The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1897-02-25
WORK OF U0NGELS5
TIE WEEKS 90 NGS IN SENATE
AND HCuCE.
A Comprehensive Digest of the FRO
cecdings in the Legislative Cham
bers at Washington Matters that
Concern the People.
Lawmakers ~ Labcr.

Lawmakers ~ Labcr.
General debate on the sundrr civil bill.
| closed Saturday in the House. The bill
was used as n basis for an attack by the
! Democrats on the vast appropriations:
made by this Congress. which Mr. s'ayerS
and Mr.. Dockery estimated would ag,re-
gate 81 100000. Once the gate was
opened. the debate naturally drifted into
| politics. The relative merits of the Me
Kinley and Wilson bills as revenue pro-
ducers We're attacked and defended. The
| income tax decision and Justice Shiras
change of position came III for share OF
attention. and Mr.. De Almond MOI CON
cluded the day with brilliant plea for
| struggling Cuba. which won from the
House shouts of approval. The Senate
did nothing of Importance.
The sundry civil appropriation bill. car
rying $3O.644.143. was passed by the
House Monday just as it came from the
| committee. The main opposition was di-
rected against the river and harbor item
in the bill Quite a number of other bills
were passed of more or less Importance.
among them the Senate bills appropriat-
ing S200.OOO for closing the crevasse at
Pass a FOutre on the Mississippi. and to
| equip the National Guard with uniform
Springfield rifles. 45-caliber, and the Sen
ate resolution to authorize the Secretary
of the Navy to transport the contribu-
tions of the Pacific coast States to the
famine sufferers of India. The report in
the contested election case of Benoit
against Boatner from Louisiana. confirm
ing the latter's title to his seat. was unan-
imOusly adopted. The conference report
on the diplomatic and consular apDropria-
ton bill was adopted and the agricultural
bill was sent to con ference. Owing TO the
brief time of this session yet remaining.
extra night sessions were decided upon.
for the consideration of private pension
bills, of which many hundred still re-
main on the calendar. The Senate was
in executive session most of the day. Some
progress was made on the bankruptcy bill.
In the Senate Tuesday Mr. Chandler de-
liyered a carefully prepared speech in ad-
vOcacy of bimetallism. 1t was an areu-
ment against a single standard of either
gold or silver. and warning against a
policy of monometallism. Nothing else
of Importance was done. For the first
time this session the House declined to
override pension veto submitted to It
for action. The bill was that to pension
Nancy &. Allabach, the widow of Peter
II. Allabach, of the One Hundred and
Thirty-hrst Pennsylvania volunteers. al
the rate of $50 per month. The House
sustained the veto by 1I5 to 20, the requis-
ite two-thirds not voting for the bill.
The immigration bill is now in the hands
of the President, the last legislative step
having been taken in the Senate Wednes-
DAY by an agreement to the conference
report on the bill. Strong opposition was
made to the report, but Oh the final vote
the friends of the measure rallied q small
majority, the vote being: Yeas, "a: nays
81. The bill as passed extends the immi-
grafton restrictions against "All persons
physically capable and over 16 wears of
age who cannot readj jand write the Eng
lish language or some other language: but
person not so able TO read and write who
is over % years of age and is the parent
or grandparent of qualified immigrant
over Il years of age and capable of sup
porting such parent or grandparent may
accompany such immigrant or such par
ent or grandparent may be sent for and
come to join the family of child or
Grandchlld over u years of age. similarly
qualified and capable. and Il wife or minor
child not SO able to read and write may
accompany or be sent for and come to
JOIN the husband or parent similarly quail
flied and capable"
The Senate adjourned at G:3O Thursday
night. after spending six hours in execr-
tive session devoted to the consideration
OF the nomination of &. +. Amdon to be
district judge of North Dakota. and OF
the AnSlo-American arbitration treaty.
Mr.. Villas has secured the passage by the
Senate Of the Senate bill ito extend the
use of the mail service" 1t provides foI
using patent postal card and envelope.
with coupons attached. The Postmaster
General is authorized to suspend the svs
tn::i if it proves unsatisfactory on a test.
The House. by Il vote of 1871 to 81. reyers
ed the finding Of majority of the eec-
tons committee and decided the contest
ed election case of y. I. Hopkins vs.. !.
NJ. Kendall from the tenth Kentucky dis
trict in favor of the Republican contest
ant Eleven Republicans and three Pop
ulists voted with the Democrats against
unseating Kendall.
The Senate adjourned at S:15 O'Clock
Friday night. after having spent almost
eight hours in continuous executive ses-
sion OH the arbitration treaty. No result
was accomplished beyond voting down
the motion made by Senator Nelson to
postpone further consideration of the
treaty. A very spirited debate on the
general subject of the payment of claims
found to be due against the United States
was INDUCED in by the House during the
consideration of the general deficiency ap-
preparation bill. Mr. Richardson (Tenn.I
had called attention to the apparent in
consistency of an item to pay the costs of
defending suits, and the fact that the bill!
contained no item to pay the judgments
Mr.. Mahon pa, chairman of the War
Claims Committee. made the statement
that the House had been frightened by
'bogie man." and the just claims against
the Government, instead of aggregating
hundreds of millions, as was frequently
stated, could be discharged with $4,000
900. The consideration of the bill was
not completed. The bill carries IS, AL
OPT.
Odds and Ends.
The film or soap bubble is the 2,5Q0,-
OOOth of an inch in thickness