Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-03-23

The proceedings on the 18th were devoid
or public interest. The time was devoted
to District Of Columbia business.
After the passage of numerous bills from
the general calendar the Senate on the 18th
began consideration of the measure provid-
Ing for national system Of quarantine. Lit
tie beyond the reading Of the bill was ac-
complished.
sloner of immigration by the Senate in
executive session on the 10th by the vote
Of ~ to 20. Senator Chandler was the only
Republican who cast his vote against con-
frmation, while large number of Demo-
Gratis voted for Mr.. Powderly. The vote was
preceded Pre- 6y rather sharp debate in which
made trade with the Republicans in the
last campaign was discussed quite freely
Senators Teller and Stewart attacked Mr.
PoWderly's record on the financial question:
and Senator Stewart read letter from Mr.
PoWderly written during the campaign of
1892 in which he had declared his adherence
70 the cause OF bimetalliSm and denounced
those Of the labor element who had aligned
themselves on the Republican side as render
Ing themselves liable to the charge of being
made the subjects Of bribery Mr. Stewart
contended that Mr. Powderly had placed
himself hin in exactly the category in which he
nad previously sought to place others by his
course IN the campaign of 1896.
Among the bills passed by the Senate on
the 18th was one to authorize the construc-
t1On Of a gunbOat on the great lakes to take
the place Of the United States ship Michi-
21st. V-,O'O00' @>U''Oi -'e0 LII 'D'
During it's session of three hours on the
14th the Senate passed a considerable num-
Der Of bills from the general calendar, among
the number being one authorizing the con-
struction of eight new revenue cutters not
exceeding in aggregate cost the sum of ST.
OPS. 00O and one to provide for the appoint
ment Of a commission under the direction
q
survey, with plans. specifications and APP
proxlmate estimates OF cost thereof for the
width and depth from the lower shores or
Lake Michigan to the Wabash river. The
national quarantine bill was made the regu-
lar order of business and will be taken up
probably on the 18th.
1t was agreed by the House on the 18th to
consider the bill for the relief of the legal
heirs of the victims and survivors of the
Maine disaster as soon as the postoftice APP
preparation bill is out of the way. During
the general debate on the postOfice bill
members eagerly took advantage Of the lat-
tude allowed in committee of the whole on
the. state Of the union to discuss various
political questions. Messrs. Griggs Dem.
Ca and Walker CRep., Mass) discussed the
conditions of the cotton industry, and Mr..
Tawney (Rep., Mimi, a member of the
ways and means committee, replied to the
speech Of Mr.. Johnson (Rep., Ind made
some time ago against the ACCESSIBILITY of an
nexing the Hawaiian Islands. Mr.. Tawney
strongly advocated the annexation of the
islands.
The postof1ce appropriation bill, which
was technically the subject before the
House on the 10th, was almost lost track Of
in the debate. AS on the day before, numer-
Gus topics were discussed. but on the 10th
the Cuban and the Spanish questions, which
forged to the front. Mr.. Cochran Dem.
MOI brought the question into the arena,
and IN the course of the debate that fol-
lowed, Mr. GrosyenOr of Ohio took occasion
to deny emphatically the stories afloat to the
effect that the President desired an early
adjournment of Congress in order that he
sional interference. The subject of Hawai-
ian annexation also came in for more atten-
ton. Mr.. Williams dem, Miss, Mr. Adj
ans (Rep.. Pa and Mr.. Berry Dem, KY
all members of the foreign affairs commit
tee, made speeches on the subject, the for
mer in opposition and the two latter in favor
Of the proposition.
The session of the House on the 18th was
devoted strictly to the postOff1ce apprOpria-
ton bill, which was taken up for amendment
under the ive-minute rule. The questions
which consumed the major portion of the
time related to the allowance for clerk hire
at postOftices and to rural free delivery. The
House increased the allowance for rural free
delivery from S1500G0 to $500. 900 and de-
feated the proposition for increased clerk
hire
The House on the 18th spent another day
on the postoffice appropriation bill, but dis
posed of only two pages of the bill. Most
a
merits OF the pneumatic tube mail service
in New York. Boston and Philadelphia and
the adylsability of continuing the existing
contract: An effort to strike out the APP
preparation of 1925, 900 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 max
ing it a misdemeanor for any person to ''pad''
the mails during the period when the mails
are being weighed to determine the compen-
sation to be paid to the railroads for their
transportation.
At the opening Of the session of the House
on the 10Th Mr.. Dingley, the floor leader of
the majority, offered the bill reported from
the ways and means committee, providing
for the free entry into this country of guns,
ammunition and other naval supplies and war
material purchased abroad until January /,
1899. He explained that the committee had
unanimously reported the bill. 1t was asked
for by the secretaries Of war and navy. Mr..
McM1llln said he believed that the govern
ment should always have the right to i'm
port, and he thought there should be a gen.
eral statute for that purpose. The bill was
passed without division. Mr.. Henry Dem. }
of Mississippi claimed the floor as a question
Of personal privilege and sent to the clerk g
desk for the purpose Of having it read to the
House, question from an interview with
the Spanish ambassador at Vienna, contained
In an Associated press dispatch in which
the ambassador said that if the United
States, In the event of war, should incite the
philippines to revolt, Spain could revenge
herself by raising revolts in the American
Southern states. Before the reading Of the
interview was concluded Mr.. Dingley made
the point that it did not constitute ques-
ton Of privilege. ''It contains reflection
against portion Of the people of the United
States, which | desire to repei," said Mr..
Henry: But the speaker held that he had
not presented a question Of privilege and he
W AZ ~ off fhn