The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-01
SENATE GALLERY PACKED
To Witness u Sunday Session by the
August Body.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2S-The usual Sum
day quiet of the Capitol building was dis
turbed to-day by session of the Senate
made necessary to pass the appropriation
bills. Large crowds filled the galleries and
overflowed to the corridors. The attend
ance of senators was even greater than
that through the week, the absentees. other
than those out of town or sick. numbering
only twelve, viz: Cameron, Davis, Hans
brough. Jones of Nevada. Kenney. Pasco
Platt, Pritchard. Pugh. Smith. Turpie Wet
more and Wilson. The venerable figures of
the Senate-Morrill, Hoar, Sherman, Nor
gan, Palmer-were among those present.
By a parliamentary fiction the session
was a part of the legislative day beginning
Saturday a recess having been taken at
2:30 o'clock this morning until p. m. to-
day. The sundry civil appropriation bill
was under consideration, number of i'm
portant items in payment of sugar bounties,
for rivers and harbors, etc, remaining to
be passed on. A vote on the sugar bounty
amendment was taken soon the ses-
sicn opened, and it was agreed to-S to H.
The amendment appropriates 81, ,0s5.15 for
the rest OF bounties earned from August
1894. to June. 1885,
The river and habor items next were con-
sidered, most of the committee amendments
being agreed 10 as reported. Mr.. Allison, in
charge of the bill, explained the reasonable
ness of the provisions as a whole No esti-
mates had been submitted in the usual way,
for any Of these items, but they were based
on reports of the chief of engineers as to
amounts which could be profitably used
These amounts had been reduced % per
cent. before being reported In the BILL
In the course of the discussion Sena-
tor German (Maryland) made an earnest
speech. pointing out the enormous total of
the bill, and urging that it be not loaded
down with new river and harbor items.
The bill carried the unprecedented total
of SOL 900 900, he said, of which 81 100000 was
for river and harbor contracts. 1t was
more, he said, than the condition of the
treasury warranted. In particular, Mr..
German resisted a new item of 100000 to
prevent the Mississippi river from breaking
through into Cache river, north of Cairo,
Ill. 1t led a prolonged contest, Mr.. Gull
lom supporting the amendment as one of
urgent necessity. Mr.. Blanchard Qouis-
lanai spoke on the general subject of Mis-
SisSippi river improvements. Tne amend
ment finally was modified and agreed to.
Another protracteti contest occurred over
the committees proposition 10 do away
with river and harbor appropriations in the
sundry civil bill. and directing a separate
bill on these items. Mr.. Vest. of Missouri,
said this would result in a river and harbor
bill every year, instead of every two years.
as at present. The amendment finally went
out on a point of order. The other river
and harbor items were agreed TO.
FLING FROM SENATOR HILL.
Mr.. Hill, of New York took occasion to
chaff senators on working on Sunday, in
connection with a debate on electric light
ccnduits in Washington. He said he seri-
ousiy doubted the propriety of meeting to-
day 10 enact legislation. He had received
many petitions urging law for a rest
day in the District of Columbia" More
over, the senator (McMIllan) who urged
this conduit amendment had himself Of
fered a bill ito protect the first day of the
week, commonly called Sunday, as day
of rest and worship.
The amendment appropriating S325.0O0 for
the purchase CT the other Corcoran art gal
lery building for the Court of Claims was
agreed TO. When the amendment was
reached providing for commission TO visit
the seal fisheries Mr.. Pettigrew said he be-
lieved We should not send commission to
Alaska to visit the scenes of destruction of
our seals by Canadian poachers. He adyo-
Gated the destruction OF all the seals. In
this connection he ridiculed the treaty reia-
tive TO the Alaskan boundary. recently sent
TO the Senate. IF this administration
lasted much longer" he asserted. 'it would
be sending in treaty between Great Brit
ain and the United States for the arbitra-
ton of the multiplication table"
Mr.. Morgan. of Alabama, a member of
the Paris Court Of Arbitration. discussed
the awkward predicament OF the United
States on the seal question. Referring 10
the Paris tribunal. he said that as usual
when the court was made up of European
arbitrators. the decision was against US: Ii
always would be 50 under like circum-