Birmingham state herald., 1897-03-04
ONLY 4 FEW SHORT HOURS And Congress Will Have Ceased
 Operations. LONG WORKING SESSIONS Which Lasted Far Into the Nght-COnference Committee Reports Rushed Through
 On Fast Mail Time.

ness Of the senate LOuay was prlHclpdlly in connection with conference reports The first to be presented was on the ap- propriation bill for the District of Co., lumbia. It was a final report, however, as the conferees had failed to report an agreement on the series of senate amend ments appropriating various sums for the charitable institutions of the city The partial report was agreed to and further conference was ordered.
 The next conference committee report was on the bill to amend the laws relat- ing to navigation. This is the bill for which Senator Frye, republican, of Maine was denounced on the idea that it restored fiogging in the American mer- chant marine. In his explanation today he showed that the object of the bill was to relieve sailors who were subjected to assault or imprisonment on the part of a captain or officen from the onus of proof that the assault was inspired by "nalice, hatred or revenge"--words used In existing law. He also showed that f1ogging in the American merchant ma rine was prohibited by an act passed III 1850; so that those who made sucn a charge against him were, he said fools or insane. The conference report was agreed to.
 The conference report final, was made on the postoffice appropriation bill ana was agreed to without any question or discussion. That on the Indian appro- priation bill was only partial. further conference was ordered on these unad- justed matters
 The next conference report acted upon was on the bill relating to copyrights which Mir Platt, republican, of Conncti- cut, stated had nothing to do with news papers and only prohibited the false use of the word copyrighted" The report was agreed to.
 The conference report on the naval ap- propriation bill gave rise to long dis cussion and was finally agreed to and a new conference ordered. The contro- verted matters that were left open were as to the increase of the navy by torpedo boats, and the limitation of the price of arnlor plate to $500 per ton.
 In the interim between action on the conference reports, house bills on the cal endar unobjected to were taken up and quite number of them were passed
 At { o'clock the senate took recess
 NICHE SESSION.
 The senate resumed it's session at D. m., but in the absence of quorum there was no attempt to transact busi- mess. The senators who were present beguiled the time in chatting with each other and the crowds in the galleries sat waiting patiently for the proceedings to begin. At o'clock quorum was ob- tained.
 The vote was taken on the bill vetoed by the president granting a pension to Rachael Patton and resulted, yeas, 3S; nays, 10. So the bill was passed over the presidents veto
 Another vetoed pension bill-lthat granting pension to Caroline D. Mowatt was passed over the presidents veto by vote of 39 to '.
 MT. Cullom announced that he would forego any further attempt to pass the anti-scalping bill, owing to the strain un- der which senators had been of late and the certainty that the bill could not pass without material amendment.
 MT Quay republican,, of Pennsylvania, having several times suggested the ab- sence of a quorum thus necessitating roll call, and quorum each time appear ing, led MT. Hoar, republican, of Massa- chusetts, to enter a vigorous protest against his dilatory tactics.
 'It-was never intended, he said, that the rules should be put into the power of one man to prevent eighty-nine men do- ing business-one man who in some con ceivable case might be under the influ- ence of liquor. and think then"
 MT. Quay-'I desire to say to the sem ator from Massachusetts that if he in- tends to intima te that I am under the influence of liquor he-''
 MT. Hoar'T make no such intma- tion, MT. President"
 MT. Quay-"Is lunatic or liar and I will not tolerate a suggestion of that
 
 setts or any one else. I am doing what I am doing in the interest of my constit- uents"
 Mir. Hoar repeated his disclaimer of any personal allusion to Mr. Quay, to which the Pennsylvania senator replied with remark, cotto voce, that the mere suggestion was a filthy one"
 2:20 a. m.-The final conference re- ports on the Indian and the District of Columbia appropriation bills were pre- sented and agreed to. By vote of A to 6 the senate took up the bill for the appointment of a labor commission The bill was discussed until after o'clock and was then passed, with an amend ment providing for report by the com mission withintw years.
 A resolution offered by MT. Allison, was agreed to, providing that the stand ing and select committees of the senate as now constituted, be continued until their successors are selected
 A final agreement on the sundry civil bill was reached by the conference and agreed to in both houses.
 The appropriation of $150,000 for new survey of the Nicarauguan canal is per nitted to remain.
 Senate amendments relative to the con struction of public buildings at Charles Norfolk, Va, extending the limit of the building to $250,000 and appropriating $100,000 are agreed to.
 The river and harbor items in the bill nave peeH dBTteu to, the Senat rceQlng from their reduction of 25 pr cent and agreeing to reduction of 12h per cent from the amount appropriated by the house.
 IN THE HOUSE.
 The crush of visitors to the inaugural ceremonies in the galleries and corri- dors and the nervous haste and energy displayed by the leaders of the house in the management of the big appropria- tion bills still remaining undisposed of, spoke even more plainly than words to- day of the near approach of the close of this congress and the administration All the proceedings today were in con. tinuation of the legislative day of Tues. day, and 1t is probable that no adjourn ment will be taken until adjournment sine die is announced tomorrow al noon When the house re-assembled at 10:30 MT. Sherman, (rep of New fork), called up the conference report on the Indian appropriation bill which the senate re-