The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1897-02-04
THE WEEKS DOINGS IN SENATE
AND HOUSE.
A Comprehensive Digest of the Pro-
ceedings in the Legislative Cham
bers at Washington-Matte that
Concern the People.
Lawmakers at Labor.

| III. L
House amendments to the Senate bill for
a survey of water route from the mouth
of the jetties at Galveston, Tex, to Hous-
ton, were agreed to and the bill finally
passed. The House overrode another OF
President Cleveland's pension vetoes by
a vote Of 137 to so. The bill pensioned
Jonathan Scott of the Sixth Iowa cavalry,
now living at Oswego, Kan, at the rate
of S72 month. Mr.. Cleveland vetoed it
on the ground that the disability for
which the beneficiary was to be pensioned
was not contracted in the service The
rest of the day was devoted to a continu-
alton of the debate on the Indian appro-
priation bill. About twenty-five pages
of the bill were covered. A bill to satisfy
peculiar claim was passed on motion of
Mr.. Turner Dem.) of Georgia. 1t was
the claim of John F. McRae, a deputy
United States marshal. for keeping thirty
six African slaves. landed by the ship
| Wanderer at Savannah. Ga. in 1859, un-
til they could be shipped back to their
homes, in accordance with the provisions
of the laws for the suppression of the
slave traffic. The amount was S462.
crisis in the debate in the Nicaragua
canal bill was reached in the Senate We'd
nesday. 1t brought out an energetic state
ment from Senator Sherman, in which he
foreShadowed new treaty by which the
| United States could build the canal with
out the intermediation of a private conces-
sion. The Senator declared that this gov
ernmental execution of the project was
the only feasible one. and that all private
efforts in that direction had proved fail
nj nrrn Nj nf
charge that England inspired opposition
to American control of the canal, Mr..
Sherman asserted that this was a "buga-
boo," wholly without foundation. He
added handsome tribute to England and
her institutions. The House adopted the
conference report on the immigration bill
by vote of 131 to 11S. The principal
criticism of the measure agreed on by the
conferees in debate was based upon the
extension of the educational test to fe-
male as we'll as male immigrants, on the
ground that it might divide families, and
to the limitation to the ability of an i'm
migrant to read and write the English Ian
guage or the language of their native
country or residence. Mr.. Hepburn Rep.,
Iowa. closed the debate in support of the
report. When he declared that hundreds
of thousands Of American laborers were
to-day walking the streets of the great
cities because they had been crowded out
by the incoming stream of aliens, the pub
lie galleries of the House fairly shook with
acclaim.
The House passed the Indian appropria-
ton bill Thursday and entered upon the
consideration of the agricultural appro-
prlation bill, but all interest in these two
measures was oyerShadowed by two re-
markable speeches. one made by Mr.. Gros-
venor of Ohio, attacking ex-Gov Altgeld
of Illinois, and the other by Mr.. Dear
mond of Missouri, heaping ridicule on Sec
retary Morton for the recent issue of
pamphlet entitled "The Farmers Inter
est in Finance" Mr.. Grosvenor's obser-
vations on the Governor of Illinois were
called forth by the latter's recent speech,
in which he charged that Mr.. Bryan had
been defeated by fraud and based his
charge particularly on the enormous in
crease of the vote in Ohio, where. he al
legged, 10000 votes were illegally cast.
Mr. Grosvenor analyzed the Ohio vote
and explained the causes of it's increase.
calling attention to the fact that the Dem
ocratic vote in the State had increased
proportionately much more than the Re-
publican. The Senate. by vote of Il to
10, confirmed the nomination of William
5. Forman of Illinois to be Commissioner
of Internal Revenue. Senator Cullom
presented to the Senate a number of let-
tiers and memorials he had received from
Chicago business firms asking for the pas
sage of the Torrey bankruptcy bill
By the decisive vote of 46 to 4 the Sen.
ate Friday passed the bill for the appoint,
ment of commissioners to an international
money conference. The bill as passed is
as follows:
whenever. after March 4. 1897, the
President of the United States shall de.
termine that the United States should be
represented at any international confer.
ence called by the United States or any
other country. with a view to securing by
international agreement a fixity of rela-
tive value between gold and silver as
money by means of common ratio be.
tween these metals, with free mintage al
such ratio. he is hereby authorized to an
point five or more commissioners to such
international conference. and for com
pensation of said commissioners and for
all reasonable expenses connected there
Will, W I've dplJlOhSu ny lEe secretary OF
State, including the proportion to be paid
by the United States of the joint expenses
of any such conference. the sum of $780,
900, or so much thereof as may be neces-
sary. is hereby appropriated.
''The President of the United States is
hereby authorized, in the name of the
Government of the United States. to call,
in his discretion, such international con-
ference to assemble at such points as may
be agreed upon"
The House witnessed another sensation
al episode. At the end of an acrimonious
debate on the conference report on the
bill to confer the rights and franchises of
the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad on the
purchasers under the mortgage foreclos-
ure, Mr.. Powers of Vermont and Mr.. Bar
rett of Massachusetts, exchanged broad
sides
Te1eEraphic Brevities.