) and Mr. Norton (0), which occurred last
week during the debate on the pension bill, us
70 whether the word most" or many" was
used Mr. Hepburn was sustained
THE senate was In session 10 minutes on tho
18th, I'M adjournment being taken out OF respect
TO the president, who was In attendance on his
mothers funeral Senator Kyle Is. D. intro
duced bill TO change the immigration law so
that Immigrants shall be tested MS to their fit
ness to come here by our consuls at the points
nearest their homes instead OF crossing the
ocean and being tested at United States ports.
.,.. The session Of the house was devoted to the
consideration OF the legislative executive and
judicial appropriation bill Mr.. Dockery (Mo)
making a speech on the amazing growth Of the
government expenses during recent years A
petition signed oy citizens Of the Indian terri
tory was presented asking for the opening to
public settlement OF the Kiowa, Comanche and
Wichita Indian reservations. The house, after
being In session for about two hours, then ad-
journed out OF sympathy for the president
THE senate on the 18th passed the bill pro-
hibiting pelagic sealing in Behring seq by
Americans. Senator Mcbride (Ore) endeav-
ored TO secure the adoption OF q resolution ap-
propriating 1850, 700 to relieve suffering miners
In the Klondlke gold region, but 1t was referred
TO the military affairs committee. Senator
Thurston (Neb,) introduced q bill for the revi-
sion of the sales Of the Otoe and Missouri In
dian reservation lands In Kansas and Nebraska
and to confirm titles under said sales Thecen-
sus bill was then taken up and spirited civil
service debate took place The house spent
the day considering the legislative, executive
and judicial appropriation bill. Only one
amendment OF Importance was adopted. It re-
duced the clerical force Mt the pension office %,
involving q reduction in salaries OF Sll50OO
Mr.. DeArmond (Mo) made an impassioned
speech, reproducing the majority for not yot-
ing upon the CuuAn bellgerency resolution
passed by the senate at the last session, after
which the debate driited to the civil service
question,
THE senate on the 10th passed n joint resou
ton appropriating $3.50 900 for the relief Of suf
fering miners in Alaska, Senator Wolcott
tCol) chairman of the bimetallic commission
which went to Europe, promised to explain the
work Of the commission in speech after the
holiday recess The house joint resolution
providing for recess Of congress from Deem
Der IS, 1897, to January Is, 1903, was adopted
The house passed bill appropriating $4,000
for the relief Of people suffering In the Yukon
river country and also the bill passed by the
senate to prohibit pelagic sealing by American
citizens. An hour was spent on the legislative,
executive and judicial appropriation bill with
out accomplishing much The bankruptcy bill
was reported by the judiciary committee Mr..
Ray IN. W introduced bill regulating d.
vorces and to make them conform to the law OF
New York, which is considered the best Of any
state code. Mr.. Smith Qll) introduced bill
to permit the naturalization Of Americani2ed
Chinese Of good repute. The currency bill
framed by Secretary Gage was then introduced
by Chairman Walker, Of the banking and cur
rency committee
A SPIRITED debate occurred in the senate on
the 18th over the report OF the committee to
investigate the use Of alcohol In the arts.
Senator Hoar (Mass) favored q reduction Of
the tax and putting an additional tax OF Il on
beer to make up for It, but Senator Vest (Mo)
strenuously opposed any additional tax on
beer A joint resolution to participate in the
international fisheries exposition in Norway
next year was passed The senate bill for the
relief OF the Klondike miners was substituted
for the house bill and conference committee
appointed Under special order 1888 pension
bills were passed. Eulogies on the death OF
Representative Holman Qnd.) were then made
and the senate afterwards adjourned out of re-
spect to his memory .,.. The house completed
the consideration of the legislative, executive
and judicial appropriation bill, excepting the
paragraph relating to the civil service Mr..
Bartholdt (do,) read q protest from the Ma
tional American Turnerbund against restrict
ing immigration, Mr. Curtis Q<an.) intro
duced bill for the construction of railroad
through the Indian territory and Oklahoma to
run from Fort Gibson, 1. T., to Vernon, Tex