Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-03-09
CONGRESS.



In the Senate on the 2Sth Henry W. Cor
bett was denied admission to the Senate as
a senator from Oregon on appointment by
the governor by a vote of so to 10. The
Senate began consideration OF the Alaska
homestead and railway right of way bill,
and had not concluded it when it adjourned
The Senate on the list passed resolution
for erection Of bronze tablet to the mem
DRY Of victims of the Maine. The bank
ruptcy bill and the Alaska homestead and
right OF way bill were debated
The debate in the Senate on the I'd on the
b Was spte q ND daTr r Of Day
livered a vigorous speech in reply to that
made by Mr.. Rawlns (Utah), in the course
honor of congressional committees and Of Of
hc1als in the several government depart
ments One Of the special features of the
debate was a speech delivered by Mr.. Elkins
wv Ya), in which he explained that the
Canadian Pacific railway was enabled to
make war upon American interests, and
how and why the aggressiOnS of that great
railroad ought to be stopped by the United
States State Nth, The speech drew replies from Mr..
Nelson (Minn). Mr.. HOar maintained that
large part Of the speech Of Mr.. Elkins was
irrelevant to the pending discussion. He
you'd not admit that the aggressions of the
Canadian Pacific were so serious as the West
Virginia senator would have people believe.
MI Nelson entered a sharp protest to Mr.:
privilege, holding that that privilege was in
the direct interest, Of the people of the
L.
that under recent decisions Of the Supreme
court the long and short haul clause Of the
interstate commerce law did not apply to the
competition between American railroads and
the Canadian Pacific.
The House amendments to the bankruptcy
bill were noncOncurred in on the Sd and
Messrs; Hoar, Nelson and Lindsay were ap-
pointed as Senate cOnfereeS During almost
the entire session the Senate had under
SideratiOn the Alaska homestead and railway
right Of way bill One of the features of
discussion a SDppch delivered "
Vest, in which he ridiculed the idea of home
stealing any part of Alaska or constructing
railroads in that district. His motion to
eliminate the homestead feature of the bill
by striking out the first section was defeated.
The resolution for a congressional investiga-
ton Of the murder of the postmaster at Lake
City, 5. G., was referred to the committee
on contingent expenses. A bill was passed
to establish an assay office in Seattle, Wash.
After a debate lasting several days the
Senate on the 4th passed the bill extending
the homestead laws anu providing for right
Of way for railroads in the district of Alaska
Wa. e b3 f6a b St
providing for certain bonding concessions to
Canada in lieu of privileges to be extended
by the dominion government to this country,
however, induced a pretty lively debate as it
brought into the controversy the old fisher
les question on the New England coast.
which has been pending between the United
States and Great Britain for 100 years.
The statement was made on the floor of
senate ieIa TT that there was every reason to be
fisheries question could be settled without
great effort, as assurances to that effect had
been received from q large and influential
element in Canada.
The House on the 2Sth passed the sundry
civil appropriation bill after four days de-
bate. The appropriation for representation
at the Paris exposition was eliminated on a
point of order. The sudden change of senti-
ment which is often witnessed when men,
bers go on record was twice illustrated. On
the 25th the House, in committee Of the
whole, where there is no record Of the vote,
knocked out provision in the bill for an ap-
preparation to pay those who furnish the
conviction Of the violaters of the internal
revenue laws. and in committee extra
months pay was voted the employees of the
House; however, both of these propositions
were Overwhelmingly defeated
The House on the LIST entered upon the
consideration Of the Loud bill relative to
second-class mail matter. The bill is identi-
gress, but Mr.. Loud gave notice of an
amendment permitting the transmission at
cent. Of the bona fide circulation Of the
newspaper periodicals. This amendment re-
moves opposition to the bill Mr.. Loud
claiming that the government practically
paid a subsidy of $40,O0O,0O0 to the proprie-
tors of publications which now got access to
the mails at pound rates as the cost of trans
porting mail, and its handling averaged
cents per pound. Mr.. Moon Dem, Tenn
kins (Rep., Iowa. in favor Of it.
On the ID the House spent another day in
debate upon the Loud bin relating to second
class mail matter. The speeches as a rule
attracted little interest. The speakers were
Messrs. Bromwell rep, Ohio) and Ogden
dem, Lao in favor of the measure, and
essrs c, Bel G P0P' Cob simps9R PoP;
and Lentz Dem, o. in opposition to it.
The Loud bill, to correct alleged abuses Of
the second-class mail matter privilege, was
laid on the table by a vote of 1872 to 10, on
the Sd, thus killing it. Forty-seyen Repub-
licanS Joined with the Democrats and Popu-
lists in accomplishing this result and ten
Democrats voted with the majority of the
Republicans Mr.. White rep, n. g., the
only cOored member of the louise, asked
unanimous consideration for a resolution APP
propriating $1,000 for the family of the as
sassinated Lake City postmaster, but 1T
went over upon objection from Mr.. Bartlett
(Dem., Ga.).
Two more appropriations were sent to the
President by the House on the 4th-the pen
sion bill and the consular and diplomatic,
both Of which went through their final stage
in the House. This was private bill day.
The most important action taken was ac-
quIeScence in an agreement to make the bill
apprOpriating about $1,000 900 for war claims
approved by the court Of claims under the
provisions of the Bowman act special order
for next Friday. The claims carried by the
bill, 40 in number, are for stores and sup
plies seized during the war in the Southern
states. Only two bills were passed, one to
pay the heirs of Sterling T. Austin about
$4,000 for cotton seized during the war, and
the other to pay an aggregate of 1890 in
small claims growing out of back pay, ETC.,
earned during the war. The House adj
journed until the It'll