The record-union., 1897-12-10
The Senate Does a Considerable
Amount of Business.
Although No Very Important Measures
Were Discussed or Passed.
The House Enters Upon the Dis
cussion of the Pension ApprO-
priation Bill, and Stirs UP a
Debate Likely to Continue for
Some Days to Come.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.-The Senate
did considerable amount of business
to-day, although no very important
measures were considered or passed,
and there was very little debate.
Senator Gallinger, Chairman Of the
Committee on Pensions, called atten-
tion to the increased demand for pri-
vate pension legislation, and requested
Senators to be careful in the future to
see that their bills for private pensions
were meritorious before they were in
troduced.
An attempt was made by Mcbride to
secure an appropriation for the relief of
the Klondike miners, but the net result
was a resolution calling on the Secre-
-tary of War for all information he had
on that subject.
An hour was devoted to consideration
of private pension bills, and forty-five
We're passed.
The resolution Of the Pacific Railroad
Committee, asking information regard
ing the sale of the Kansas Pacific, was
passed, which gave Senator Gear OF
Iowa and Senator Thurston of Nebras-
ka an opportunity to make short
speeches congratulating the country
upon the settlement of the Pacific Rail-
road question.
Some work was laid out for next
week, Senator Carter securing the right
of way Monday and Tuesday for his
census bill, and Senator Lodge had the
immigration bill made the unfinished
business during the week.
When the Senate met to-day Hoar of
Massachusetts presented a petition
signed by 21 ,269 natives of Hawaii pro-
testing against the annexation of Ha-
Naii
Davis of Minnesota secured the adop-
tion of a resolution directing the Sec
retary of the Treasury to inform the
Senate what changes, if any, had been
made in the plans of the st. Paul Post
office building.
Gallinger of New Hampshire, Chair
man of the Committee on Pensions, re-
quested that at the conclusion Of the
morning business to-day an hour be
set aside for the consideration Of pri-
vate pension bills. Of which, he said,
there were over 200 on the calendar in
dorsed by the committee.
Il am and have always been friendly
TO the soldiers" said Davis, but am
constrained to feel that we are going
too far, and we ought in the future to
exercise the greatest conservatism In
the consideration Of all pension mat
ters''
Gallinger thought that the practice of
pensioning remarked widows and sew
eral other similar classes Of claimants
ought to be stopped. He thought, too.
that the recommendation Of the Com
missioner of Pensions that a law should
be enacted providing that no pension
should be granted to a. widow if her
marriage to the soldier had been sub
sequent to the passage of the law un-
der which he was drawing a pension
ought to be enacted into law.
In response to a question by Allen Of
Nebraska, Gallinger said that he was
opposed to the granting of large PEN
sions to widows OF distinguished Off
GERS. I'VE have reached the limit in
that regard" said he. 'and it is time
that we should stop
The order requested by Gallinger was
then made.
Mcbride Of Oregon presented and
asked for immediate consideration a
resolution for the relief Of American
miners and other sufferers in the val
ley of the Yukon and its tributaries.
The resolution authorizes the Secretary
Of War to transport supplies to the
suffering miners. and provides that no
more than S250,000 be appropriated to
carry out the purpose of the resolution.
1t went over on objection.
Mcbride then secured the passage of
the resolution asking the Secretary of
War for such information concerning
the needs of the Alaskan miners in the
Yukon Valley as he might have in his
possession
A resolution was offered by Chand-
Ter of New Hampshire and sent to the
Committee on Naval Affairs, providing
for investigating the question of dry
docks and naval stations.
The resolution presented by the Pa
cific Railroad Committee asking the
Attorney-General for information con-
cerning the Kansas Pacific road and
requesting the President to obtain a
postponement Of such sale to such a
time as viii give to Congress a reason
able time to consider and act upon his
recommendation, was adopted
Thurston congratulated the country
upon the result of the Administration $