The Mena star., 1898-03-16
The Court of Inuuirv,
CONGRESSIONAL.
Condensed Summary of the Proceedlng. or Senate and House from Day to
 Day-Important Bills.

THE senate on the 9th passed the bill appro- prlating $50 900 900 for the national defense the vote being unanimous Not only did every senator present register his vote in favor of the measure, but for every absentee the an- nouncement was authoritatively made that if ne were present he would vote aye There was no debate on the bill and 20 minutes after " was reported to the senate the vice president announced its unanimous passage Senator Chandler tN. IL introduced resolution. fer Q thorough investigation into the Maine disaster by the committee on naval affairs It was re- ferred to the committee on contingent ex- penses. The senate then went into executive session on the Hawaiian treaty M The house agreed to the conference report on the legisla- tive, executive and judicial appropriation bill, and the remainder of the day was consumed in the consideration of the senate amendments to the Indian appropriation bill, a lively debate ensuing over the free homestead provision Before 1t was settled the District of Columbia appropriation bill was taken up and the senate amendments to it were non-concurred in.
 No business of any importance was transact ed by the senate on the 10th. the session only lasting an hour and adjournment then being taken to the I4th. A few bills of minor im- mortance were passed and Senator Morgan tAla) introduced a bill authorizing the five civilized tribes of Indians to bring suit in the federal supreme court for the determination of their rights under the treaties with the United states s.... After debate in the house lasting more than five hours the senate amendment to the Indian appropriation bill providing for the free entry of eeied Indian lands was non-eon- cured in by vote of % to ls6 The friends of the free homes clause made gallant struggle but many Of the friends of the proposition were alienated by the balief that the amendment would work injury 10 the agricultural colleges of the country The senate amendment for the ratification of the Seminole treaty was also non-concurred in. The action Of the house sends the bill back to conference. A resolu- ton was adopted directing the secretary of war to loan to the citizens committee of Cincinnati tents for the use of the thirty-second grand en- campment of the C. A k
 TIE senate was not in session on the l1th .... The house considered the bill containing pro vision for old war claims, aggregating l,200 900. reported by the court of claims under the Bowman act Little progress on the measure was made. only two pages being completed Mir. Hull chairman of the military affairs com mittee. reported a complete agreement by the conferees on the army appropriation bill and the report was agreed to without debate. In the evening q session was held devoted to pen sion legislation and afterwards an adjournment was taken to the 14th.
 THE senate on the I4th passed number of unimportant bills on the calendar, among the number being one to construct eight new reve- que cutters at a cost not exceeding g. 225 coo, A resolution was also passed to ask Spain to indemnify August Botten and Gustave Riehe- lieu for wrongful Imprisonment in Cuba Sen- ator Hoar (AfasSl introduced a bill prohibiting the importation into the United States of birds or their feathers for ornamental purposes Senator Foraker (O.) introduced a bill provid- ing for the awarding of public lands in the arid land states to individuals or corporations who may provide for their reclamation by irriga- tion. not more than ieJ, G10 acres to be patented to any one company or person =. The proceed ings in the house "a devoid of interest the time being spent in 1lstrict of Columbia busi- ness Mir. Newlands {Nev) introduced bill :o create public land commission and Mir Henderson ual one to prevent the use Of the United States flag as business advertisement or the use of any government publications as advertising mediums.