The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-03-04
CONGRESS ADJOGRNS.
The Last Legislative Day Attended
With Greatest Confusion.
A TWENTY-FIVE HOUR SESSION.

The Nation's Lawmakers Worked All
Day and When Final Adjournment
Was Reached Had Completed All the
Absolutely Necessary Work.
Washington. March 4.-Congress ad.
journcd at noon today after a session
which had lasted since IL o'clock yes
terday forenoon, with short reccsses for
refreshment Excitement, confusion,
heavy strain and hard work have char.
actrrized the last legislative day Of the
Fifty-ffth congress in the senate. At
times the confusion was so great in this
usually staid and decorus body as to
render the transaction of business almost
impossible. Business that ordinarily
would have the undivided attention Of
every senator on the floor was transact
ed amid so much noise that it was mex.
to impossible to follow the proceedings.
Towards midnight comparative order
was evolved from the seeming chaos Of
the early part Of the day and evening,
and congress adjourned with its abso-
lutely necessary work completed.
When the senate convened it faced the
task of considering two of the great ap.
preparation bills. those of the army and
for supplying the general deficiencies.
The former carries appropriations ex-
ceeding $S0,O00,000 and the latter about
$2O,000,000. With a determination to
complete the appropriation bills the SEN
ute began Immediately to consider these
measures, and at s o'clock last night the
army bill was passed, the deficiency bill
having been passed nearly three hours
before.
A conference report on the Alaska
criminal code bill was presented and
agreed to.
A report on the sundry civil approprja-
ton bill was agreed to, but the inability
of the senate conferrecs to secure an
agreement on the Hawaiian cable prop
osition created heated discussion, in
the course of which Speaker Reed was
alluded to in uncomplimentary terms.
The Toledo exposition bill, carrying an
appropriation of $4,000, was passed
without debate.
Last night the river and harbor con-
ference was presented. A debate on the
recession of the senate conference from
the senate amendment providing for reser-
voirs to irrigate arid lands at the head
waters of the Missouri river was pre-
cipitated by the advocates of the PROPOSE
ton. An effort was made to rccommt
the bill to the conferrees, but it failed
after an impassoned speech by Senator
Frye, who submitted the report. The
Il ,bnt T., <npt;nunI ,,nfil ,l,rh hnu fhIy
morning, when it was passed without
the amendment.
Crowded galleries looked down upon
the struggling members of the house as
the closing scenes Of the last legislative
day were being enacted. Step by step
the leaders in charge of the appropria-
tions bills pushed them through the final
stages and during every lull in the con-
of conference reports mem
bers clamored for recognition for be-
lated local bills, in the vain hope Of
them from death on the cal.
endar.
At times the house was like bcdlam.
Pound as the speaker would with his |
gavcl, it was almost impossible to pre-
serve order, and to the casual visitor in
the gallery the proceedings on the floor
must have been about as intelligible as
be to a parish priest. The noise and
confusion on the floor, punctuated with
the constant banging Of the speakers |
yavel or hackgrounded with the dronins
voice of the clerk, irate members facing
zach other and talking at the same time,
pages scurrying up and down the aisles,
MI this was utterly distra citing. But
he people in the galleries stayed on, and
hero were dozen persons in line in til,
corridors waiting for vacant seats, SO
great is the attraction of 4 dying con-
srcss.
The house passed the army appropria-
ion bill with all senate amendments.
md the bill now goes to the president.
Mr.. Walker, OF Massachusetts, after
many successful attempts, got an op-
,ortunity during the afternoon to voice
lis views on currency reform and Sc
'crcly criticized some of his Republican
colleagues. When the great beacon
light OH the dome baZcd forth as dark
Icss fell thousands upon thousands were
ttractcd to the brilliantly illuminated
wings Of the Capitol, where the two
lolses were to sit out the night In
he reserve galleries of the house were
ongregatcd the elite of the society Of
he national capital, while the public gal
cries were banked to the doors. Stylish
Y gowned ladies' and gentlemen in even
ng dress added eclat to the occasion.
The big questions in dispute between
he two houses, being ma aturally the last
0 be adjusted, were postponed far into
he night. From time to time short re.
csses We're taken. Those were simply
rcathing spells, however, and soon the
'aders were at it again harder than
!