The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-03-24
WORK OF CONGRESS

session of three hours the senate
| passed a considerable number of bills
from the general calendar, among the
number being one authorizing the con-
| struction of eight rev revenue cutters
not exceeding in aggregate cost the
| sum of 81 OBJ, 600. The national quar-
antinc bill was made the regular order
| of business and will be taken up PROB
ably tomorrow.
| In the House.
The proceedings in the house were
utterly devoid Of public interest Time
| was devoted 10 District of Columbia
| business.
Washington, March TO- The house
! agreed to consider the bill for the re-
| lief of the legal heirs of the victims
and survivors of the Maine disaster as
soon as the poStottice appropriation
| bill is out OF the way. During the
| general debate on the postOtfice bill
members eagerly took advantage OF
! the latitude allowed in committee or
| the whole on the state of the Union
10 discuss various political questions,
and the debate covered a wide range.
Messrs. GriggS of Georgia ard Walker
of Massachusetts discussed the con-
| ditionS of the cotton industry and Mr.
Tawney of Minnesota, member OF
the ways and means committee. re-
piled TO a speech of Mr.. johnson OF
Indiana made some time ago against
the ACCESSIBILITY of anneXinS the Ha-
| waiian islands.
In the senate.
After the passage Of numerous bills
from the general calendar the senate
began the consideration of the meas
| IRE providing for national system of
quarantine. Little beyond the reading
of the bill was accomplished, some
desultOry discussion arising on an
| amendment offered by the committee,
but no progress being made On the gen.
eral bill.
Washington. March 1.-THE pOstot-
fee appropriation hill. which was tech
nically the subject before the house.
was almost lost track of in the de-
bate. As on Tuesday numerous topics
| were discussed. but yesterday for the
first time the Cuban-Spanish question
which has been kept in the back
ground heretofore. forged to the front.
Mr.. Cochran of Missouri brought the
question into the arena, and in the
course of the debate that followed Mr..
GroSycnor of Ohio took occasion to
deny emphatically the stories afioat to
| the effect that the president desired
an early adjournment OF congress in
order that he might effect a settle
ment without congressional interior
ence. The subject of Hawaiian an
neXatiOn also came in for more at
tention. Mr.. Williams of Mississippi,
Mr.. Adams of Pennsylvania and Mr..
~ 4, oil %
the foreign affairs committee, made
speeches on the subject. the former in
opposition and the two latter in favor
of the proposition.
In the Sernte.
Business in the legislative session OF
the senate was contiEcd to the passage
of few bills. largely of local char
actcr. The national quarantine bin
was not considered.
Washington. March IL. - Senator
Proctor OF Vermont, who returned
last Sunday from an extended trip to
AMI through the Island Of Cuba made
statement To the senate of his OBJ
servatiOns on the island. From many
view points the statement was remark
able. Ii had evidently been most care
fully prepared. Every element of
sentimentalism had been studiousIy
eliminated from it, and. except so far
| as the facts recited were sensational,
II bore not the slightest evidence OF an
effort 10 arouse the public mind to the
condition of affairs on the island.
lie began by saying that more i'm
rortanCc had been attached to his
visit than necessary. but he thought a
public statement would be beneficial.
GniI nj la,.
United States representatives in Cuba
afforded him opportunity to secure in
formation. He denied that he made
the statement that the Maine was
blown NJ from the outside. but might
have said that such was the opinion
in Havana. The senator thought
there was no definite information to
be obtained upon this feature. Out
side OF Havana there was deSolation
and misery. People were surrounded
by trochas and controlled by forts or
blockhouses.
Their situation Terrible.
His observations. he said, were In
the four western provinces. Outside
of the trochas and forts there were nc
habitatiOns nor people living. The
Spaniards, he said, held in the four
provinces only what their army sits
OH.
Senator Proctor describes at some
length the condition OF the reconcen-
trados. saying one-half of them had
died owing TO the manner in which
they had been kept in small houses
and 10 the bad sanitation. 1t was no
wonder One-half of them died. He
went To Cuba. he said. thinking the
condition of the people had been over
drawn. but found their situation terri.
bic. What he saw he could not tell
so that others could see IL. In one