The record-union., 1897-01-19
Either Pass It or Abandon the Project
Altogether.
The House Passes a Bill to Prohibit
the Sale of Liquor to Indians, and
Providing Punishment, Also One
to Give the United States the
Benefit of Devices Patented by
Naval Officers.

| WASHINGTON, Jan. 1S.-In the Sem
ate to-day Peffer Pop.) of Kansas pre-
sented a memorial from his State pro-
posing that the power of the Supreme
Court shall be so limited as to require
the court, in case of an intended de-
! cision against the constitutionality of
an Act Of Congess, to furnish Congress
with an advance copy of its decision
as in the case of a Presidential veto.
SO that Congress may have the right by
a two-thirds vote to affirm the consti-
tutionality of the Act.
| Senator Murphy's bill for a new Gus
| tom house building in New York was
reported back favorably and placed on
the calendar. The present custom house
site is to be used, and the limit of cost
is to be S5,O0O,0O0. The building com.
missioners are Charles N Taintor.
George B. Post, Hugh j. Grant and
James T. Kilbreth
The army appropriation bill, appro-
priating over $23, 200, 600 was passed
without question or remark. There were
a few minor amendments which will
probably be concurred in by the House
without the formality of a conference.
| Senator Sherman R) of Ohio was in
his seat at the opening of to-day's ses-
sion, and was complimented by many
of his associates on his prospective
transfer to McKinley's Cabinet.
| Senator Cameron (R.) of Pennsyl-
vania was also in his seat, and for some
time held colloquy with his colleagues,
Quay and other Senator'S
| A petition from the Bankers Club of
Chicago urging the ratification of the
arbitration treaty was presented by
| Cullom (R.) of Illinois and referred.
Chandler R) of New Hampshire in
troduced on behalf of Mr.. Wolcott CR)
of Colorado, now in England, an Act
TO provide for the representation Of the
! United States by commissioners at any
international monetary conference
hereafter to be called The bill was read
in full. 1t provides that whenever after
March 4, 1857, the President of the
United States shall direct that the Unit
ed states shall be represented at any
| international conference called by the
| United States or any other country,
with a view to securing, by internation-
al agreement, a fixed relative value be-
tween gold and silver as money, with
free mlntage at such ratio, he shall be
authorized to appoint five or more COM
missioners to such conference. and it
| appropriates 100000 to cover all ex-
| penses.
Chandler stated that the bill was in
the exact language of the three pre-
vious Acts providing for representation
of the United States at international
conferences, except the insertion of the
words free mintage at such ratio"
The bill. he added, presented but a
single point, and one which all Senators
understood. He asked unanimous con-
| sent that the bill be taken up to-mor-
row for consideration. without being
referred to any committee. There be-
| ing no objection, it was so ordered
! The concurrent resolution prohibiting
the use of any part of the new library
| building for other than library pur-
poses was passed.
Pettgrew CR.) of South Dakota Of
fered a resolution calling on the Secre-
tary Of State as to the doing of the
Venezuelan Commission. and ,, fur
nish copy of the agreement between
! the United States and Great Britain
ON the subject. 1t went over.
bill to provide for a permanent
census was introduced by Chandler
| (R) Of New Hampshire and referred to
the Committee on Census.
The House oleomargarine bill was re-
ported to the Senate.
Gear (R) of Iowa moved its reference
to the Committee on Interstate Com
merce.
Hill Cd of New York thought that
the proper reference was to the Com
mittee on Agriculture At the sugges-
ton OF Cockrell tD) of Missouri, the bill
was laid ON the table for the present.
At p. m., when the morning hour
closed, motion was made by Nor
gan CD of Alabama to proceed to the
consideration of the Nicaragua Canal
bill. The motion was agreed to.
The Presidents message transmit
ting the report of the Com ,l1issioners
appointed to inquire into the fe eAsibilty
of constructing a canal between the
Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean
was laid before the Senate and referred
to the Committee on Commerce.
The Nicaragua bill was again taken
up and Morgan Cd of Alabama ad-
dressed the Senate He said that the
Committee on the Nicaragua Canal was
unanimous in its approval Of every
feature of the bill. He was satisfied
that it was the best bill yet presented
on the subject 1t was more conserva-
tive, and left more power in the hands
of the President than any former bill.
Morgan mentioned the names of ex-
Senators Edmunds of Vermont and
Brown of Georgia as enthusiastic
friends of the Nicaragua Canal and
said that over the United States, East
and West North and South. and in the
center. it had been supported both in
the Senate and House by men who had
concurred most heartily in regarding
the project as one of indispensable ma
tional necessity, and as one affecting
the national glory and honor
In the course of his speech Morgan
said: If we do not pass this measure
how are we 10 prevent Nicaragua from
saying Congress has abandoned the
project, and now the Government of
Great Britain has a right to come on
insist on this bill being passed now,
or on it's being defeated right now We
have got matters lying just in front Of