The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-02-24
Congressional Proceedings.

Congressional Proceedings.
"WEDNESDAY, Fet. ia debate over the
conference report on the bill restricting i'm
migration took up greater part OF the
time OF the Senate. Mr.. Gibson OF Mary
land made an argument against the bill.
The bill, he declared, was framed on the
theory of the fugitive slave law, and, like
that law, its inhumanity would shock the
whole moral sense Of the people. MIR.
Blanchard of Louisiana also spoke against
the conference report. He was rather in
favor OF encouraging immigration to build
up the waste places in the public dc
main. Perhaps not five per cent OF the put
lie domain was in actual cultivation. No
such drastic measure should be enacted in
to law. Mr.. Lodge of Massachusetts spoke
in favor Of the measure, and it was passed
by vote of "a to 81 - After a lively
debate in the House on the policy Of grant
ing large pensions to the widows of officers,
the conference report on hill granting
pension 10 the widow of Col. j. Scott Payne
was re jected by a vote Of % TO 96, and a new
COME renee was asked. The Kentucky con-
tested eecti' n case of Hopkins, Republican,
against Kendall, Democrat, was taken up.
The ma jority OF the committee recommend
ed that Hopkins be seated The ground of
contest was the action Of the clerk Of Clark
county, who put over the Republican ticket
on the official ballots the design of rae
coon instead of the eagle about to fly, which
was the recognized emblem of the Republ-
can party the object being to deceive illit-
crate voters The majority Of the commit
tee found that the change did deceive sew
enty-nine Republican voters, whose votes
were added by the committee to that re-
turned for Hopkins, but concluded that this
was not sufficient ground for throwing out
the entire vote of the county. The minor
ity took the ground that the vote of the
county should be rejected, which would
elect Hopkins.
THURsDAY.-Immediate after tie Sen
ate went into executive session Senator
Sherman sought TO call up the general
treaty of arbitration with Great Britain, but
he met repulse. A motion was made that
business on the calendar be proceeded with
the argument being that there were a num-
Der OF important nominations, particularly
of judicial character, that should be acted
on. The yeas and nays were demanded
and those favoring the consideration of
nominations won. MIR. Hoar of Massachu-
sets took strong grounds against post
pOnement of the consideration of the treaty.
He said that he had had little patience with
the early demands of the people for imme-
date action on this treaty. Ample time
had, however, interviewed since this treaty
had been received, during which Senators
ought to have been able to consider its pro-
visions and come to some conclusion. Now
that the executive calendar had been cleared
j
the Senate would give this treaty its careful
consideration for few hours a vote could
be reached. He urged that this be done,
and that this great peace treaty be ratified
before this session Of the Senate adjourned.
The nomination OF William II. Munger of
Nebraska to be district judge for the district
of Nebras ka was confirmed without opposi-
ton. The nomination Of Charles r. Ami
don to be district Judge for the district of
North Dakota was then called up and de-
bate, in which considerable opposition was
manifested, was precipitated. - In the
House Mr.. Cannon of Illinois, chairman OF
the committee on appropriations, reported
the general deficiency bill. 1t appropI iates
S8,438 937. A conference report was agreed
to on bill prohibiting the playing of bill
lizards or any other similar game in room
where liquors are sold within the limits of
the District of Columbia. A joint resolu-
ton appropriating $1,000 for the extra ex.
penses OF the Senate in connection with the
inaugural ceremony was passed Debate
was resumed and continued at some length
on the contested election case from the
tenth Kentucky district.
FRIDAY.-In the Senate the conference
report on the bill granting pension of $50
per month to the widow of General Stone
man was agreed to. In executive session
the arbitration treaty was discussed at
length. - A spirited debate took place
in the House on conference report which
showed That tnat House c0nfereeS surren-
dered to the cODferees of the Senate on
bill granting $75 month to the widow of
Gener al Carr Of Troy, N. Y, instead of $50,
as provided by the House bill. Mr.. Layton
of Ohio explained that Mrs. Carr had served
through the war as an al my nurse and that
she had an invalid daughter to support.
He believed she deserved the full amount
as much on account of her own services as
her husbands. Mr.. Crowther OF Missouri
contended that there was neither justice
nor equity in granting to the widow of a
brigader general $75 a month when the
House had gone on record time and again
in refusing to grant that sum. Mr.. Lacey
of iowa contended shat under the general
laws Mrs. Carr was entitled to $50 only.
On a division the House by a vote Of A to
100 refused to agree to the confere nee re-
port which was sent back to further con-
ference with instructions to insist on PEN
sion OF $50. The House then went into com
mittee of the whole on the general def
cheney appropriation bill