Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-05-04
CONGRESS.
Senate.

the 10Th to pass the declaration of war,
because the old contest over belligerency
and independence had to be gone over.
There was also some difference of opinion
as to the advisability Of saying war had
chairman Of the committee demanded a
secret session in order that there might
be no unseemly exhibition before the pub
lie Senator Turpie offered amendment
to give the Cuban insurgents belligerent
rights, but it defeated by a vote Of "A
to 81. The Senate then agreed to the reso-
luton without an opposing voice.
The Senate spent the entire day on the
10Th on routine business.
The Senate was in session only an hour
and half on the 9th. No business OF i'm
portance pressing for consideration, the Sen
ate began the consideration of bills the
general calendar, and at 1:20 O'Clock ad-
JOurned.
The chaplain of the Senate on the 2Sth
invoked the Divine blessing upon the army
and navy Of the United States, praying
that they be kept under the protection Of
His good province, prospecting their arms
and bringing their efforts to q speedy and
glorious success Mr.. Pasco of Florida
presented memorials from the Florida
board Of trade concerning the interference
with the cOastwise trade by the present
condition Of war. Mr.. Pasco said the mat
ter was becoming serious, as American YES
sells were being forced to refuse business.
he thought the committee on commerce
ought to consider the subject promptly and
the memorials were referred to that com
mittee. Mr. Butler of North Carolina in
PRODUCED the following resolution: 'That
the bonded Indebtedness of the United
States should not be increased, but that
the necessary means to carry on the war
against Spain should be raised by increaS-
ing the revenues of the government, in
Guiding tax on incomes and by issuing
silver certificates against the seigniOrage
now in the treasury, and by such additional
issues Of United States legal tender notes
as may be necessary" The resolution went
over. The Senate them at 1:45 p. M, on
melton Of Mr.. Chandler Of New Hampshire,
went into executive session and at O'Clock
adjourned.
At the session Of the Senate on the Doth
the report of the cOnfereeS on the naval ap-
preparation bill was presented and agreed
to. The measure as perfected carries
little more than $57,000,O0O No other bust
ness of general Importance was transacted.
A bill to promote the efficiency of the reve-
nue. cutter service was passed. After Il
short executive session the Senate adjourned
until the 3D.
The House on the 18th passed the bill de-
claring the existence of a state of war be-
tween the United States and the Kingdom
Of Spain in manner which cannot fail to
impress the world The representatives of
10000, 900 people voted for it without q
word of debate, without a dissenting vote
and without a, roll call, but with a solemn
appreciation of the gravity of their moment
Gus action 1t required but one minute and
forty-one seconds to accomplish this. There
was no excitement. No such impressive &C
ton can be recorded in the legislative annals
Of any country. The House of Represen-
tatives had simply paused III the considera-
ION ION OF us routine business 10 pass declara-
ton OF var Just prior to adjournment
Speaker Reed signed the bill declaring the
existence of a state Of war.
The war revenue bill was reported to the
House on the 26th and an arrangement was
made to continue the debate at the night
session until the 28th. At o'clock on that
day the vote will be taken.
The general debate upon the measure
formed by, the ways and means committee
to meet the extraordinary expenditures Of
the war with Spain opened in the House on
the 9th. night session was devoted to
brief speeches by members who were I'M
of the speakers only had time to ask per-
mission to extend their remarks in the rec
ord
The general debate on the war revenue
bill closed on the night of the 9th after an
eight and a half hours of speech-making.
The IT debate lacked both spirit. and interest:
revenue features of the bill. The Demo-
Gratis continued their assaults on the bond
feature and their advocacy of the income
tax. The latter was ridiculed as a substi-
tute proposition by the Republicans. The
authority to borrow money defended by
theln as absolutely necessary. There is
difference of opinion on the Democratic side
as to whether the bill should be voted upon
ON its final passage, after the minority
i a[G b b9 He of Of tne
York, have announced their purpose of s.
voting, but the majority of the Democrats
believe they could not justify a vote for a
bond issue. An effort is being made to
avoid an aye and no vote Oh the final passage
to prevent an exhibition of this division,
and it seems probable that it will be sue
cessful. There may be some difficulty about
the committee amendments decided upon,
as under the order the bond feature of the
bill must first be taken up under the 5-min-
ute rule on the 18th. If the amendments to
these sections should exhaust the time be-
fore 4 o'clock, the committee amendments
would be ruled out and would have to be
inserted by the Senate.
The House on the Goth passed the war
revenue bill with only the amendments
agreed upon by the Republican members of
order to accomplish this, parliamentary
maneuyer was necessary as the whole time
for amendments was exhausted by. the mi
nority in trying to amend the bond feature
of the bill. Mr.. Dingley offered a sub
stitute an entirely new bill containing these
amendments after the bill had been re-
parliamentary trick frequently resorted to
years ago. The Morrill, tariff law was
passed in this way in its original form after
1t had been loaded down with amendments
in committee of the whole. Many amend
ments were offered to the bond feature of
the bill ranging from proposition for the
substitution of income tax provision to
an authorization for an issue of $15O,O00O 900
greenbacks. But all were voted down. At
the last minute the Democrats decided to
offer the motion to recommit with instruc-
lions to report back the income tax PROPOSE
ton amendment to the bill instead
Of as a substitute for the bond provision.
This was due to the fact that a number Of
Democrats had declined to vote to strike
out the bond provision. The motion
defeated-134 to 173. Four Republicans
voted with the Democrats and Populists on
this vote. But the final passage of the
bill (Which was carried Isl to ,13D the
Democrats and Populists, with six excep-
lions, voted solidly against the bill. The
Democrats who voted for the bill were
Messrs. Cummings and briggs of New York;
McMillin of Tennessee; Fitzgerald of Massa-
chusetts, McAleer of Pennsylvania, and
Wheeler of Alabama. Two Republicans
Messrs. Lnney Of North Carolina and Thorp
Of Virginia, voted with the opposition
Quite a number of Democrats declined to
vote.
The session Of the House on the Both was
devoted chiefly to consideration Of the con-
ference report on the naval appropriation
bill presented by Chairman Boutelle. The
report rejected after three hours Of de-
bate, and further conference will follow.
The only ground upon which the fight
against the report was made was found in
the Senate amendment to compensate naval
officers for government of their inven-
tons and authorizing them to have their
claims for such compensation adjudicated
in the court of claims. resolution in
troduced by Mr.. Cannon, insisting upon
eliminating the amendment was adopted
lis to 42-and the naval bill was again sent
to conference.