The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-04-02
HOUSE..

session being devoted to the consider
alton of private pension bills.
TuEsDAY-The naval appropriation
bill was reported to the house Friday,
but as it had not been printed, the
contested election case of Thorpe vs..
Eppes, from the Fourth Virginia dis:
trict, was taken mp aid debated until
four o'clock, wien the house, owing to
the illness Of NJ. Rhea, If Kentucky,
who was to speak this afternoon, ad'
iourned until Wedncs ~.
WEDNEsDAY:--R T. Thorp was today
given the seat from the Fourth Vir-
ginia district. Sidney P. Epps, who
obtained the certificate of election, was
puseated by strict party vote of Isl
to 1870. The Republicans, without
break, voted for Thorp, and the Dem.
ocrats and Populists, wife the excep.
ton of Mr.. Howard, Of Alabama, voted
for Epps. Mr.. Thorp contested the
seat Of Mr.. Mckinney in the last con.
gress and was seated. The Republi.
can majority in the house, which was
50 when the house convened last sum.
mer. is now 81.
,FHURsDAY-The galleries Of tn
house were crowded today in anticipa-
ton of some exciting speeches on the
Spanish crisis during the consideration
of the naval appropriation bill. As
soon as the journal was read, ON motion
of Mr.. Boutelle, chairman of the naval
committee, the house went into COM
mittee of the whole, Mr.. Sherman, OF
New York, in the chair, for the con-
sideration of the bill.
FR1DAY-The stirring scenes of the
ffty-frst congress, when members Of
the minority were charging down the
aisles protesting against the rulings OF
Speaker Reed, were recalled to-day in
the turbulent protests made by the MI
nority against a ruling Of the chair
during the consideration of the naval
appropriation bill. The ruling in ef-
feet compelled members to confne
their remarks under the five minute
rule to the subject before the house,
and was made against Mr.. Hartman,
Silver Republican Of Montana, who at
tempted to make atpolitical speech.
The ruling was denounced as usurpa-
ton and appeal after appeal was taken.
When all else failed every expedient
was resorted to to block progress with
the bill. AS result four pages only
of the bill were disposed of. After q
lively discussion, tho house, at sos
pm, adjourned.
STRENGTHENING the debate on
naval appropriation bill to-day in the
house, every utterance in favor of ag.
gressive action against Spain was ap:
plauded to the echo by the crowded
galleries. The main contest to-day
was over the approprion to decrease
the number of timber drydocks, au'
thorized by the bill from four to three
1t was led by Mr.. Cannon, chairman
OF the appropriation commlttee, VINO
made the motion to discuss the whole
question of war preparations and to in
weigh against the undue extravaganza
He said the situation should be me-
with "loyal hearts and cool heads,
bat the temper of the house was in
favor of the utmost liberality and h
was voted down, 78-107. No point O.
order was made against the proposed
timber docks, but Mr.. Cannon gave no
tice that he would raise point agains
the proposed steel docks at Algiers,
La, on the ground that dock neces
sarily involved in the future the ostab
lishment Of q navy yard. There va
some further discussion of the RELATIVE
merits Of large battleships and smalle
crafts, in which the temper of the hous
seemed almost equally divided, but tn
paragraphs relating to the ships ha'
not been reached when the house ad
journed.