The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-01-29
PROCEEDINGS Of CONGRESS
DISCUSS THE NATIONS AFFAIRS
Leaders i'm Both Branches of the Ma
tionnI Legislature Consume Time
in Talk Well as Transact Some
Public Business-whnt Has Been
Done.

The senate IN executive session friday
confirmed the nomination of Attorney
General McKenna to be associate Justice
of the supreme court. Senator Allen con-
tinued his attack upon the attorney gen.
eral. He presented a large number OF
documents in support of his contention
that McKenna was not competent to dis
charge the duties of the high Office of JUS
tice of the supreme bench, but the vote
was overwhelmingly in McKenna's favor
1t was day of comparative quiet in the
house. which voted to concur in the SEN
ate amendment to the urgent deficiency
bill striking out the provision compelling
depostors of bullion to pay the cost of
transportation to minis. The Nicaraguan
canal commission amendment was non
eoncurred in. The Lacey bill, to extend
the public land laws to Alaska and grant
general right of way to railroads, was
passed.
In the house Saturday some odds and
ends of legislation were cleaned up by
unanimous consent. Mr.. Hit reported
back, with unfavorable recommendation,
the Lewis resolution calling ON the state
department for a draft of the Hawaiian
TO what constitutional way the president
had to contract for the payment of the
Hawaiian debt of 100000 out of the
public treasury. Mr. Hit explained that
as the treaty had been made public there
was no necessity for the passage of the
resolution. Mr.. Bailey created a furry
by rising to a question of personal privi-
lege in connection with his controversy
with Speaker Reed at the close OF the
Cuban debate last Thursday Bailey made
a long explanation and reviewed the en-
tire controversy. and in conclusion reit-
Grated several times the statement that
the agreement he had made with Mr.. Hit
had been violated. The speaker, from the
chair, reafiirmed his statement that no
agreement had been made. The house
then took up the Indian appropriation
bill
The Teller resolution, providing that
bonds of the United States may be paid
in silver, was laid before the senate. and
in accordance with the notice given, Sen
ator Stewart (pop.) of Nevada, addressed
the senate. He said disregard of a reso-
luton. which is already the law of the
United States, had brought many calami-
ties upon the land, and the result of such
disregard had been disastrous and la
mentable. Senator Spooner OF Wisconsin
presented the following as a substitute
for the Teller resolution: "That it is to
be the declared financial policy OF the
United States that, until we shall have
obtained an international agreement with
the leading commercial nations of the
H.. Of cilU VIII
agreement the United States is hereby fur
Their pledged to promote, the faith, honor
and credit of the United States are SOL
emnly pledged to preserve the existing
cold standard. and all silver and paper
currency shall be maintained at parity
with gold, and all obligations of the
United States shall be maintained invio-
lably at the present standard"
Industrial Conditions.
The house spent two hours Monday
transacting business relating to the Dis
trict of Columbia. and the remainder OF
the day on the Indian appropriation bill.
During the consideration of the last nam
ed a lively debate was precipitated by an
sllusion made by Mr.. Simpson of Kan
sas relative TO an alleged interview with
the president on the subject of immigra-
ton Mr. Grosvenor took occasion to eX-
press the opinion that the president had
never used some of the language imputed
to him, and the debate dIifted into a gen
eral discussion of our industrial condi-
tions, in the course of which the strike in
New England, the high prices of wheat i'll
Kansas and the defaulting republican of
ficials in Nebraska successfully played
their parts. Messrs. Dingley, Grone and
Meyer of Nebraska Grosvenor of Ohio and
Simpson of Kansas participated.
A Political Debate.
Under the parliamentary fiction of dis
cussing the Indian appropriation bill the
house devoted almost the entire session
of Tuesday to political debate in which
the main question was whether prosper
ity had come to the country as a result
of the advent OF the present administra-
ton As speeches were limited to five min
utes. many members participated and the
partisan spirit kept the interest keyed to
a high pitch. The acrimony which usu-
allv characterizes such debates was al
most entirely absent, and although good
natured. some hard knocks were given
and received Mr. Smith, the delegate
from Arizona, made an attack on the sys
tenn of educating the Indians, and Mr.
Walker moved to strike out the appro
priation for the Carlisle school. No vote
was taken on the motion during the day