Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-12-08
TO-DAY IN CONGRESS.
THE SENATE.

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WASHINGTON, Dec. Sat the open
ing Of today's session it was deter
mined to give an hour 10 the considers
tion Of pension bills. Vest, Of Missouri,
said: 81 do not want to be captlous
about this pension business, and do not
want to set myself up as a reformer
bat this thing Of passing lot of PEN
sion bills simply by reading the titles
when a quorum of the senate is not
present has got TO be stopped. Recent
events have obliterated sectionalism
and we are united We can, therefore.
come here and object to this spoliation.
use the word advisedly, without fear
Of having our motives impugned or
our words misconstrued. We are pay
ing out in round figures Sal 100000
annually for pensions. 1t is our duty
to find out why, thirty-tbree years
after the close Of the civil war,
this thing of pension claims
shows such an enormous sum. /
have been criticised by some of my
people because | have not taken a more
determined stand on this pension ques-
tion. want. however, to pay literally
pensions, 1 regard such payment as y
sacred duty, but do object to the pas
sage of these bills without q proper
consideration and with the same re-
strietion hedged about other measures.
Gallinger of New Hampshire ss
chairman of the pension committee,
agreed with Vest in desire to have
the pension bills carefully considered.
He thought quorum of the senate
ought to be in attendance when the
pension calandar was considered.
During the consideration of the bills
on the pension calandar Catfery, Of
louisiana, introduced a resolution de-
claring it the sense of the senate that
the president enter into negotiations
with the government of Great Britain
for the purpose of abrogating or modi-
flying the Clayton -Bulwer treaty in so
far and to the extent that the same may
be deemed to prevent the United States
from owning, constructing, controlling
or operating any oceanic canal across
the Isthmus of Darien.'
Senator Vest introduced a resolution
providing for the appointment of a
joint commission to investigate
the charges of corruption in the
conduct of the war with Spain. The
resolution calls for the appointmentof
three senators and five members of the
house
Senator Morgan moved to take up the
Nicaraguan canal bill. A motion to
adjourn was made by Petiigrew. The
bill was then taken up. The senate
then adjourned, on motion of Senator.
Morgan. till Monday next.
THE HOUSE.
On motion of Chairman Cannon, the
appropriations committee went into
committee of the whole to consider the
urgency deficiency bill for the support
of the military and naval establish
ment during the six months beginning
Jan. 1, 1899
THE bill gave rise to long debate on
increase In the size of the army and the
muster out of volunteers. A number
of Democrats insisted that the bill
would enable the President to retain
the volunteers in service after peace
was declared. Dockery and Sayers,
leading Democrats Of the appropria-
tions committee, defended the bill and
said it could not be construed to modify
the volunteer law, Rae, of Arkansas,
announced his purpose to move an
amendment specifically declaring the
bill should not have such effect, The
house finally passed the urgent def
cheney bill.