Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-03-02
CONGRESS-.
Senate.

taking of the twelfth and subsequent CEN
suseS. 1t was amended so as to place the
census bureau under the secretary Of the in
terror, but the extended discussion which
| followed disclosed so wide divergence of
| views as TO the various features of the meas
ure that no further action was taken. A
| resolution offered by Mr.. Allen, directing
the committee on naval affairs to make an
| investigation of the Maine disaster, was
| adopted without debate.
AS soon as the reading of the historic fare
| well address Of Washington was concluded
by Mr.. Lodge of MASSACHUSETTS, in the SEN
| ate on the 3D. Mr.. Hawiey of Connecticut,
chairman of the military affairs committee,
called up the bill providing for the enlist
ment of two additional regiments of artillery
| FOR service in manning the heavy coast de-
| tense batteries which Congress has provided
| turing the past two years. The bill was
by Messrs: Bate (Tenn), Clay (Ga.), Chiffon
| (TeX) and Vest CMo). Cuba usurped the
place Of Hawaii in the executive proceedings
| of the Senate, and was under consideration
| for an hour more.
| While the Senate had under consideration
| the diplomatic and consular appropriation
| bill on the 23d, sharp debate the Cuban
| situation was ,precpitated by Mr.. Allen
(NeD) who offered as an amendment the
| resolution passed by the Senate year ago
recognizing the belligerent rights of the
Cuban insurgents. The debate became gen
eral and occupied nearly four hours. In the
course of reply TO the preliminary state
ment by Mr.. Allen, Mr. Morgan Of Alabama
| said this cOuntry's relations with Spain at
| the present time were seriously strained and
that Intervention by the United States,
which year ago would have been inoffensive
would now be almost a case of war. He eX-
pressed the opinion that the Cuban affair
would eventually be submitted to the arbi-
trament OF the sword between the United
states and Spain, but he did not want war
Precipitated by any rash acts Of legislation.
| The amendment finally ruled out on
| point OF order and the chair was sustained
| 81 to ).
A feature of the Senate's session on the
| 24th was the speech Of Mr.. SpOoner wis
c0nsin) on the right Of Henry w. COrbett to
| a seat in the Senate from Oregon under APP
pO1ntment of the governor. Mr.. SpOOner
made constitutional argument in favor of
seating Mr.. Corbett. An effort was made to
| obtain consideration of the Alaskan home
stead and railway right of way bill, but on a
parliamentary technicality it went over. The
resolution offered yesterday by Mr.. Allen
| (Nebraska) to appoint a committee of five
senator's to Investigate the Cuban situation
was withdrawn by its author when it was
laid before the Senate.
Henry w. COrbett's right to a seat in the
Senate from Oregon was under consideration
for five hours on the 25th A bill permitting
the building of dam between Coon Rapids
and the north limits Of Minneapolis, across
the Mississippi river, passed. Early in
the session an attempt was made to get up
the Alaskan bill, but it failed.
The House did not complete the consider
alton Of the sundry civil bill on the 26th,
but Chairman Cannon held the floor with
It until adjournment, refusing to yield to
Mr.. Boutelle (Me.) the chairman of the naval
committee who was anxious to secure con-
SideratiOn for the bill reported by his COM
mittee for the relief Of the victims and sur
vtvorS of the Maine disaster About twenty
pages of the sundry civil bill were disposed
members to inject river and harbOr items
into the bill, three of them being success
ful; amendments appropriating 100000 for
Cleveland harbOr, $1,000 for Wilmington
Del, and increasing the appropriation for
Boston harbor from S1G0 900 to $3.50. 900 were
adopted. AS contracts for these works were
In, nrCn 1n- +l,n
rules.
The Dist was private day in the House
The feature of the day spirited con-
test over the bill to pay Newberry college,
a Lutheran institution in South Carolina
$3.50 for damages by federal troops It
was annually passed. On motion of Mr.
Bailey, the Democratic leader, the House
birthday by adjourning on the 22d, but MI
Dingley raised the point of no quorum and
before further action could be taken the
house recessed
Washngton's birthday was celebrated in
the House on the 22d, after motion of Mr..
Bailey to adjourn had been voted down, with
a vast deal of political speech making and it
was also signalized by the firing of the first
gun in opposition to Hawaiian annexation.
Mr.. Johnson an Indiana Republican, deliy-
cred speech that electrified the House and
the galleries in denunciatiOn of what he
termed attempt to cut loose from the
traditional policy of the United States and
had proved the ruin Of empires md of ma
lions. He used some strong language, but
his remarks were enthusiastically appauded,
and the minority and many Republicans
joined in the demonstration. He said that
while he had denounced at the time the
statement that the Hawaiian monarchy had
been OverthrOWn with the aid of American
citizens he now firmly believed that it was
true The speech, coming entirely unherald-
ed produced Il deep impression.
A variety of subjects occupied the atten-
of+ I,,ry l.
Of the sundry civil appropriation bill on the
23d. Mr. Mahany of New York made an at
tack on the patriotism Of some of the social
leaders of New York, who, he said. held
high reyel while the nation bowed down
with grief over the loss of life resulting
from the Maine explosion. The Southern
members, who have for years been fighting
the appropriation for "infOrmerS'' on Illicit
distilleries, succeeded in killing the appro-
priatiOn in committee of the whole, but
Chairman Cannon gave notice that he would
demand a yea and nay vote in the House.
resolution was adopted nquiring of the treas
ury department what has been done by the
United States to prevent the conveyance to
the CubanS Of articles produced in the Unit
ed States; also as to the prevention of fill
clustering.
The House disposed of thirty additional
pages of the sundry civil appropriation bill
on the oath. The fact that the government
IS preparing for contingencies was recognized
when Chairman Cannon, who has been labor
ing to keep down appropriations accepted
without a word of protest an amendment TO
increase the appropriation to care for the
unused machinery at che Springfield arsenal
Resolutions which were objected to a few
weeks ago for the appointment of two extra
naval cadets to positions in the engineer
corps of the navy were also adopted. One
Of them will fill a vacancy caused by the
death Of Lieut. Merritt Of the Maine.
A long and somewhat exciting debate over
the question Of river and harbor appropria-
lions precipitated during the cOnsidera-
ton of the sundry civil appropriation bill on
the 25th. 1t practically agreed by all
those who participated that there would be
no river and harbOr bill at this session Of
Congress. The item apprOpriating 100000
for San Pedro harbOr California, was
passed, and the Oakland harbor appropra-
ton remains in the bill by vote of lis to
Is. An unsuccessful effort was made to Sc
cure consideration Of the bill passed by the
Senate for two additional regiments.of artil-
lery, but on objection from Mr.. Cox Dem,
TENN it went over
During the greater part Of the session on
the 26th the right of Henry w. COrbett to
seat from the state Of Oregon was under
discussion. Mr.. Thurston (Neb.), in an ex-
tended speech, opposed the admission Of
Mr.. COrbett, while Messrs. Foraker, Kyle
and Mantle supported Mr. COrbetts claim
The vote on the case it has been agreed
will be taken at p. on the 2Sth. The
pension calendar was cleared by the passage
Of several private pension bills. few bills
Of q general character were also passed