Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-01
SUNDAY SESSI in.
The United States Senate
Breaks the Sabbath.
A Big Crowd in Attendance on This
Very Unusual Occurrence.
Ordinary Business Transacted, Sundr Civil
Bill Being The Order.

Washington. Feb. 2S.-At go A. NJ, ths
| reading of the sundry civil bill was fin
| ished and the Senate took a recess unit
| IF. NJ.
| A session OF the United States senat,
on Sunday afternoon Is such q remark
able occurance and SO much at variancs
| with the religious sentiment of the coun
try. that crowds were attracted to ths
north wing of the Capitol. an hour be.
! fore o'clock this afternoon. All classes
and conditions of people We're in the
crowd.
Some were on hand early enough to OBJ.
tain seats In that section OF the galleries
open to the general public. Others, who
had tickets to the reserved sections pre-
sented them. and We're admitted. as long
| as any space was left. Those who couio
not get inside stationed themselves neal
the gallery doors awaiting chances OF ad
mission. or wandered up and down the
staircases and halls.
The senator's themselves were presen,
IN. about the usual number, and vote
| taken soon after the proceedings began
| showing that nearly 70 senator's were In
the hail. some being paired. There was
| no noticeable distinction as to men repre-
| senting the New England States and the
men representative other sections of the
country where Sabbath observance is not
| so general or strict. Business wen; on
just as II does week days. except that
there was "A noticeable absence OF Cuban
agitation. il was strictly a business ses-
sion and the consideration or the sundry
civil appropriation bill was Immediately
resumed, the question Being on those
committee amendments passed over with
out action. last night.
The FIRST Of these appropriations 81 0S5,-
lao TO pay the producers of sugar the
balance of their claims for bounty under
the Mckinley law. On this Vest tlcma nd ed
me yeas and nays land II was agreed to.
81 TO r. The ngxt amendments were
those making appropriations for the great
river ard harbor improvements under the
rfvs.s hxst f~
and harhor bills. the various amounts be-
ing generally reduced by the committee
about % per cent. from the figures fixed
by the House. Eight or nine pages of
these amendments were disposed OF with
out much debate. but the item appropriat-
ing 100000 to prevent the Mississippi
river from breaking into the Cache river
near Cairo Illinois. provoked an extende d
discussion, during which the whole sub
ject of the improvement of the Afissis-
sippi river was gone over.
Gorham opposed the amendment to
make this appropriation outright instead
OF from the amount for the improvement
Of the upper Mississippi. on the groun.,
that 1t would make this bill a river and
har6or bill. He characterized the sundry
civil bill as the most extrayagant eyer
considered by either house of Congress.
carrying. as il did. over ISL. tvv0ts,. OF
which Sl.G1.010 was for rivers and har-
oors-which was more than the condition
Of the treasury warranted. lie warned
the senators not to further overload il
with amendments. intimating that il it
were. II would meet the veto of the Pres
ident. The amendment WIS adopted
The item relating to electric lighting in
the District of Columbia. to which Hill
was opposed gave that senator an oppcr-
iunity of expressing his views in relation
to Sunday session of the Senate He
said he had doubted the propriety of the
Senate meeting. today. to enact legisia-
tion for the people. His attention had
been called to various petitions present I'd
by honorable senators. asning or "A
rest day for the District of Columbia.
and he had been disposed to acquiesce
in the sentiment expressed in those petit
tons. He remembered that the senator
from Michigan tMcMillan). VINO had sug-
gested this amendment. had introduced n
bill TO Protect the first day of the week
commonly called Sunday. as day Of rest
and worship in the District of Columbia. -
That bill. if 1t had passed. was broad
enough to prevent any legislation on this
day. For these reasons he hesitateo to
engage IN general debate.
But now. to be serious. he contin-
Have not you been serious all the
time? the senator asked in a low tone
THAT is a reflection on the remaras /
have made. Hill replied, and then he
went on with his statement. The amend
nent was adopted.