Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-02-10
CONGRESSIONAL.
SENATOR KENNY OF DELLA
WARE TAKES HIS SEAT.
Senate Now Has It's Full Membership
No Change in the Relationship of
Parties-Stin Talking Against Time to
XIII Nicaragua Bill.

Feb. 5.-The Senate admitted Richard r.
Kenny to the Delaware seat vacated many
months ago by Mr.. Higgins and which has
since then been the subject of continuous
controversy. This augmented the Demo
cratic membership to forty and for
ship of the Senate to it's proper
quota of ninety. It affects no essential
change in party strength, however, the di-
vision being: Republicans, including Inde-
pendents, A; Democrats, 40; Populists 6;
total, 60 The Nicaragua debate proceeded
without definite conclusion, Mr.. Caffrey
Democrat, of Louisiana, speaking against
the bill. The pension calendar was cleared
Tor the day, about fifty pension bills being
passed.
the entire day was spent in clearing the cal
endar of the unfinished business reported
from the Friday night sessions. Out of six
ty-three bills. fifty-nine were passed.
Feb 4.-The session of the Senate was
one OF unusual activity, with sharp COLO
large crowds to the galleries. The ball was
set rolling early in the day when
Mr.. Morrill, endeavored to pass the
bill prohibiting the use of intoxi
cants in the Capitol building This
aroused the opposition of Mr.. Hill of New
YORK, who denounced the busy bodies and
mlschief-m akers inspiring this class of
legislation The Senator spoke for the
fullest enjoyment of individual liberty con-
s1stent with the common good. The speech
was not only notable for the vigor which
Mr.. Hill threw into it. but also for its
effect in prolonging the debate until 3
O'Clock, when the bill was displaced by the
Nicaragua bill The debate on the canal
Dill was then resumed. Mr.. Villas had not
concluded when the Senate adjourned.
The proceedings in the House were very
dull and almost entirely.devoid of public in
terest The ma or portion of the day was
devoted to the District of Columbia appro-
priation bill.
Feb. 3--After a brief parliamentary
struggle in the Senate, the friends of the
Nicaragua canal bill were unable to hold a
quorum and sit out the obstruction to that
measure. Mr. Villas, Democrat of Wiscon-
sin, had continued his speech in opposition,
being his third successive dav At 4:3O
p m. croSsfre of motions to adjourn and
calls OF the Senate began The friends of
the bill resisted adjournment, while the
opposition sought to close the session and
give Mr.. Villas rest from his protracted
ehortS- The parliamentary contest con-
tlnued at intervals for half an hour when
all business was suspended by the absence
OF quorum and yielded to an adjournment.
Mr.. Villas continues to hold the floor In the
earlier part of the day Mr. Thurston of
Nebraska addressed the Senate on the
Pacific funding bill from legal point of
view. The Cornett-Swanson election con-
test In the Fifth Virginia district was settled
by the House in favor of S wanSon, the DEM
ocratic contestee, without division
Feb 2.-The feature of the Senate was a
very spirited debate on the conference re-
port on the immigration bill Mr. Gibson of
Maryland opposed the report and Mr. Lodge
defended it After two hours struggle the
report went over and the Nicaragua bill
was taken up. Mr.. Villas continuing his re-
marks. Mr. Teller also entered the debate
in ODnOSitiOn To the IT.
introduced a resolution declaring for the
free coinage of gold and silver on a bime-
tallic basis established through interna-
t1onal agreement, and gave notice that he
would call 1t up in day or two for discus
sion.
The day in the House was very dull. the
whole day being devoted to debate on appro-
priation bills. The diplomatic and consular
bill was passed and considerable progress
made with the District of Columbia bill
The bill as passed carries 81, 673, 7O6.
Feb 1.-The Nicaraguan canal bill occu-
pied the attention of the senate most of the
day, but no progress was made toward a
final vote. Mr.. Morgan, in charge of the
measure, sought to secure an agreement to
vote to-day or Thursday, but the opponents
OF the measure, led by Mr.. Villas and Mr..
Daniel, resisted any agreement While dis
claiming any purpose of obstruction or fill
clustering against the bill, the opposition in
sisted 1t was of such grave moment as to de-
mand complete discussion.
1t was suspension day in the house and a
large number of unimportant bills were
passed.
JAN 30.-The nominal business of the
House was the consideration of the agri-
cultural appropriation bill which was
passed before adjournment but much of the
time was devoted to political discu Sion.
Incidental to this discussion was spirited
speech by Mr.. Mondell, Republican, of
Wyoming, upon the free silver Repub-
licanS of the west who had Dolted from
their party during the campaign. He
declared that the boiling Republican lead
ers had been raised to prominence as much
by their party organization as by their own
worth, had used that organization to aid
| the Democratic-PopulistiCC combination, and
then after the election had been rewarded
| by the treachery of their allies. He cited
| the defeat in Idaho of Senator Dubois. 10
whom he paid high tribute. A motion Il
| strike out the item for free seed distribution
was defeated. 40 to 20.