The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-02-23


FOR y ONE. CENT yI.ETrEP RATE.
Washington, Feb. 22.-,rhe annual
senatorial observance of Washinpton's
birthday by hearn" his farewell address
read by one of the leading elocutionists
of the Senate took place to-day in the
presence OF II large audience, Mr.. Daniel.
OF Virginia, being the reader chosen fo.
the occasion.
The remainder ul the day was occupied
in the consideration of the Indian appro-
priaton bill, which was not concluded at
the time of adjournment.
Another of President Clcvcland's vctocs
OF private pension bills drew out from
several Senators II rather virulent con.
dcnnation of the Presit!ent-Mr Morgan.
ut Alabllnn, contrasting the small aggrc-
gate amount of all the private pension
bills passed at this Congress with the
large sum paid to 1.-THE bond svndicate. -
aud Mr.. Gallinger, of New Hampshire,
characterized such vetoes as ''trivial and
foolish
The veto WAS referred TO the committee
on pensions.
Just on the eve OF adjournment for the
day the Loud bill, to amend the postal
laws, was reported back from the post
office committee by Mr.. Chandler of New
hampshire, with amendments, including
one ioi one-ccnt letter postage. The bill
ana report were antaGOniHcd by two Pop
ulist SenatorS-Butler, of North Cnroliua.
ana Stewart, of Nevada There is no
chance of definite action upon it during
this Congress.
y resolution was adopted fixing the
daily hcur of meeting or and after We'd
nesday next ut ii. IN.
The Senate nt Il 1, m nj io,r,..J
IN THE HOUSE.
y few weeks ago only the House was
the scene OF IL prolonged debate full of
bitterness and personal, accusation con
corning the Pacific railroads refundinr
bill! To-day another opportunity for !.
display OF temper and recrimination on
theShmcsibjccu was given in theconsder-
alton Of paragraph in the deficiency bill
hppropriatiug 81, 300, 0JO to pay "a judr
ment of the court of claims in favor of
the Southern Pacific, but the matter was
considered in IL rather digniiied manner
with merely il suggestion of feeling. Mr..
Sayrrs, of Texts, led the opposition to
the appropriation, taking the ground.that
che Southern Pacific controlled 'thc Cen.
trail Pacific road, and should not he pnid
any money while the latter stood so deep
~ indebted To the Government The
House, IN committee OF the Whole, re-.
fused to strike out the paragraph in uues.
ton, and also declined to make some
minor amendments.
Later on, Mr. S;tycr cndeavorcd to have
the deficiency bill sent back to the com
mittee on appropriations with instruc-
tions to strike out the Pacific railroad
paragraphs, but was defeated on ave and
nay vote The deficiency bill was passed
with few changes i'm its provisions. The
inf of
members sums deducted from their si,lu-
ries for absence was eliminated, as were
likewise items providing for the payment
OF ahnua salaries to political employees
conceded the Democrats by the majority
conference report on the bill appropri-
ating $3.50, 900 for closing the crevasse II,
Pass a. L'Outre, La, was presented and
agreed to-
Mr.. Boutelle, the chairman of the naval
committee, succeeded in getting up the
naval appropriation bill before adjourn.
ment, and after he had explained its pro-
visions considerable progress in its read
ing was made before the end OF the days
session, which came at 500 o'clock.
No exercises in celebration OF Washing.
ton S birthday took place IN the House
n nus explanation of the naval appro-
nrlation bill, Mr.. Boutelle referred to the
afmor plate question and told how the
committee had arrived at its conclusions
regarding the plate. Congress had pro-
Vlueu ;tt It's last session that no contracts
should be made for armor for the three
Dattlcships then authorized until the
Secretary of the Navy could investigate
ana make report on the cost of manu-.
iacturlng armor. That report had been
made at this session, and the committee
on naval affairs, by providing that the
total cost of armor for the three Ships
should not exceed $400 Il ton had followed
the report. 1t was far..to SAY thar the
manufacturers of armor plate did not
agree with the Secretarv's conclusions.
put the Secretary said he had given his
best Judgment, and the committee, with.
out attempting to fix the price them
selves, had most wisely accepted the re.
port of the Secretary of the Navy as com
ing III the nature of departmental esti-
mate.
Concerning the action of the commit Zee
in leaving out an appropriations for new
shlps, MIR. Boutelle explained that that
omission represented in no possible sense
laNlty on the part of the committee i'm
pushing forward the building of tie new
navy. The committee had done so out OF
consideration of the national finances, pri-
marty SO out of consideration of what it
believed to be the present temper of the
house and on account of the inability to
obtain armor for the three battleships
now on the stocks.
I