The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-20
LOOKS MIGHTY BLUE
Continued from First Pase.)

took up the general deficiency bLl and
defeated several attempts by Chairman
Cannon OF the appropriations committee
10 limit debate on il. The consideration
Of the bill was not completed. The bill.
carries SS.4f1, 027. Representative Grow
OF Pennsylvania made a strong speech in
favor Of free homes which. he said. had
been pocketed by the COMMITTEES on pub
lie lands.
Washington, Feb. 19.-The house again
| today stood by the policy adopted a few
days ago in the case of the widow of
| Major General Stoneman. in king the rate
! of her pension al $50 per month, by re-
| jecting a conference report granting a
pension OF SIS per month TO the widow
OF Major General Joseph B. Carr. An
effort was made by Mr.. Cannon 20 fix 4
limit for debate on the general deficiency
appropriation bill under consideration.
Mr.. Grow Rep.. Pa), however. de-
clined to agree. and when the house
again went into committee he secured
| the floor in his own right. He proceeded
10 discuss the free homes bill, which was
| pocketed by the committee on public
| lands He spoke feelingly OF his part in
| the passage of the original homestead
act Of 1862. For ten years he had advo-
Gated that measure in season and out OF
season, and he said he could not allow
| this session to close without calling at
| tention to the fate of the free homes bill
| now slumbering in the committee. Mr..
| Grow spoke for an hour. General debate
| was then Closed, but an agreement was
reached to allow one and a half hours
| on a side for debate on the Southern Pa
| c:fic isem.
The items appropriating money for the
payment of special attorneys fees for de-
| Tending the interests of the United States
in the court OF claims were made the ba-
| sis Of an attack by Mr.. Richardson Dem.
Temp on the policy of the government
paying the attorneys fees but declining
| TO pay the judgment of the court when
| it was against the United States He
| urged that the appropriations committee
| should have brought in an appropriation
| to pay the findings under the Bowman
| act amounting TO about 5000. 000).
| This opened up the whole question as
| to the payment Of just claims and led
| Mr.. Walker Rep., Mass) TO make a
| bitter assault upon the legislative meth
| DDS adopted 10 prevent consideration Of
just claims.
IN Gods name" he exclaimed, "how
| are We to get our rights?"
| Mr.. Sayers dem. Tex) created a
| laugh by replying that the Republicans
had the power to change the rules. He
| branded the rules Of the house as a sys-
| tenn OF tyranny and described how men,
| bers who sought the committee on rules
i
'cool their heels" while one member OF
| the committee intimated that the mem
| bers were boring him.
| With imoassioned speech ne denounc-
| ed the system, appealing to members
4 about him 10 bear testimony TO the fact
| that they had no opportunity TO bring
up measures for which their districts
| were clamoring. He declared that the
| treatment of our creditors had become
| national scandal. 1t was the duty Of
! the ways and means committee. he sad,
| to prepare a tariff bill that would raise
sufficient revenue TO pay the government
| debts. Many of the claims were old, but
| they would be much older before they
were paid unless there was a radical
| change of policy.
L
same line. He said the house for years
| had been terrorized by "bogie man; -
| they were told that il would require hun
| dreds Of millions to pay claims against
the government, once the policy Of paying
| them was entered upon. He said he had
| made a careful examination Of all the
| claims paid since the war and they
| amounted 10 $40. 900, 600. With so. 900 900
| more a commission could wipe out every
| just claim. OF the millions of claims
| filed the court had allowed but s1z per
| cent. The house should either pay the
| claims or abolish the court Of claims.
| Mr.. Grosvenor defended the rules Of
the house. He repudiated the assertion
that the house had not the power to ex-
ecute is viii That might be a plausible
| excuse to go 20 the country. for those
who sought to evade their responsibility.
The only tyranny here was the inertia Of
| the house Itself. So far as the payment
OF the governments just obligations was
| concerned. he felt as Mr.. Mshon did. but
| he insisted that there was no rule that
strangled action If the house was ready
| for action.
Mr. Grosvenor went on TO point out, as
an instance. that today, II they had been
| so disposed. a majority Of the house
might have proceeded with the private
| calendar instead Of taking up the def
cheney bill.
Mr. Boatner Dem. Lao thought that
| II was about time TO throw off the dis
| euise in the mater Of the southern war
claims. The other side. ne said, refused
10 believe in the loyalty Of the claimants.
| Messrs. Meredith Dem. Va. Tracy
| Rep.. MOI and Shsfroth Rep., Co-o)
| also participated in the debate
Mr. Cannon. in closing the discussion.
said he did not mind the ''scold' Of the
/ gentleman from, Massachusetts. but he
| would call attention 70 the fact that the
| house made the rules and the speaker
| would be rerniss in his duty 20 the house
| IL ne neglected 70 insist upon ruling Out
amendments which did not come within
| the rule.
Withou: completing the consideration
Of the bill. the house. al O'Clock. took
a recess until S O'Clock, the evening ses-
sion to be devoted to private pension
legislation.
The evening session OF the house was
consumed in roll cas- on points q 70
ouorlIrns and motions 20 adjourn. and an
Adjournment was finally taken a. 10
% clock without any bills having been
acted upon.
For that tired feeling Hoods ssrsa-
parilla mas 10 equal II invigoratez the
whole body.
VENEZUELAN ARBITRATION
- rh., R~opslIe Meets To-day ard