The Chanute times., 1897-01-15
CONGRESSIONAL.

| Jan. 5.-Senate passed House bill abolish
| ing the death penalty except in following
| eases: Treason. criminal assault murder,
| and two offenses applicable to the army and
| navy. In all other ofienses hard labor tor
| life Is substituted as maximum punishment.
Mr. Call CDem.) of Florida introduced reso-
lutions calling for information as to the
condemnation of Julio Sanguily at Havana
to life imprisonment and also directing the
secretary of state to demand Sanguily's i'm
mediate release. Mr.. PETER (Pop) of Kan
sas delivered speech in support of his res
olution for national monetary commission.
The House discussed the Loud bill to
amend the laws relating to second class
mail matter all day Mr.. Loud. the author
of the bill, led the debate, and Mr.. Quigg led
the opposition
WAsHISGToN Jan. 6.-The Oklahoma free
homestead bill was debated vigorously in
the Senate for two hours Senator Petit
grew of South Dakota, chairman of the
committee on Indian affairs, and Senator
Carter of Montana, were its especial cham
pions. Mr.. Call made his promised speech
on his resolution concerning the condemna-
ton of Julio Sanguily at Havana At the
close of Mr. Calls speech the Senate agreed
to his resolution asking the secretary of
state for all the correspondence in the case
of Julio SanEuly.
The Senate then went into executive ses-
sion.
The Loud second class mail matter bill
passed the House by the vote of LA to los.
1t amends the laws relating to second class
mail matter so as principally to deny to
newspapers the sample copy privilege" and
deny to books sent through the mail as seri-
ais the newspaper pound rates
Jan. AFTER Il number of unimportant
bills had been disposed of progress was
made on the bill for free homesteads on In
dian lands, but final vote was not reached
Mr.. Platt opposed the bill in a lengthy
speech pointing out that it would cost the
government a loss of many millions. 1t was
disclosed during the day that Representa-
tive elect Edward T.. Robbins was the author
of the letters from Havana read in the
Senate by Mr. Call The other Cuban de-
velopment of the day was joint resolution
offered by Mr.. Mills, Democrat of Texas, de-
claring that the power of recognizing new
republic resides in Congress; recognizing
the independence of Cuba and appropriate
ing $4,000 for United States minister TO
the republic of Cuba. Mr.. Mills will speak
on the resolution next Monday. Mr.. Sher-
man of Ohio sought to secure the passage of
a bill direc ting the secretary of agriculture
to establish uniform standard of grain
and all classes of cereals, to be known as the
United States standard, but there was sharp
opposition and the bill went over.
Tne mousse DeGun general debate on the
Pacific railroad funding bill There were
only four speakers-Mr. Powers, Republican,
of Vermont, the chairman of the Pacific
railroad committee, who opened with an
exhaustive two hours argument In support
of the bill, Mr.. Hubbard, Republican, of
Missouri, the minority member of the COM
mittee, who has charge of the opposition,
and Messrs. Grow, Republican, of Pennsyl-
vania, and Bell, Democrat of Texas, who
spoke respectfully for and against the
measure.
Jan S.-The Pacific railroad refunding
debate was continued all day in the House.
johnson, Republican, of California the only
member of the delegation in favor of the
bill, made a bitter personal attack on Editor
Hearst of the San Francisco Examiner, and
Mayor Sutro. Mr.. Cooper of Wisconsin said
1t was the most disgraceful attack in the
legislative annals of the United States. The
other speakers we're: Patterson, Democrat,
of Tennessee; Arnold, Republican, of Penn
sylvania, and Hepburn, Republican, of Iowa,
in favor of the measure; and MesSrs. Har-
rison, Democrat, of Alabama; Boatner,
Democrat of Louisiana; Swanson, Demo-
crat of Virginia; Mccall, Rpublican, of Mas
sachusetts; Wheeler, Democrat, of Ala
bama; Cooper, Republican, of Wisconsin;
Shafroth, Republican, of Colorado;' Bell,
Populist, of Colorado and Parker, Rcpub-
lican, of New Jersey, against it