Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-20
EULOGIES ON CHAS. F. CRISP
To Be Delivered in the Senate by Members OF
that Body on Monday.
Unusual HOUSE PROCEEDINGS
Members Scramble Over Each Other 10
Have Private Bills Passed-One Men,
ber Raises Kick and Threat
ems the Presiding officer.

Washington, Jan. 19.-The Nicaraguan
canal bill was under consideration before
the senate for two hours today. At least
that length of time was occupied by Mr..
Turpie (dem. Ind.), in an attack upon the
measure and in denunciation of the Mari
time Canal company of Nicaragua, which
he characterized as a beggar and
pariah in any rational financial system;
as an outcast and fugitive from the
financial world, and as totally discredited
in this and every other country.
He is to continue his speech tomorrow,
when the bill will come up as the un-
finished business.
The legislative appropriation bill was
taken up after the Nicar raguan measure
had been laid aside and was completed
with the exception of provisions in rela-
ton to the library of congress, which
went over without action till tomorrow.
Earlier In the days proceedings Mr..
Hill (dem. N. W, spoke for an hour and
half on a. joint resolution relating to the
electric subways in the District of Co.
lumbia. While it appeared to be a mat
ter of purely local interest, Mr.. Hills con-
tention was that it was a fight between
the United States Electric Light COM
pany, which he referred to as the "old
monopoly" and the Potomac Electric
Light company, owned cnleHy In new
York, whose money and property, legally
invested in the District, the joint resolu-
tion would confiscate. Mr.. Hill occupied
the floor until the close of the morning
hour, when the matter went over without
action.
The resolution offered by Mr.. Morgan
last week as to default in the Pacific Rail-
road company and the one offered yeSter-
day by Mr.. Pettigrew as to the Venezue-
Ian and Guiana boundary agreement
IA4I k1.@ 10 hr1f vnVaf
over, the first Indefinitely and the other
till tomorrow.
Monday next was fixed upon as the
date for the delivery of eulogies on the
late Speaker Crisp.
The senate then at $40 adjourned until
tomorrow.
IN THE HOUSE.
Washington, Jan. 19-The house spent
the whole of today's session in commit
tee of the whole considering private PEN
sion bills Favorable action was taken
upon fifty-two of them, one being the
senate bill to increase to $1OO a month
the pension of Maj.-Gen. Julius H. Stahl.
The first bill called up was for the
relief of Margaret O'Donnell, nurse in
the United States army. Objection had
been made to the bill when it was last
under consideration, and 1T was post
poned until a more auspicious time Upon
the reading of the title Mr.. Mines Tep.
Mich) announced that since that time
the beneficiary of the bill had died, and
he therefore moved that the bill do lie
on the table, which was agreed to.
In the course of the afternoon the
army appropriation bill was received
from the senate, and proceedings under
the order were suspended long enough
for the house to vote to disagree to the
senate's amendments and to agree to
conference thereon. Messrs. Hull (rep.
la Parker (rep. N. J) and Mcclellan
(dem. N. " were named as conferees.
After spending three hours in passing
upon bills as placed upon the calendar,
Mr. Thomas Crep. Mich,), in charge of
the bills, stated that many members had
told him that they had bills pending
which it was important should be passed
at this session. For himself he was will
ing to waive objection to members calling
up bills out of the regular order for the
rest of the day. His motion that mem
bers be permitted thus to call for bills
in which they were interested was agreed
to, and then most amusing scene oc-
Cured.
Mr.. Willis (rep. Del) was the next gen.
tleman to obtain recognition, and while
the clerk was reading the bill, the steps
leading to the speakers chair swarmed
with members urging Chairman Hender-
SON to favor them. The struggle was
earnest and noisy, and the few members
remaining on the floor laughed at and
applauded their more energetic associ-
ates The hubbub was so great that pro-
ceedings had to be suspended until some
thing like order was restored. Progress
under the new order was much slower
than previously, there being half hun
dred representatives on their feet and
yelling MIR. Chairman" after each bill
was passed until the chairman had made
an election from among them.
For forty-five minutes the house pro-
ceeded amid much confusion, when some
thing of sensation occurred. Mr.. Steele
(rep. Ind), stated that while he recog-
LII -,-t1 = f-.
the committee on invalid pensions pro-
posing legislation in behalf of soldiers
or their dependents who were entitled
to special legislation, 1t was true that
fully ninety per cent. of bills were for
persons no more entitled to it than were
thousands for whom it was not asked, or
If asked, died in the committee room. He
was opposed to the recent order; 1t was
irregular and unfair, and he protested
against it's continuance. He had ap-
pealed among the first to the chairman
for recognition, repeating the application
a second and third time, but unsuccess-
fully.
Mr.. Wood (rep. Iil.), resented the re-
1ections cast upon the committee on in
valid pensions by the gentleman from
Indiana, saying that the house had in
creased the pensions of many claimants
over the amount recommended by the
committee.
Mr.. Steele responded that he meant no
reflection on the committee, but believing
that such proceedings were not right, he
should vote against Friday night sessions
in future IL this method of obtaining
recognition was to be continued.
Chairman Henderson explained that in
his recognition of members he was en-
deavoring to- follow the suggestions of the
committee on invalid pensions so as to
reach some cases that demand immediate
action and at the same time to do what
he conceived 4, be fair to the democratic
side of the house.
Mr.. Steele-Well the bill wanted to
call up was for the benefit of widow
entirely helpless and destitute.
Several Members-Oh. you don't believe
in such legislation? Why do you want
to call 1t up?
Mr.. Steele moved that the committee