Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-12-15

Mass.) secured the adoption of a res
olution that committee OF seven sen
ators be appointed. to. whom 81 b
referred that part of the president
message which relates to the celebra-
ton Of the centennial of the city o.
Washington as the capital of the
United States.
On motion Of Mr.. Lodge (rep., Mass !
the senate went into executive session.
Then followed long debate on the
subject Of confirmation of the Hawai-
ian commissioners. Mr.. Hoar made
vigorous protest against the practice of
appointing senators on such commits
sions as the Paris and Hawaiian com
missions. He said senators SO ap-
pointed became the agents of the
president to carry out his wishes and
asked what became of their functions
as senators wnen the reports which
they made came up for action in the
senate. He referred to the Paris
peace commission and the Anglo
American commission as glazing ex-
amples of the practice. Mr.. Morgan
dem, Ala.) and Mr.. Aldrich (rep., R.
l. defended the practice. Mr.. Aldrich
made the point that the position of
commissioner in such duties as those
of the Hawaiian commission and Paris
peace commission was not inconsist-
ent with the performance of senatorial
duties. Those positions were, he said,
not offices in the usual Interpretation
of the word, and to prevent the presi-
dent calling for senator's services for
such work was often to deprive him of
the best assistance available. After
two and half hours discussion of the
question it was referred to the judi
ciary committee with instructions to
investigate and report upon the NOM
nations of the commissioners.
Soon after the senate resumed bust
ness in open session communications
were received from the house an
nouncing the death during recess Of
Representative Northway (Ohio) and
Love (Miss.) On motion of Mr.. For
aker, as a mark of respect to the mem
DRY of the deceased, the senate ad-
journed.
Washington, Dec. S.-The senate ad-
journed till Monday. In connection
with the decision to give only one hour
to the consideration of pension bills,
Mr.. Vest (dem., Mo- gave notice that
the passing of a lot Of pension bills
simply by reading the titles, and when
a quorum is not present, has got to be
stopped" He went on to say that the
southern members of congress had felt
some delicacy about opposing pension
legislation, but the late war had re
moved that bar, and they, while rec
ogniZing the liberal pension legislation
as sacred duty, proposed to object to
spoliation. Mr.. Gallagher (rep., n. II. J,
chairman of the pensions committee.
agreed with Mr.. Vest that pension bills
should be carefully considered. Mr.
Caffrey dem, La introduced a reso-
luton as the sense of the senate that
the president should negotiate with
Great Britain for the abrogation or
modification of the Clayton -Bulwer
treaty, to the extent that it binders the
United States from constructing the
Panama isthmian canal.
Mr.. Vest introduced the following
bill: THAT no person, while holding
a judicial or legislative Office under the
United States, shall be appointed 10Y
the president, commissioner or agent
of the government, nor of any depart
ment or bureau thereof"
Washington, Dec. 8.-The urgency
deficiency bill, to provide for the sup
port of the military and naval estab-
lishments, was passed by the house.
practically without opposition. The
only point upon which issue was
raised was whether the bill pro
viding as it did for the pay of vol
unteers until July 1, 1899 might not
be construed as a modification of the
law under which volunteers were mus
tered into service. Mr.. McR8e (dem.
Ark offered an amendment providing
| that it should not be so construed, and
upon it (the amendment) there was a
general discussion as to the advisable
ity of the mastering out of the volun-
| teers before the regular army was in
creased. Mr. Cannon (rep., lid final
ly accepted Mr.. McRae's amendment
and that removed the only opposition
to the bill. The bill comes to S69,-
| 1898
The conference report upon a bill to
render sureties of consuls, vice-consuls
| and consular agents liable for damages
in suits of law was adopted
The house adjourned until Monday.