The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-03-10
Congressional Proceedings.

bill was passed providing for the adjust
ment of labor troubles between carriers of
interstate commerce and their employers
1t requires the commissioners of labor and
chairman of the Interstate commerce COM
mittee, in case OF trouble between rail
road company and its employees to make au
effort to settle 1t by Cancellation. Failing
in this, board Of arbitration is 10 take hold
OF the matter, both parties to be bound by
its award. Senate bill prohibiting the i'm.
poItaton OF impure and unwhoesome tea
was also passed.
SATURDAY.-Iu the Senate Mr.. Hoar of
Massachusetts introduced a bill making it
an offence, punishable by fine of 81 900 for
Senator or member Of the House of Rep
resentativeS or member elect OF eli her
body to obstruct the constitutional powers
OF Congress. The measure Is designed to
meet possible emergency by which con-
Ger ed absence, failure to qualify, etc,
would paralyze the functions of Congress.
Mr.. Hoar said there was no present danger
in this regard, and for this reason the meas
ure was opportune to avoid menacing con.
ditions which might arise. The controversy
between the knights Of Labor and the
Metropolitan Street Railway Company OF
the District OF Columbia, over the discharge
OF employees aroused q general discussion
OF labor questions. Mr. Allen OF Nebraska
endeavored to secure reconsideration OF the
bill granting extension of the Metropolitan
Company's lines. He read letters from Mas
ter Workman Sovereign and other Knights
Of Labor officers az to the discharge Of
sire IT railway employees because they be-
longed TO labor organizations. The opposi-
ton to the bill was based mainly on this
labor controversy. Mr.. Mcmillan of Michi-
gan, Chairman Of the District Committee,
said the Knights of Labor officers had been
given hearing, and the conclusion
was reached that this measure was
in the interests of the public, which
ha nj oo al u,ith al aral
questions. Mr.. Gallinger of New H4mp-
shire declared that Mr.. Aliens stock OF
transformation was monumental, and he
was stirring up tempest in teapot"
This bill had been carefully considered and
was fully understood. I" / have no doubt it
is fully understood by the Senator from New
Hampshire" said Mr.. Allen holly. II
have no doubt he is ready to line up with a
street railway company against its en-
ployees." After considerable sparripg the
matter was dropped and the Senate turned
its attention to the report of the finance
committee on the investigation of bond
issues, directed at the last session of Con-
gress. - In the House practically all
business was transacted under a suspension
of the rules. Mr. Sherman OF New York,
Chairman of ths Committee on Indian
| Affairs, moved that the House non-concur
in the Senate amendments to the Indian
| Appropriation bill and agree to a confer
ence. Mr.. Flynn, delegate from Oklahoma,
made the point that the Senate amendments
must be considered in committee of the
whole. His point was directed against the
amendment which changed the territorial
boundary line of Oklahoma and attached
1000 square miles, now part of that terri
tory, to the Indian Territory.
SuNDAY.-The Senate was in session for
several hours. Business went on as usual,
except that there was noticeable absence
of Cuban agitation. An open session of the
! United States Senate on a Sunday after
noon is such a remarkable and unusual oc-
currence and so much at variance with the
religious sentiment of the country that
| crowds were attracted to the north wing OF
the Capitol an hour before three O'Clock
| Sunday afternoon, the time to which the
Senate at half past two o'clock in the morn
| ing had taken a recess. 1t was strictly q
| business session, most of the time being
| spent in considering the sundry civil appro-
priation bill. The first of the amendments
considered appropriated $1,0S5,156 to pay
| the producers of sugar the balance of their
claims for bounty under the Mckinley law
On this Mr.. Vest of Missouri demanded the
yeas and nays and was agreed to-37 to IL
| The next amendments were those making
| appropriations for the great river and har.
Dor improvements under contracts author
| lied by former river and harbor bills, the
various amounts being generally reduced
| by the committee about twenty-five per cent
from the figures fixed by the House. Eight
or nine pages OF these amendments were
disposed of without much debate, but the
item appropriating 100000 to prevent the
Mississippi river from breaking into the
Cache river near Cairo, ILL.,, provoked and
extended the discussion. The amendment
was adopted. After adopting several new
| amendments, including that dividing the
state of Vermont into customs collection
districts, with ports and collectors at New
port and Burlington, the bill was passed.
MoNDAY.-The District Of Columbia ap-
preparation bill passed the Senate. 1t APP
propriates 81, 444 ,667, an increase Of 81 $780,
866 over the amount as the bill passed the
House and an increase Of 81 ,544 1858 over the
| bill for the current fiscal year. Half the
amount is to be paid out of the treasury OF
the United States and half out Of the district
revenues. The Senate spent several hours
| in discussing the naval appropriation bill
| No vote on the measure was reached. In
| executive session the following nominations
| were confirmed: I. r. Allen, postmaster at
Fair Haven, VT; Giles Y. Crenshaw, mar
shall for the western district of Missouri,
and w. w. Follett, consulting engineer OF
| the United States ON the international
| (water) boundary line commission, provided
for in the convention with Mexico Of March
| l. 1889. - In the House the Senate
amendments to the civil appropriation bill
were disagreed to and conference W as Or
| dered. The same action was taken In the
Senate amendments to the post-office ap-
preparation bill. The anti-prize fight bill
was discussed for two hours and was finally
tabled until ten o'clock on Tuesday.
TUEsDAY.-The Senate joint resolution
| for the prevention of the introduction and
spread of contagious and infectious dis
eases into the United States passed the SEN
ate, Gin view of the alarming nature and
spread of the bubonic plague, now preva-
lent in India and adjacent countries, and in
| view OF the danger of this scourge being
| brought to the United States" 1t gives the
| secretary of the treasury discretion to es-
tablish quarantine in special stations at any
domestic port. Consideration of the def
cheney bill was resumed. Mr.. Vest of Mis-
souri, offered an amendment which was
agreed to, directing the secretary of the
treasury to pay amounts Of the DEGREES OF
| the Court of Claims under what is known
as the Bowman act amounting in the aggre-
| gate, to 1857 800. Various other items were
| added to the Vest amendment. The Senate
spent several hours in executive session.
- In the House the time was spent in
| discussing the naval and District of Column
bia appropriation bills. The Senate amend
ment to the deficiency bill to pay sugar
bounty claims amounting to 81 .085 900 was
concurred in by a vote OF SO to 63.
WEDNEsDAY.-In the Senate conference
| rapnrt waa nraaentad and apraed In IA