Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-12-16
CONGRESSIONAL NEWS

| Washington, Dec. 1.-THE first reg
ular session of the fifty-fifth congress
assembled at noon. Speaker Reed pre-
siding in the house and Vice President
Hobart in the senate. The preliminar-
les were Of the usual routine character.
The presidents message was read In
both houses and a bill for postal saw
ings banks was among, the few
measures presented.
Washington, Dec. I'm the SEN
ate Mr.. Walthall (dem., Miss.) pre-
scented the credentials Of D. ID.
Money of Mississippi, to succeed the
ate Senator George. Mr.. Money was
sworn in. An interesting contest for
precedence in the consideration of the
Lodge Immigration bill and the pro-
posed legislation to confer author
ity upon the president to act for the
protection of the governments inter
est at the sale of the Kansas Pacific
then occurred.
Washington, Dec. 1.-THE session
sklrmish over tie question OF dis
tributing the presidents message to
the various committees clothed with
jurisdiction over the subjects dealt
with The conflict OF authority came
between the ways and means commit
tee and the banking and currency
committee. The battle ragged all
along the line. During the debate Mr.
Glosvenor (rep., o. fired the first gun
against the civil service law, and this
brought the friends and enemies of
that measure into action. He heartily
agreed with the president, that there
were places in the classified service
which ought to be exempt" Il am
glad" said Mr.. Grosvenor, Ito go that
far with the president, even If / am
compelled to part company with him
when he says the civil service system
has the official sanction of the people,"
His remarks in denunciatlon of "life
tenure in Office" were met with up
roarious applause.
Mr.. Brosius chairman of the COM
mittee of civil service, defended the
law and thought any attempt to legls-
late upon the question must be re-
garded as an indignity to the execu-
tive. Mr.. Bailey (dem., Tex) COM
nended Mr.. Grosvenor's utterances
against the building up OF an Office
holding class in this country. Mr..
johnson (rep., Ind.) in a ringing warn
! ing declared that ii the bill to emas-
culate the civil service law passed it
would meet presidential veto. Mr.
Grosvenor he charged with being de-
relict to his duty as republican. That
party, he said, was unalterably pledged
to support the law. No portion of
the presidents message met with more
that relating to civil service More
over he said it was mistake to i'm
agine that the sentiment of the coun-
try was opposed to 1t. The law is
heartily approved by all except few
degenerate politicians" who opposed
it from selfish motives. During the
progress of the debate Messrs. Walker
and Johnson consulted with Dingley
and modification of the resolution of
distribution was agreed upon. 1t
jurisdiction over all matters in the
message relating to revenue, bonded
debt of the United States and to
tt eaties of the United States affect
ing revenue"
Representatives Griffin introduced
a bill to exempt from homestead entry
100 acres of the land adjoining the
Wisconsin rifle range at Camp Douglas
and turn 1t over to the state OF Wis
consin. The range now occupies 400
to provide for safety from stray balls.
Washington, Dec. S.-Mr. Allen
(pop.. Neb.) introduced in the senate
a resolution declaring 1t to be the
sense of the senate that congress
should with all due convenient speed
acknowledge by appropriate act the
political independence Of Cuba. He
followed it with speech declaring that
the commercial spirit of the United
States was preventing action. The ma
tional republican convention had de-
clared In favor Of the independence of
Cuba, going further than simple
recognition of belligerency He
thought that the president is under OBJ
legations to carry out the pledge which
had been made to 100000 people.
The president, Mr.. Allen thought, had
been lulled to sleep by the declaration
of Spain that she would give Cuba
somi-poitical existence He expressed
the belief that the presidents neglect
to take such action as would insure
the political independence of Cuba
was an exhibition of rank hypocrisy"
and fragrant neglect of public duty"
which would be corrected by the all
ruling power in its own good time.
Senator Gallinger introduced bill
prohibiting the granting of pensions
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