Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1898-01-21
rIrry-FIFTH CONGRESS-
HOUSE.

washington, Jan. l0-lHe ueNoIeu TWO
! hours to general debate on the army ap-
preparation bill and the remainder of the
day to eulogizing tho life and public sea.
vices of the late Representative Seth w.
| NIiliken. of Maine, who served for fourteen
| years in the lower branch OF congress. AT
325 D. m, as further mark Of respect, the
| house adjourned.
SENATE.
Washington Jan. 17--Wolcott, chairman
of the bimetallic commission, delivered an
address upon the negotiations of the
commission with European countries re.
lating to international bimetallism. He cX-
pressed the opinion that an international
bimetallic agreement is hopeless at present,
especially with tho nations of Europe pill
ing up gold With certain notifications,
however, he believed such an agreement
still feasible 1t might be necessary to
change the ratio to say twenty to one.
Wolcott here announced that he intended
to resign from the commission. The
speaker then contrasted tho attitude of
Secretary Gage, whose "advcnt into the
republican party and cabinet was practi-
cally contemporaneous," with that OF tho
president, as shown in the formers mon
etary reform bill and the presidents mes
sage to congress. The speaker declared:
1.-The time when this country will submit
to the final imposition of gold recommendation
is far away He appealed to all parties
to sink their differences in order to attain
that splendid possibility" international
bimetallisn. Wolcott concluded amid II
burst of applause and he was heartily con-
graduated.
The bills relating to the District of
Columbia passed. The remainder of the
session was devoted to consideration Of the
army appropriation bill, during which Nc
Clellun. of New York, son of General Geo.
B. Mcclellan, attacked the regular army,
asserting that its organization is obsolete
and inefficient. Hull agreed that the
army should be reorganized, as the present
organization was not what it should be.
SENATE.
Washington Jan. lS.-Gallinger. of the
committee on public health and national
quarantine, reported favorably Il bill pro-
viding for investigation of the subject of
leprosy. Placed on the calendar. Vest, of
Missouri, reported the Teller resolution,
declaring for the payment of national
bonds in silver as well rs gold, which had
been agreed upon by the committee by a
vote of s to 5, and gave notice that he
would call it up in a few days. The urgent
deficiency bill was passed In executive
session Morgan spoke in favor of the
Hawaiian treaty.
HOUSE.
The army appropriation bill came up and
was passed. In consideration Of the
diplomatic and consular appropriation bill
DeArmond offered as an amendment the
senate resolution recognizing the Cuban
insurgents as belligerents. The speaker
ruled it out Of order and the house, by a
vote of l52 to ia, sustained the decision.
SENATE.
Washington, Jan. ia resolution by
Hoar inquiring into the late order of the
postmaster general reducing the number of
letter carriers in some of the large cities,
caused a heated discussion, during which
| Wolcott charged that many New England
people were responsible for the postal de-
ticiency, as the government carried their
mail at a loss, and Allen charged that the
general was annually defrauded out Of mil
lions of dollars through underweighing of
mail matter.
Bluc1er, dem, offered resolution to in.
struct the committee on foreign affairs to
report at once the senate Cuban resolution
Hit raised point of order, which was
sustained, and Oh appeal the republicans
voted to endorse the speaker. Williams,
DEM, offered an amendment directing the
| president to appoint three commissioners
to proceed to Cuba to negotiate treaty of
peace, amity and commerce with the re-
| public of Cuba. Ruled out of order.
| Lewis. dem, moved an amendment to sus-
pend diplomatic relations with Spain in
Cuba. This was ruled out Of order and an
appeal was taken, but Dalzcll made a point
that the appeal was dilatory, and the point
was sustained. Terry, dem, asked: Can
it be possible that we have reached the
point where this side of the house cannot
appeal from 4; decision of the chair?'
Hepburn directed Terry to take his seat
and the clerk continued reading. Excite
ment was at the boiling point. Lewis,
however, found a parliamentary method of
discussing his amendment by moving pro
forma an amendment to strike out the last
word The general debate began later and
Hit explained the attitude Of the admins
tration toward Cuba, claiming that policy
while friendly to Cuba, could be vindieated
before the world. Dinsmore, of Arkansas.
ARA igncd the republicans for alleged in
consistency. Addresses were made by
Adams and Berry and then adjournment
was taken. ,
SENATE
Washington, Jan. 20-By the decisive
vote of II to g. the senate decided to pro-
coed at once to the consideration of the
resolution introduced a few days ago by
Mr. Teller of Colorado, providing for the
payment of bonds of the United States in
silver at the optiontf the government A
resolution was adopted directing the sec
rotary of war to make an examination of
the Port Arthur ship canal, with view to
its extension to deep water.
HOUSE.
The entire day was spent in consideration
of the diplomatic and consular appropria-
ton bill One of the most dramatic episodes
of the session occurred when Speaker Reed
and Bailey, the democratic leader FLASHED
on a question of veracity, Bailey holding
that an agreement had been made to vote
on a motion to recommit with instructions
to report back with al amendment embody~
ing the terms of the senate Cuban belliger-
ency resolution, and Reed denying it. The