Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-03-24
CONGRESSIONAL NEWS.

ing OF the bill was accomplished.
Washington, March 15.-The house
has agreed to consider the bill for the
relief OF the legal heirs of the victims
and survivors Of the Maine disaster
as soon as the postoff1ce appropriation
bill, which has just been taken UP in
the house, is out of the way The
postoftice bill carries $685., 800, be-
ing S95o,391 less than the estimates
and s3,329,96 more than the appro-
prIations for the current year. Mr.
DIngley trep., Me- introduced a
joint resolution providing that such
guns, ammunition and other naval
supplies as may be purchased abroad
by the government for the national
defense prior to January l, 1899, be
admitted free of duty.
Washington, March 16.-The senate
in executive session confirmed the ap-
pofntment OF T. V. Powderly as COM
missioner Of immigration by vote OF
43 to 30. Mr.. Chandler was the only
republican who cast his vote against
Der of democrats voted for Powderly.
The vote was preceded by rather
sharp debate in which the question
whether POwderly had made a trade
with the republicans in the last cam
palgn was discussed quite freely.
Messrs. Teller and Stewart, both silver
republicans, attacked Powderly's record
on the financial question, and Mr..
Stewart read a letter from Powderlv
written during the campaign of 1892
in which he declared his adherence to
the cause of bimetallism.
Business in the legls alive session of
the senate was confined to the passage
OF few bills, largely of a local char
acter. The national quarantine bill
was not considered. Chairman Davis.
OF the committee on foreign relations,
reported the following joint resolution.
which was placed on the calendar:
Whereas the government of the
republic Of Hawaii, having in due
form signifed it's consent in the man
ner provided by it's constitution 10
cede absolutely and without reserve
to the United States of America all its
rights OF sovereignty of whatsoever
kind in and to the Hawaiian islands
and their dependencies; also to cede
and transfer to United States the alb
solute fee and ownership of all public.
government or crown lands, public
buildings, or edifices, forts. harbors.
military equipment, and to allot to
her public property of whatsoever
kind and description belonging to the
government of the Hawaiian islands,
together with every right and appur-
tenance thereunto appertaining;
therefore, be it resolved, that said
cession is accepted, ratified and con-
flrmed and said Hawaiian islands and
their dependencies be and are
hereby annexed as part of the
United States and subject to
the sovereign dominion there
OF and all the singular, the
property and rights hereinbefore men
toned, are vested in the United States
OF America"
The sum of 100000 is appropriated
by the last section for the purpose
of carrying the resolution into effect
and this sum is made immediately
available. Senator Davis said that
no determination had been reached ds
to when the joint resolution would
be called up for consideration in the
senate. Mr. Davis submitted with the
joint resolution an extended report
of the committee. The report states
that the joint resolution brings that
subject within reach of the legislative
power Of congress under the precedent
that was established in the annex
alton of Texas, that circumstance be-
ing referred to at length.
Washington, March 16.-The post
Office appropriation bill, which was
technically the subject before the
house, was almost lost track of in
the debate which took wide range.
For the first time the Cuban-Spanish
question which has been kept in the
background heretofore, forged to the
front. Mr.. Cochran (dem., Mo-
brought the question into the arena,
and in the course of the debate that
followed Mr.. Grosvenor (rep., o.
took occasion to deny emphatically
the stories a1oat to the effect that the
president desired an early adjourn
ment of congress in order that he
might effect a settlement without con-
gressional interference The subject
of Hawaiian annexation also came
in for some attention. Messrs. Will
Jams (dem, Miss. J. Adams (reD,. Pa. |
and Berry (dem., KY, all members |
of the foreign affairs committee, |
made speeches on the subject, the first |
IN opposition and the two latter in !
favor of the proposition
Washington, March Ex-senator !
Proctor (rep., VT, who returned last
Sunday from AN extended trip through |
the island of Cuba, made a statement
in the senate of his observations on ,
the island. From many viewpoints
the statement was remarkable. 1t had
evidently been most carefully pre-
pared. Every element of sensational
ism had been studiously eliminated
from it and, except so far as the facts
recited were sensational, it bore not
the slightest effort to arouse the pub
tic mind, already keenly alive to the
condition of affairs on the island. One
Of the best Characterization of the
statement was made by Senator Frye
(rep., Me.), a few minutes after its
delivery. 1t is" said he, 'just as If
Proctor had held IN his rioht !