The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-02-26
CONGRESSIONAL.
ARBITRATION TREATY Dis
CUSSION IN THE SENATE.
Lively Debate In the House Over the
Governments Slow Pay of Claims
Pension for General Stoncman's
widow-Congressiona Resume.

Feb 19.-The Senate adjourned at 8:15
o'clock, after having spent almost eight
| hours in continuous executive session on the
arbitration treaty. No result was accom-
| plished beyond voting down the motion
| made by Senator Nelson to postpone fur
| Their consideration of the treaty until March
| .. The open session of the Senate lasted
only thirty minutes, the proceedings being
largely formal A pension of $50 per month
| was voted to the widow OF the late General
| Stoneman.
| Avery spirited debate on the general sub
| ject 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 appropriation bill,
which was entered upon this morning. Mr..
Richardson of Tennessee called attention
to the apparent inconsistency of an item to
pay the costs of defending suits, and the
| fact that the bill contained no item to
| pay the judgments. This furnished Mr.
| walker of Massachusetts text for 4 lively
speech against the ''niggardly" and dis
| honest" policy of the government, and 4 Sc
| we're arraignment of the committee on rules
| for the tyranny it was said to exercise over
| the proceedings of the House. Mr.. Mahon
| of Pennsylvania, chairman of the war
| claims committee, made the sta tement that
| the House had been frightened by "bogie
man and the just claims against the gov
! erument, instead of aggregating hundreds
of millions, as was frequently stated, could
be discharged with ten millions The con-
sideration of the bill was not completed.
The bill carries SS,441,027.
Feb 10 After a protracted session. last
ing nearly all day, the Senate, by a vote of
80 to A. confirmed the nomination of
Charles +. Amidon to be United States Dis
trlct judge of the District of North Dakota.
This nomination has been contested some
time by Senator Hansbrough of North
Dakota. The open session of the Senate
lasted only twenty minutes, during which
minor business was transacted, the rest of
the day being spent in executive session.
The House, by vote of 1877 to 81 reversed
the finding of a majority of the elections
committee and decided the contested cleo
ton ase of N 7. Hopkins VS.. j. M Kendall,
from the Tenth Kentucky district, in favor
of the Republican contestant Eleven Re-
publcans and three Popuists voted with
the Democrats against unseating Kendall.
Feb. 1.-THE immigration bill now goes
to the President the last legislative step
having been taken in the Senate by an
agreement to the conference report on the
bill Strong opposition was made to the res
port, but on the final vote the friend
of the measure rallied a small ma
jority, the vote being yeas "a, nays 81.
The House, after two hours debate passed
regions of the West 1t opens to use and oc-
cupation under the right of-way act of
March 3. 1891, all the reservoir sites re-
served by the geological survey. There are
13S of these sites scattered throughout the
arid country and this act will enable them
to be put to practical use by individuals or
corporations
Feb. 16.-In the Senate Mr.. Chandler of
New Hampshire spoke for three hours for
bimetallism. 1t was an argument against
single standard of either metal. gold or
silver, and warning against policy of
recommendation. Then the senator turned
to political phases of the question, speaking
in turn of Bryan, of Palmer and of McKin-
ley. Mr.. Palmer sat across the aisle and
was frequently addressed by the speaker
as one who had contributed to the
ection of Mckinley IN contro-
versy between Nh. Chandler and
Mr.. Pettigrew was one of the hottest per-
sonal episodes the senate has had in some
time, the South Dakota Senator declaring
Mr.. Chandler's statements relative to the
violation of pledges at St Louis were
wholly and absolutely false Mr.. Chandler
did not modify his statement, but mutual
explanations restored cordial relations.
The peroration of Mr.. Chandler was an
appeal to the incoming President and his
advisers to heed the needs of the people,
particularly on the money question, and a
warning Oh speedy pO!ltlCdl ulSaSlcr certain
to follow delay.
The House devoted the day. after routine
business had been disposed OF, to the con-
sideration of private pension bills. Thirty
nine bills in all were passed For the first
time this session the House. on Il vote. de-
cllned to override pension veto submitted
to 1t for action. The bill was that to PEN
sion Nancy A. Allabaeh, the widow of Peter |
H. Alladach, of the One Hundred and Thir-
w a.
of $50 per month. The House sustained thu
veto-115 to 90.
Feb. 15.-The Senate was in exc cutive SeS- |
sion most of the day but the open session |
afforded sufficient time for a sharp contro- |
verSy over proceeding with Mr.. MorganS |
resolution to abrOgate the Clayton Bulwer |
treaty. Mr.. Sherman interpoSed numerous |
points of order against Mr.. Morgan and |
when the chair sustained them, the Ala
bama Senator referred to his being vic. |
timized' by the presiding officer and Mr., |
Sherman. Mr.. Stevenson retorted SHARPLY |
that there was no disposition to victmize" |
the Alabama Senator On a vote, Mr.. Nor |
gan carried his point, and the Ciayton-Bul- |
wer resolution was taken up As ii involved |
question of executive business the Senate
went into executive session. At / O'Clock |
the open session was resumed. and some |
progress was made on the bankruptcy bill |
The coup arranged by the House leaders |
for the passage OF the Sundry civil appro- |
priation bill, under suspension of the rules |
was complete success, and this big appro- |
priation bill, carrying $50,644,743, was |
passed without opportunity for amendment |
just as it came from the committee. The |
main opposition was directed against the |
river and harbor items in the bill. Quite |
number of bills were passed of more or less !
importance, among them the Senate bill |
appropriating S250.OO0 for closing the
crevasse at Pass L'Outre, on the Mississippi;
to equip the National Guard with uniform
Springfield rifles Gas caliber), and the Sem
ate resolution to authorize the secretary of |
the navy to transport the contributions of |
the Pacific coast states to the famine suf-
ferers of India.
Feb 13.-This was 4 field day in the House.
The sundry civil appropriation bill was be-
fore that body for general debate. 1t was
used as basis for an attack by Democrats
on the vast appropriation made by this Con-
gress, which Mr.. Sayers and Mr.. Dockery es-
timated would aggregate 81 045. 100000.
The latter paid high tribute to Speaker Reed
and acquitted him of all responsibility for
the large appropriations Once the gate was
opened, the debate naturally drifted into
politics The relative merits Of the Wilson
and Mckinley bills as revenue producers
were attacked and defended the income
tax decision ard Justice Shiras's change of
position came in for a share of attention,