The San Francisco call., 1898-03-16
BILL.
 COMES FIRST Then the House Will Take Up the Maine
 Relief Matter.
Political Issues Brought Up During Debates on the Post
 office Appropriation.
Boutelle of Maine Tries in Vain to Sidetracl1 the Measure of the
 Californian.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office, Riggs House, Washineton. March 15.

Washington, March 15
 The House agreed to-day to consider the bill for the relief of the legal heirs of the victims and survivors of the Maine disaster as soon as the Postoffice appropriation bill, which was taken up in the House to-day. is out of the way. During the general debate on the post office bill members eagerly took advan- tage of the latitude allowed in com mittee of the whole to discuss various political questions, and the debate, consequently, covered a wide range. Griggs (D.) of Georgia and Walker (R.) of Massachusetts discussed the cotton industry, and Tawney (R.) of Indiana, a member of the Ways and Means Committee. replied to the speech of Johnson (R) of Indiana, made some time ago, against the advisability of annexing the Hawaiian Islands. At the opening session of the House of Maine. chairman of the Naval Com mittee, that he might call up the bill for the relief of the victims and the surviv- ors of the Maine disaster. The bill pro- vides for making payments to the legal heirs of those who lost their lives equal to twelve months sea pay of the de- to the survivors of the value of the personal effects lost, not to exceed in amount a sum equal to twelve months sea pay. The continuance of allotments to families of the deceased for the three months was also provided for.
 Consideration of the bill required unanimous consent. Loud (Rep.) of Cali fornfa, said the bill was important, but there was a general law which covered such cases. and a special act should re- ceive deliberate consideration
 Boutelle said that the passage of the bill was demanded by public sentiment all over the country. He said there was a pressing necessity for the relief of the sufferers from this terrible disaster. Benefit performances were being held and subscriptions were being raised all over the country for the relief of the widows and orphans of the victims.
 Loud objected
 'That is the gentlemans privilege, un- der the rules, said Boutelle.
 'I object to the latter remark" said Loud, and ask that it be stricken from the record"
 . It was finally arranged, by unanimous consent, that the bill should be con- sidered as soon as the Postoffice appro- priation bill was out of the way
 Danford (Rep) of Ohio, chairman of the Committee on Immigration called attention to the fact that he had given notice some time ago that he would to- day call up the immigration bill. He asked what the parliamentary status of the bill was, and the Speaker informed him that 1t was on the Speakers table and could be called up at any time when a privileged matter was not before the House.
 On motion of Loud the House then went into committee of the whole and took up the Postoffce appropriation bill.
 Loud explained it's provisions briefly. It carried S9S, ,962 300, being S95S .S91 less than the estimates, and 8 962 more than the appropriations for the current