The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-04-01
WORK Of CONGRESS

WOIlM VI OOjVOnEOC
Washington, March 22.-The house
unanimously passed the bill for the
relief Of the survivors and families Of
victims Of the Maine disaster. The
bill relmburses the surviving officers
and men for the losses they sustained
to an amount not to exceed years
sea pay, and directs the payment Of n
sum equal to a years pay to legal
heirs of those who persisted. There
was quite a spirited debate over an
amendment suggested by Mr.. Cannon
to give the survivors euch years
pay out of hand instead OF attempting
to reimburse them for actual losses.
Some old alleged scandals in connec-
ton with the reimbursement of the
survivors of the Samoan disaster
were raAed up, but the debate in the
end was saved from n rather sordid
tone by Il beautiful tribute paid to tho
gallant dead by Mr.. Cousins of Iowa
in q short tut eloquent speech. He
aroused the galleries to spontaneous
applause when he said that while the
vultures might be watching over the
dark waters of Havana harbor for the
belated dead, above all the eagles
piercing eye was watching for the
truth. The remainder of the day was
occupied in the consideration of the
old claim Of John Roach, the shi.-
builder, for $331 900. No action was
taken upon the claim.
Ia .hc Senate.
After the transaction of some routine
business in the senate Mr.. Bacon of
Georgia introduced tn amendment
which he announced he would offer to
the resolution providing for the an
neXation Of the Hawaiian islands to
the United States. The amendment
provides that the resolution shall not
be effective until the question of an
nexations shall have been submitted to
the qualified electors of Hawaii and
passed upon affirmativcly by them.
The amendment is the same which
Mr.. Bacon offered to the Hawaiian
treaty and which is still pending. Mr.
Allen Of Nebraska secured the passage
of resolution calling upon the secre-
tary of the interior for information as
to the number of all classes of pen
sioners, including the percentage of
men and women and children carried
on the pension rolls. On motion Of Mr..
Hoar of Massachusetts the senate
then went into executive session for
ten minutes and then adjourned.
Washington, March %. - A feature
Of the senate proceedings was an OK
tended speech by Mr.. Caffery of Louis
lana in support of the pending nation
nj quarantine bill. In the course of
his argument Mr.. Caffery said that he
wanted the whole quarantine power in
the hands of the United States govern
mel.t, the only authority which could
make Il quarantine effective, and, he
added, he was as strong states rights
advocate as any man. 1--WE want"
said he, 81 central quarantine author
ity upon which responsibility may rest.
We want uniformity of action in this
matter of quarantine regulations,
backed by such financial and legal
power as will enable the authorities
to cope with the dread diseases which
arc likely to ravage the country" In
conclusion, after speaking for nearly
three hours, Mr. Caffery said that
state guarantees were utterly met
ficient. utterly powerless against an
epidemic of yellow fever. Under this
inefficient state quarantine system he
had known the most brutal and saw
himself, he said, been accOsted by pet
ty quarantine officers with shotguns.
For the exercise of that kind of state
police power lie had no use and no re-
gard. He desired that the whole Ques-
ton should be handled scientifically,
so that power and authority should
be provided that would be adequate to
cope with yellow fever, cholera and
other like diseases.
Mr.. Carter of Montana, of the COM
mittec on territories, called up the
measure reported by him making fur.
Their provisions for civil government
of Alaska and addressed the senate at
length upon it.
Mr.. Foraker of Ohio presented the
credentials Of his colleague, Mr.. Han
ma. for the term as United States SEN
ator covering six years from March 4,
1890. The credentials We're read and
ordered filed.
In the House.
The naval appropriation bill was re-
ported to the house, but Us it had not
been printed the contested election
case of Thorpe VS.. Eppes, from the
Fourth Virginia district. was taken up
and debated until 4 O'clock, when the
house adjourned.
Washington, March 81. - A vivid
word picture of the horrors and bar
barities of concentration on the Is
land Of Cuba was drawn in the SEN
ate by Mr.. Gallinger of New Hamp-
shire. The senator recently visited
Cuba to study the situation there
Long before the senate convened the
galleries We're packed. Almost as
5000 as the senate convened Mr.. Ba.
con Of Georgia introduced joint reso.
luton declaring that the United
States should do everything in it's
power to preserve peace with all the
nations of the world and not be forced
into war except to preserve the hon
or and dignity of the nation. He said
that he would not ask for immediate
consideration Of the resolution, bu.
would permit it to lie on the table I'm.
til tomorrow. Then Mr.. Hale of
Maine. chairman of the naval affairs
committee. quietly arose and favora-
bly, reported the bill providing for a
relief for the survivors of the Maine
catastrophe. There was n suppressed