The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-03-22
MAINE RELIEF BILL.
The House Passes the Measure
Without Division.
SOME AMENDMENTS AGREED TO.

ing Oh fOstmaster BAKER IN south caro-
lina-The senate Committee of Pacific
Railroads win Report Bill for the
Settlement of Debts.
Washington. March 22-The blind
chaplain of the house. in his invocation
prayed that the members might meet
with patience the problems of the week
and dispose Of them TO the highest and
best interests of all concerned. Imme-
diately after the reading of the journal
the speaker recognized Boutelle, chair
man Of the committee on naval affairs,
who called up the bill for the relief Of
the survivors and victims of the Maine
disaster. Boutelle said that the pur-
pose and provisions Of the bill were
well understood, and so far as he was
concerned he thought debate unnecess-
airy. Still, he was ready to yield to the
desire of the house. Bailey said there
was no disposition on his side of the
house to debate the bill. such matters
as members on his side desired to
speak about in connection with the
disaster tkey would reserve for the
naval appropriation bill. He gave no.
tice of an amendment he would offer
Without debate therefore, the bill was
read by sections for amendment.
Amendment by Cannon.
Several minor amendments were
agreed to. Cannon, chairman of the
committee on appropriations, offered
an amendment to allow the surviving
officers and men twelve months sea
pay without rations in full compensa-
ton for losses sustained by them. This
provision he thought preferable TO one
to indemnify them for the losses sus-
tained, limited in amount to twelve
months sea pay. He called attention
TO the fact that in the case of the Sa-
moan disaster the compensation in each
case was about the maximum. He
thought a provision for compensation
for actual losses might lead some of the
survivors into the temptation Of mag
nifying their claims.
Boutelle at this point concluded as
debate was to be INDUCED in that it
would be we'll for him to mese a gener-
al statement He then explained brief
ly that IL was the idea of
the committee that congress should
be as liberal toward the VIC
Tins OF the Maine disaster as it had
been toward those who suffered In the
Samoan disaster, and the bill had been
drawn along the lines Of the bill passed
for the relief OF the Samoan victims.
Pay Of Captain sigsbee.
The committee did not believe that
the survivors should be reimbursed be-
yond the actual losses incurred. The
provision relating to the filing of the
scheduled loss and sworn to could be
carefully hedged about and could not
be criticised successfully Bailey asked
what the sea pay Of the highest officer
OF the unfortunate vessel was.
Captain Sigsbee's pay is about $4, 500,"
answered Bouteile.
Then under the proposed amend.
ment he would receive that amount, no
matter what losses he had sustained"
Exactly"
What was the largest amount paid
under the bill fer the relief Of the Sa-
moan victims?"
About $1,000"
The house rejected the Cannon
amendment and passed the Maine re-
lief bill unanimously. Representative
Cousins made an eloquent speech, an
nouncing that patient and patriotic
people were ready for the truth and
for their duty The house then took
up the private calendar