Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-04-01


On Friday the House spent another day
on the postoffce appropriation bill, but
disposed OF only two pages of the bill.
Most of the day was devoted to a debate
on the merits of the pneumatic tube mail
service in New York, Boston and Phila-
!delphia, and the advisability Of continu-
ing the existing contract. An effort to
strike out the appropriation Of $225 600
was defeated, but the opponents Of the
appropriation succeeded in securing the
adoption of an amendment providing that
no additional contracts should be made.
AN amendment was adopted making It a
m~isdemeanor for any person to "pad' the
mails during the period when the mails
are being weighed to determine the com.
pensatton to be paid to the railroads for
their transportation. The Senate was mot
in session.
The House IN Saturday passed the
postofice appropriation bill, which Ind
been under consideration since Wednes.
day. The main points of attack in the do.
bate were the appropriation of 100000
600 for railway transportation of mails
and $111.000 for special facilities be.
tween New York and New Orleans and
$4,000 for special facilities from Kansas
City to Newton, Kns. These items an.
nually attract more or less of a contest.
This year the opposition seemed to be less
intense. All effort to reduce the appro-
pr'ation for railroad transportation sig
nally failed, and the vote on Southern
mail subsidy was "a to 9S against strik-
ing out. BY neat parliamentary maneu-
Verlng the opponents of the subsidy were
prevented from getting a direct vote on p
motion to recommit with instructions.
The Maine relief bill was passed unani.
mously by the House on Monday. The
SENATE bill to satisfy the claim of the
legal representatives of John Roach,
amounting to S3331 ,151. for labor, material
and dockase furnished by Roach, and the
occupation of his yards by the gunboats
Chicago, Boston and Atlanta, was taken
up out of its order and a long and bitter
fight followed. Without action upon the
claim, the House took a recess until S
o'clock. The evening session was devo-
ted to the consideration of private pension
bills. In the Senate Mr.. Bacon introduced
an amendment which he announced he
would offer to the resolution providing for
the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands
to the United States. The amendment
provides that the resolution shall not be
effective until the question of annexation
shall have been submitted to the qualified
electors of Hawaii and passed upon at
Tentatively by them. Mr.. Allen secured
the passage of u resolution calling upon
the Secretary of the Interior for informa-
ton as to the number of all classes of
pensioners, including the percentage of
men IL women and children, carried on
the pension rolls. A number of bills of
minor Importance We're passed.
In the House on Tuesday the naval APP
preparation bill was reported, but as it had
not been printed the contested election
case of Thorpe versus Eppes. from the
fourth Virginia district. was taken up and
debated until 4 O'Clock. when. owing to
the illness of Mr.. Rhea of kentucky, who
was to have spoken in the afternoon, the
House adjourned. In the Senate the
quarantine bill was further debated. Mr..
Carter of the Committee on Territories
called up the measure reported by him
making further provisions for n civil gov
eminent of Alaska, and addressed the
Senate at length upon it. MIR. Gallinger,
who recently returned from Il "trip to Cuba,
announced that lie would briefly address
the Senate upon his observations in Cuba.
Mr.. Foraker presented the credentials of
his colleague. Mr.. Hanna, for the term
as United States Senator covering six
years from March 4, 1899. The creden-
tials were read and ordered filed. Among
the bills passed was that to raise the age
of protection for girls in the District of
Columbia and the territories to Is years.
In the House on Wednesday II. 4.
Thorp was given the seat from the fourth
Virginia district. Sidney p. Epes, who
obtained the certificate Of election, was
unseated by a strict party vote. The Re
publicans without Il break voted for
Thorp. and the Democrats and Populists,
with the exception OF MIR. Howard of Ala
bama, a Populist, voted for Epes. Mr..
Thorp contested the seat of Mr.. Kcnncy
in the last Congress and was seated. The
Republican majority in the House, which
was 80 when the House convened last
sumner, is now "a. In the Senate the
bill for the relief of the Maine victims
was passed without debate. Senator Gal
lingcr related his observations in Cuba.
The Senate then resumed consideration of
the bill making further provision for n
civil government in Alaska, and later took
up the national quarantine bill. Its con-
sidcration had not been concluded when
the Senate adjourned.
Debate on the naval appropriation bill
consumed the day in the House on Thurs
day. Adjourned until Friday. In the
Senate Mr.. Thurston in a thrilling speech
told what he saw in Cuba. A number of
bills on the calendar were passed. MI.
Bate presented resolutions in memory Of
the late Senator Ishnm G. Harris of Ten.
nessee, and eulogies were delivered by MI.
Bate, Mr.. Morrill, Wcrmont), Mr.. Nor
gan (Alabama), MI. Hoar Massachu-
setts). Mr.. Walthall Mississippi), Mr..
Hawley (Connecticut), Mr.. Cockrell mis-
souril. Mr.. Stewart Nevada), Mr.. Chill
ton (TeSns) and Mr.. Turley (Tennessee).
The Senate adjourned until Monday.