The Yale expositor., 1897-01-15
THE u. S. CONGRESS-.
DAILY PROCEEDINGS OF THE
NATIONAL LEGISLATURE.
posed, the Measures Disposed of
and Some of the Most Interesting
Sayings of the Legislators.

holiday recess. The first action taken
was to pass the House bill to abolish
the death penalty in large number |
of cases, leaving only five crimes for |
which the death penalty can be inn
posed, viz treason, murder, rape, and
two offenses applicable to the army |
and navy only. Mr.. Call, of Florida,
introduced resolutions calling for in
formation as to the condemnation of
Julio Sanguilly at Havana to life inn
prisonment and also directing the sec
rotary of state to demand Sanguilly's
immediate release. Mr.. PETER, of
Kansas, delivered a speech in support
of his resolution for national none
tary commission. Mr.. Proctor, of Yer
mont, gave notice that he would speak
later on his resolution, extending the
presidential term to siY years and fix
ing the term of members of the house
of representatives at three years
HoUsE.-The Loud bill to regulate and
cut off some of the privileges now
given to second-class mail matter, oc-
cupied the larger portion of the day,
but was not disposed Of
SENATE.-Fourteent day.-A speech
of Senator Call, of Florida, on Cuba,
served as the medium for making pub
lie letter giving graphic description
of the Cabanas fortress at Havana, and
the surroundings of the American citi-
zens imprisoned there. The circum-
stances surrounding the letter at
tracted marked interest to it, as Mr..
~ - Al lie. N Df
high standing in the United States
who would shortly occupy place in
the legislative branch of the govern
ment. The letter described a visit
made by the writer and Gen. Lee TO
Cabanas fortress and told of the pitiful
condition of the prisoners, some OF
them Americans, including Julio San
| gully and young man who was the
companion of Chas. GOWN, the Ameri-
can newspaper correspondent killed in
| Cuba Mr. Call spoke of the cruel
practices in Spanish prisons and de-
clared that these prisons were stained
| with the blood of American citizens,
and that it needed but an investigation
TO unmask the extent of the butchery.
At the close of the speech the Senate
agreed to Mr.. Calls resolution request
ing the secretary of the state for all
correspondence relating to the case OF
Julio Sanguilly. The other resolution,
demanding Sanguilly's immediate re-
lease, was referred to the committee
on foreign relations. The Senate
passed House bills amending the laws
relating to timber culture and author
ling brevetS TO active or retired OH
GERS of the army or navy. The joint
resolution requesting the British gov
eminent to pardon Mrs. Florence May
brick was indefinitely postponed. The
bill exempting settlers on public lands
from paying the original government
price fixed on the lands was debated,
but final vote was not reached.
HoUsE.-The Loud bill to amend the
law relating to second-class mail mat
ter was passed by vote of la to 100.
The opposition to the bill made a
strong but unavailing fight against 1T.
SENATE-Fifteenth day-A number
of minor bills on the calendar were dis
posed of. and some progress was made
on the bill for free homesteads on In
dian lands, but a final vote was not
reached. Mr.. Mills, of Texas, offered
n Joint resolution declaring that the
power of recognizing new republic
resides in congress-, recognizing the in
dependence of Cuba, and appropriatinp
$40. 900 for a United States minister to
the republic of Cuba. Mr.. Sherman, OF
Ohio, sought to secure the passage of {
bill directing the secretary of agricul
a ture to establish uniform standard o.
grain and all classes of cereals, TO be
known as the United States standard
but there was sharp objection, and the
bill went over. An effort by Senator
Perkins. of California. to fix n day fol
considering the bill for an industrial
commission to consider problems o
labor, etc. was defeated by dilatory tao
tics Mr.. Morgan, of Alabama, sc
cured the adoption of resolution TO
I an investigation of the disappearance
; certain papers relating to the Pacific
. railroad from the files of the treasur.
department. HoUsE-The Pacific rail
I way funding bill, which is considere'
u the most important piece OF Legislation
d which will come before congress a
g this session, came up under specia
T order. The first day of the debate wa
!, occupied by Messrs. Powers, of Vel
u mont. and Grow, of Pennsylvania,
= favor of the bill, and Hubbard, of Mis-
souri,, and Bell, of Texas, in opposition
l. Sixteenth day.-Ne session of tn
If Senate. HoUsE.-The number OF speal
> ers on the Pacific railroad funding bi
5. was more than twice as large as til
ID day before, but the only interestin
q development was the speech OF Nj
ID johnson, who most bitterly and in
he most vituperative manner attacke
he Editor Hearst, of the San Francis
t. Examiner, for his opposition
a the bill and for his attempt to intir
t. idate the Pacific coast members of I'll
he House into voting against the bill
to threatening to drive those who favor'
IS. il from public life and TO disgrace the
e. before the people.
SIS Seventeenth day.-No session of u
n canata HorsEt-The Pacific railrO