Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-20
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE

When the House met today the pending
question was on the motion of Mr.. Swan
son to recommit the post office appropria-
ton bill, with instructions to strike from
the paragraph appropriating 100000 for
mail facilities in Cuba, Porto Rico and the
Philippine Islands the words newly ac-
quired territory
The democrats opposed this language. To
avoid a roll call, which had been ordered,
Mr.. Loud, IN charge of the bill, asked
unanimous consent that the words be
stricken out, as they were unnecessary.
There was no objection.
The order for roll call was vacated and
the bill was passed.
Mr.. Cannon, chairman of the 9ppr9pria-
lions committee, presented a small urgent
deficiency bill carrying $1,000, and it was
passed without objection.
Mr. Hull, chairman of the military af-
fairs committee, who has recovered from
his recent illness, asked unanimous consent
that the army reorganization dill re taken
up next Tuesday with a provision for fif-
teen hours general debate. He said il was
exceedingly important that the Country
should know what was to BE- done in the
matter of the proposed increase in the
army.
Mr.. Bailey SAID he realized that This bill
was to be considered, and he was Hillil z
to agree if some additional time were al
lowed for general debate by holding Light
sessions.
Mr.. Hull modified his request to include
provision for night sessions Tuesday. We'd
nesday and Thursday. and as modified it
was agreed to.
Military Academy Bill.
Mr.. Marsh Qll) reported the Military
Academy appropriation bill.
A bll was passed authorizing the con-
struction of a bridge across the Missouri
river at Oacoma. S d.
On motion of Mr.. Payne On. " the
House agreed to adjourn over until Mon
day.
A bill to grant an honorable DISCHARGE 70
owen Prentice, lieutenant of the S6lh New
YORK Volunteers. who was dismissed from
the army lot playing cards with enlisted
men ore" from Mr.. Bailey some causIic
comment on the army regulations. which
made 1t a crime for officers to play cards
Win enlisted men and a pastime with
brother officers. The bill was passed
This being Friday the House then pro-
ceeded to the consideration of the private
Calendar.
Claims of Cramp & Sons
The first bill considered was for the re-
lief OF William Cramp & Sons of Philadel-
| phia. 1t referred to the court of claims the
| claims of this company for damages and
losses alleged to be due for DELAYS caused
by the government in the supply of arnoor
and other material. The claims aggregate
4 S-IIUiS In the case of the cruiser New
AoIk; slS2,231 in the case of the Columbia.
S4s3,i5I in the case of the battle shin Mas
sachusetts, and S4SO,231 in the case of the
battle snip Indiana.
Attack on Contractors
The history OF the claim was Thoroughly
exhausted during the debate which Mr..
Lewis Wash) enlivened by making the
Dill the text fol an attack on the general
methods of government contractors.
During the war with Spain, when the
country was confronted with an enemy
from without, traitors. he said, threatened
II from within. These contractors, who
should have upheld the government in the
hour of Its peril, he declared, declined to
bld against each other. In some cases
they had furnished. he said rotten and
decayed food which had been prepared for
| the Chyuese-Japanese war" It was messed
and blue, putrid and corrupt but it was
| sent TO our soldiers at the front, and they
persisted from it as from the plague
These men had earned the ignomy re-
preach and contempt of Congress. If he
I were Attorney General he should arraipn
! before the grand jury of this country those
VINO had furnished poisoned food to the
army. those who had sold armor plate to
the enemy and those who had sold coal for
the use of the enemys fleets. and he would
: convict them of treason and have them
shot. as Napoleon did. or have them i'm
Mr.. Simpson (kan) remarked upon the
peculiarly which always secured a hear
ing for large claims in the House. hut
which always kept the modest but often
meritoriOus claims in the background This
| was especially true, he said, of these bills
! To reimburse big contractors.
The report on the pending bill he said,
| argued that Cramp & Sons should be re-
! imbursed. because of the great efficiency
| OF these ships as demonstrated by their
| service during the late war. Was 1t claimed
| that these ships took part in the sinking
| OF Cervera's ships? he asked. What part
| had the New York played at the battle of
! Santiago? She was not in it. She never
| the Columbia and the Massachusetts,
| neither of which was there.
The only ships which had cut any great
| figure in the destruction of the Spanish
/ fleet besides the Brooklyn and the Texas
| was the Oregon. The builders of that mag
| nificent ship were not here asking for
bonuses, said Mr.. Simpson.
| Mr.. Bingham Pa) called the attention
| Of the gentleman from Kansas 10 the
| fact that the Union iron works had a claim
! pending.
| Representatives From Pennsylvania.
! In conclusion. Mr.. Simpson said he had
no complaint 10 make against the reprs-
sentatives from Pennsylvania who were
| pressing this bill. He readily understood
| their position. Men were not elected to
| Congress in Pennsylvania. They were Sc
| lected by corporations and they were COM
1 PEELED to carry out the wishes of these cor
| poratons. They must do that to hold
| their Jobs, said ne. amid iaup1tar