The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

In the House on Friday the bill TO pay
the Bowman act claims, aggregating ST.
100000. for stores and supplies furnished
the Union army during the war was con-
sidered until 5 o'clock. but beyond COM
pleting the general debate little progress
was made. OF the 500 odd claims in the
bill all but q few come from the South,
and dilatory tactics were resorted to to
prevent progress. During the flibuster-
ing the House was in an uproar. At 3
o'clock. after completing two pages of the
bill, the House recessed until o O'Clock
for an evening session to be devoted to
pension legislation After the evening
session the House adjourned until Mon
day. The Senate was not in session.
During its session of three hours on
| Monday the Senate passed Il conSldera bler
Number of bills from the general calen-
dar. among the number being one author
izing the construction of eight new rev.
enue cutters not exceeding in aggregate
cost the sum of S2,025.0OO. A resolution
offered last Thursday by Mr.. Chandler
IN. H. authorizing the committee on ma
val affairs to send for persons and papers
In the course of the investigation of the
Maine disaster, was adopted Mr.. Lodge
tMass.) of the foreign relations commit
tee called up the joint resolution for the
relief of August Bolten and Gustaye
Rlcheiieu. The resolution as reported from
| the foreign relations committee is as fol-
lows: THAT the President of the United
States be, and he is hereby empowered to
take such measures as in his judgment
may be necessary to obtain the indemnity
from the Spanish government for the
wrongs and injuries suffered by August
Bolten and Gustaye Richelieu by reason
of their wrongful arrest and Imprisonment
by Spanish authorities at Santiago de
Cuba in the year 1895; and to secure this
end he is authorized and requested to
employ such means or exercise such power
rs may be necessary"
In the House on Tuesday it was 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 post
office appropriation bill is out of the way.
During the general debate on the post
office bill members eagerly took advantage
of the latitude allowed in committee of
the whole on the state of the Union to
discuss various political questions. Messrs.
Gr!GSs Dem., Ga.) and Walker (Rep.,
Mass.) discussed the conditions OF the cot
ton industry. and Mr.. Tawney rep,
Mimi, member Of the Ways and Means
Committee, replied to the speech Of Mr..
johnson Rep.. Ind.) made some time ago
against the advisabiIity of annexing the
Hawaiian islands. Mr. Tawney strongly
advocated the annexation of the islands.
After the passage of numerous bills from
the general calendar the Senate began
Of the measure providing for
n national system of quarantine. Little
beyond the reading of the bill was accom-
plishcd.
On Wednesday the postoffice apprOpria-
ton bill. which was technically the sub
ject before the House, was almost lost
track of in the debate The Cuban-Span-
ish question. which had been kept in the
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 of Ohio took occasion To deny
emphatically the stories afiOat TO the eff
feet that the President desired an early
adjournment of Congress in order that he
might effect q settlement without con-
gressional interference The subject of
Hawaiian annexation also came in for
attention. Mr.. Williams Dem. Miss.),
Mr.. Adams Rep., Pa and Mr. Berry
Dem, KY, all members of the Foreign
Affairs Committee, made speeches on the
subject, the former in opposition and the
wo latter in favor of the proposition.
Business in the legislative session of the
senate was confined to the passage of a
ew bills, largely of a local character.
The national quarantine bill was not con.
idered
On Thursday the session of the House
vas devoted strictly to the postofice ap-
ropriatiOn bill, which was taken I'D for
mendment under the five-minute rule,
me questions which consumed the major
ortion of the time related to the allow
nee for clerk hire at postOffices and tc
ural free delivery. The House increas
d the allowance for rural free delivery
rom S150,0O0 to $3OO,OOO and defeated
he proposition for increased clerk hire
lmong the bills passed in the Senate was
ne to authorize the construction of 81
unboat on the great lakes to take the y
lace of the United States ship Michigan.
nd to cost, exclusive of armament. moi
D exceed $3.50, 600. Adjourned till Mon.
ay.