The record-union., 1897-05-06
OPEN SESSION OF THE SENATE.
DEVOTED TO THE SUNDRY CIVIL
APPROPRIATION BILL.
Still UnCompleted When an Adjourn
ment Was Taken-Deboe Takes
the Oath of Office.

WASHINGTON, May 5.-The open
session of the Senate to-day was
devoted to the sundry civil appropria-
ton bill, which was not completed up
to the time of adjournment.
Deboe of Kentucky took the oath of
office at the opening of the session, and
was cordially greeted by his Republican
associates. A towering bouquet of
American Beauty roses and lilies had
been placed on the desk to be occupied
by Deboe, which adjoints that of Han
ma and is in the rear row of the Repub-
lican side.
The sundry civil appropriation bill
was Immediately taken up.
Allison moved an amendment to the
item for the survey of the Nicaragua
canal route, SO that the proposed COM
mittee shall consist Of from three to
five members from the army or navy
or civil life, at the Presidents discre-
ton. The amendment caused some
opposition, and finally went over for
further consideration.
Considerable civil service discussion
followed the introduction of an amend
ment by Wilson of Washington, requir-
ing the appointment of commissioners
to classify Northern Pacific land in the
Northwest "by and with the consent Of
the Senate
German urged that this was an eff
fort to take the offices out of the civil
service. The amendment was finally
modified and adopted so that the APP
pointees shall be confirmed by the SEN
ate, and shall be divided between the
political parties.
German remarked that he hoped the
provisions as to due recognition of
political parties would be carried out
in good faith. In certain recent APP
pontments no attention had been paid
to such provisions.
Morgan offered an amendment appro-
priating $50 900 for the Improvement
of Pearl Harbor Hawaii.
Aldrich (R) of Rhode Island. said
ne sympathized with the purposes of
the amendment, but it should not be
put on this bill, as a similar item had
been rejected by the House last year.
Morgan felt that the House might
change it's attitude.
The amendment was agreed to-
AT 2:10 p. M, on motion of Davis. the
Senate went into executive session.
L
p. M, and the consideration of the sun
dry civil bill resumed.
Pettigrew of South Dakota offered
an amendment authorizing the Presi-
dent to suspend the order of President
Cleveland Withdrawing millions of acres
from the public domain and constitut-
ing them forest reserves The amend
ment also proposed an appropriation Of
$4,000 for surveys of these lands. In
the course of the debate Allison stated
that the main portion of the amend
ment had been prepared by the Score
tary of the Interior under the eve of
the President.
Pettigrew added that assurances had
been given-he would not say from
whom-that if the amendment was
adopted the President would suspend
the order.
In response to a statement from Nor
gan that a point of order would be
made against the amendment, Petit
grew declared that if the amendment
went out on a point of order he would
see that the pending bill did not pass
until some relief was given as to the
order creating forest reservations
Carter (R) of Montana criticised the
order of President Cleveland, and point
ed out the serious results which had
occurred The Senator said efforts had
been made to have the order set aside,
but as this course might be construed
as discourteous to the former Presi-
dent it was deemed advisable to cor
rect the situation.
| Final action on the amendment was
deferred.
| AT $40 D. M, the Senate adjourned.