The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-01-06
House Bill Wiping Out an Act of
Colonial Times Passed by the SEN
ate After Brief Debate.
Mr.. CALL TO THE FORE AGAIN
RESOLUTION DEMANDING IMNEDI-
ATE RELEASE OF ~SANGUILLY.
Mr. LIQUIDS Bill to Amend the Laws
ter Discussed by the House.

WASHINGTON. Jan. 5.-The Senate to-
day passed the House bill abclishing the
death penalty in a large number of cases.
The measure is in the line of recent State
laws abolishing capital punishment and APP
plies the same principle to federal offenses.
although the change is not extended TO a
total abolition of the death penalty. The
present laws. which have come down from
colonial times. have a ~sanguinary aspect
and prescribe death for sixty offenses of
various characters. The bill passed to-day
reduces these offenses to five-namely. trea-
son. rape. murder and two offenses apple
able to the army and navy. In all other
offenses hard labor for life is substituted as
the maximum punishment, and even i'm
cases of murder and rape hard labor may
be substituted if the jury states in its YER
dict without capital punishment AS the
bill has passed the House after a long
crusade by Representative Curtis, of New
York, and is amended but slightly by the
Senate, il is likely to go to the President
when the minor disagreements are ar
ranged in conference.
The opening of the Senate. after it's two
weeks holiday recess, was without unusual
incident, the attendance on the floor and In
the galleries being somewhat meager. In
the course of the chaplain's prayer he i'm
voked a restoration of our industries and
the return TO prosperity
Mr.. Hoar called attention TO a petition
from the Massachusetts Historical Society
urging that the old ship Constitution be per-
manently preserved and placed at the
Washington navy yard. where, like Mel
sons famous frigate, Victoria. at Ports
mouth, England. the ship be used as a
naval museum.
Among the bills introduced were those by
Mr.. PETER, of Kansas, Ito improve the
banking business" and by Mr.. Shoup, of
Idaho. to alien ownership of land in Terri
tories.
The first reference to Cuba was in two
resolutions offered by Mr.. Call. The first
| requests the President TO send to the Sem
ate, in secret or open session. as he may
deem best, all reports relating to the con-
demnation TO life Imprisonment in chains
by the Spanish authorities at Havana of
Julio Sanguilly and an American citizen.
The second resolution recites the circum-
stances of Sanguilly'S trial and condemna-
ton and directs the secretary of state to
m his immediate release" The reso-
buttons went over. Mr.. Call stating that he
would make some remarks on them.
MIR. Pettigrew offered a resolution. which
| was agreed to, asking the secretary of the
treasury for Information as to the Bering
a21 ~
, formation as to why only 81 600 was yielded
TO the government in 1896 for the privilege
of taking thirty thousand sealskins.
Mr.. PETER then addressed the Senate.
\ reading from manuscript, on his resolution
for a national monetary commission. The
| resolution recites that, whereas the result
4 of the recent election did not show a ma
| jority of votes favorable to any one none
tary policy, that a commission of five MEM
bers be created to investigate the entire
monetary subject and report within "A year.
Mr.. PETERS speech dealt largely with the
heterogeneous character of various kinds of
our money and the uncertainties of the
present financial system. At the close OF
| Mr.. PETERS speech his resolution was re-
ferred to the finance committee.
A message from the President was re-
ceived transmitting the report OF the sec
rotary of state concerning the death of
/ Charles GOWN. in Cuba.
The bill providing for free homesteads in
| Oklahoma for bona fide settlers. which has
the right of way as unfinished business, -
was laid aside until tomorrow.
MIR. Hoar then called up the bill Ito re-
duce the cases I'm which the penalty of
death be inflicted After brief discussion
the bill was passed as reported.
Mr.. Proctor gave notice that he would
speak next Monday on his resolution ex-
tending the presidential term to six years
and fixing the term o. members of the
House of Representatives at three years.
At 2:25 ID. m. the Senate adjourned.