The leader., 1897-03-10
TIE cLoslNa DAYS.
Several Measures Of Importance Passed by
Congress-The Immlgration NIL.

EFf<fat Mf&@Eff@ OF importance f8fefu y
Conercss-The Immigration BILL
SENATOR TTraMAN 6. C.) provoked turbu.
lent scene In the senate on the ist during the
discussion Of the naval bill By charging that
the armor plate manufacturers had paid agents
among tho senator's The charge was resented
BY Senator Hawley Comm. An amendment
reducing the price OF armor plate from 500 tc
500 a ton was adopted II was also decided "a
reduce the total Of contracts authorized 10 q,
so7,sos. The naval bin was then passed The
house had lively debate over the bill 70 pro-
hibit the transmission OF detailed accounts OF
prize fights by mail or telegraph. The bill was
strenuously opposed by some members on the
ground that IL would tend 10 establish cen
sorship OF the press No final action. however.
was taken on the measure. The sundry civil
and the post ONCE bills were sent TO conference.
Several conference reports were agreed 10.
THE senate on the I'd passed the bill for an
international monetary conference and IL now
goes TO the president The joint resolution for
the prevention OF the Introduction and spread
| OF contagious diseases into the United States.
the bill regulating fraternal beneficiary socie-
ties In the District OF Columbia and the FORTH
cations bill were also passed 80. In the house
Mr.. Dockery (Mo.) asked for an inquiry into
| the reasons why precedents had been ignored
In the location Of the platform at the capitol
where President Mckinley will be inaugurated
IL was referred. Mr. Dalzell pal defended
Justice Shiras, OF the United States supreme
court, for his change in opinion on the constitu-
| tionality Of the income tax. Mr.. McMillin
| CTennD defended his attack on the justice and
Mr.. DeArmond (Mo.) then followed with q
speech, saying that n few more defenses of the
justice would leave him in a deplorable condi-
tion. This closed the incident The house de-
cided that Mr.. Black was entitled to the seat in
the contested election case OF Black VS.. Watson
| from Georgia.
THE day in the senate on the Sd was one Of
busy routine In reconciling differences on bills.
The conference report on the District OF CO.
lumbia bill and the bill amending the shipping
laws were agreed to- The naval appropriation
| bill was sent back to conference. message
from the house stating that the immigration
bill had been passed over the presidents veto
was referred to the committee on immigration.
The private pension calendar was then taken
up The house passed the immigration bill
over the presidents veto by vote OF 1913 to 81.
| The Indian bill was sent back to conference,
the house refusing to concur In the senate
amendment to detach from Oklahoma the Usage
and Kansas Indian reservations and attach
them to the Indian territory. The general de-
| iciency bill was also sent back to conference.
The conference reports on the post Office ap-
preparation bill the Notifications bill and the
sundry civil bill were agreed TO. At the n. hit
session the members put in most Of their time
singing patriotic songs
THE senate OF the Fifty-Fifth congress met
| on the 4th in extra session, with Vice Presi-
dent Hobart presiding in pursuance to q call of
| the retiring president Mr. Hobart made q
| short address and then swore in the new SEN
ators. At the close OF the old congress Mr..
Stevenson made q valedictory speech, the early
hours OF the day being given to the final steps
| on some bills. Promptly at noon Mr.. Steven
| son declared the Fifty-Fourth congress ad-
iourned without day and and the work OF the
new senate was at once taken up, Mr.. Hobart
having previously been sworn in by Mr..
| Stevenson The closing hours OF the house
were uneventful The members had worked
all night to get the sundry civil, Indian and
agricultural bills to the president, only to have
| them pocket-vetoed, while the general de-
| fciency failed of passage because the house re-
| fused to subscribe to the half million of Bow
| man claims, which the senate insisted upon.
The only feature Of the day was the enthusiastic
| reception accorded to Speaker Reed and the
| unanimous standing vote Of thanks rendered
him
THE senate on the 5th was in session for
| about two hours The credentials of Mr.. Han
| ma, as senator from Ohio to succeed Mr.. Shcr-
| man. were presented by Senator Foraker (O)
| and he was sworn in by Vice President Hobart
| Senator Davis (Minn.) was designated acting
| chairman Of the foreign relations committee, to
| succeed Mr.. Sherman. President Mckinley
| sent in the following nominations for HIS cabi-
net: Secretary of state, John Sherman, OF
| Ohio; secretary Of the treasury, Lyman J.
| Gage, of Illinois; secretary of war Russell A.
| Alger, of Michigan; attorney general, Joseph
| McIienna, of California; postmaster-general,
James A. Gary. of Maryland: secretary of the
| navy John ID. Long, OF Mass achusetts; secre-
| tary OF the interior, Cornelius N. Bliss, Of New
York; secretary of agriculture James A. Will
| son, of Iowa. They were all confirmed without
| much objection after being referred to differ
| emit committees, Mr. Sherman being paid the
| compliment of being confirmed without any
| reference to a committee The senate then adj
journed until the Sth