The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-12-20
WORK OF CONGRESS

tha senate at IFS session yesterday.
Territorial EXPANSION and the construc-
| ton of the Nicaragua canal occupied
the attention of the body during the
greater part of the afternoon. AS
soon as the routine business had Deen
disposed of Mr.. Vest called up his res
/ OIution offered last week declaring It
! to be unconstitutional for this govern
ment to acquire foreign territory eN-
cent for coaling stations or Tor some
| like purpose unless its intention was to
| confer statehood upon the territory
and citizenship upon its inhabitants.
| Mr.. Vest declared that it was 4 Daslc
principle of this government that the
| powers of the government were ue-
rived from the consent OF the gov
erncd, and maintained that the federal
government had no authority either in
morals or in the constitution to go be-
yond that principle. He held that the
| principle had been sustained by the
supreme court in various decisions ana
| that no public man Of prominence ana
no recognized tribunal had ever Deen
| reckless enough to controYert II. MI.
Platt of Connecticut took issue Win
| MI Vest and announced that at some
convenient time in the near future lie
| would offer some remarks upon the
| resolution. in the course of which ne
| would endeavor to show that the MIS-
| souri, senator was wrong in his inter-
| probation of the constitution ana mac
curate in his deductions from the law
| MI Morgan opened the debate on the
J canal bill with a three-hour appeal Tor
| action at this session. The whole
| country he said would be disappointed
9 o0t
| ing to take any measure which would
result in the building of the canal In
| the course of his remarks he agreed TO
| accept an amendment specifically eX-
| cepting the canal from neutrality Win
regard to any country with which the
! United States might be at war.
In the House.
The house spent the larger part of
! the day OH District Of Columbia bust
. ness. The bill to relieve the condition
| of American seamen was taken up but
nothing was accomplished.
| washington, Dec IA. - Yesterdays
| session of the senate was largely con-
| sumed IN discussion of the Nicaragua
| canal ill. Mr.. Turpie made the prin-
cipal speech in opposition to the bill,
attacking it on the ground that it is In
| the interest of the Maritime company,
which he characterized as a fraud and
| bankrupt He moved pOStponement
of the matter until after the holiday
| recess. Mr. Morgan defended the bill
and the Maritime company and OPP
| posed the motion to postpone. Messrs.
| Berry and RaWlinS both offered
! amendments materially affecting the
| bill Previous to the proceedings upon
| the canal bill Mr.. Morrill, made an adj
| dress in support of the bill authOriz-
| ing the purchase of site for a SUI
| preme court building, and this and
several other bills were passed.
In the House.
The house passed the District Of
| Columbia appropriation bill without
| single amendment The bill carries
| $6,359, $50, which is less than the esti
! mates. The house also passed the SEN
| ate bill to amend the laws relating to
seamen. All the amendments were re-
| jected.
| Washington, Dec. 10. The house
| yesterday, for the second time during
this congress, refused to consider the
| Lodge immigration bill. At the last
session an attempt was made to take
| it from the speakers table, but it was
defeated by a large majority. Mr..
| DanfOrd of Ohio, chairman of the i'm
migration committee, thought the bill
| would be stronger after the elections
were over, but yesterday when he tried
| again to secure consideration the
1 house declined-100 to 1O3-to take it
up. An interesting but brief debate on
| the rules was precipitated during the
session by Mr.. Grow of Pennsylvania,
| during whi>h Mr.. Dearmond made
| speech on the decadence of the priv
| ilege of debate in the house. and held
| Speaker Reed responsible for the fact
that the house had had no opportunity
| to adopt a new system of rules at this
| session. The speaker replied with
sarcastic speech in which he referred
to the complaints of John Randolph in
| the early days of the century to show
| that the same remOnStranceS were
| made then that were being heard now.
| In the Senate.
! The Nicaraguan canal bill held its
| place as the principal subject before
| the senate again yesterday. Speeches
were made by MessrS. Harris, Money,
| Stewart and Morgan. Mr. Money
| urged postponement of the question in
| order to permit an opportunity for ne
! gotiations with Great Britain for
modification of the Clayton-Bulwer
| treaty, and Mr.. Morgan antagoniZed
| the proposition. An agreement was
| reached to vote on the Turpie post
! ponement motion to-day. Other queS-
| tons before the senate were: The gov