The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-03-04
LEADS ALL NORTH CAROLINA DALES M NEWS AND CIRCULATION,

the report to the conferees. but it was
decisively defeated
| The Senate at , o'clock, recommitted
the River and Harbor Bill to the Com
| ference Committee.
At 2:15 a. m the Senate went into
executive session.
| In executive session the naval nominal
| tions were taken up and the discussion
| was upon the cases of Admirals Schley
| and Sampson 1t was urged that the
| list sent in to-day under the Naval Fer
sonnel Bill would place the men III the
order they ought to be, and that the
| first nominations in which Sampson was
given the preference should be dropped
At 800 a. M. the Senate resumed leg
islative business. Mr.. Frye reported no
| further agreement could be reached, the
| House conferees declining to reopen the
| River and Harbor agreement already
reached
| Mr.. Warren said he was satisfied that
| the Senate conferees had done all they
could, and rather than imperil the great
appropriation bills he would yield the
point.
| The report was then agreed to without
division.
The conference report on the Wash
ington Public Library Bill was agreed to.
A partial report of the conference on
| the Naval Appropriation Bill was pre-
sented by Mr.. Hale. He explained that
the Senate armor plate amendment was
| the serious stumbling block, and it had
| been suggested that the Senate take a
vote upon the proposition rs it now was
| presented. He declared the situation
was very serious, as it would affect the
price of armor. not only for the ships
authorized by this bill, but for the SHIPS
already contracted for.
PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE.
Washington. March 3.-Crowded gall
| leries looked down upon the struggling
members of the House to-day as the
| closing scenes of the last legislative
day of this Congress were being enacted.
| Step by step the leaders in charge of
| the appropriation bills pushed them
through the final stages, and during every
| lull in the consideration OF conference
reports members clamOred for recOgni-
| tion for belated local bills in the vain
| hope or rescuing them from death ON
! the calendar.
At times the House was like bedlam.
| Pound as the Speaker would with his
gavel it was almost Impossible 10 pre-
serve order, and to the casual visitor
| in the gallery the proceedings on the
| floor must have been about as intelllgl-
| BILE as an exciting day in the weat pit
would be to parish priest. The noise
and confusion on the floor, punctuated
with the constant banging of the Speak
er's gavel or back-grounded with the
| droning voice of the clerk; irate mem
| bers facing each other and talking at
| the same time, pages scurrying up and
| down the aisles, all this was utterly
dstracting. But the people in the gal
leries stayed on and there were IA dozen
persons in line in the corridors waiting
| for every vacant seat so great is the
| attraction of a dying Congress.
| In the reserved galleries of the
| House were congregated the elite of
the society in the national capital, while
the public galleries were banked to the
doors. Stylishly gowned ladies and gen
| tlemen in evening dress added eclat to
| the occasion.
| AS the evening drew ON members who
had attended dinner parties began APP
pearng, and ladies and gentlemen hand
somely attired took their places in the
galleries.
The big questions in dispute between
the two houses being naturally the last
| to be adjusted were postponed far into
/ the night. From time to time short
recesses were taken. These were simply
breathing spells, however, and soon the
leaders were at it again harder than
| ever.
At IL o'clock today the House
| entered upon the last legislative
| day of the session. The man
! ayers We're in their places and the pub
| lie galleries were crowded i'll anticipa-
| tion of spectacular scenes. The desk of
| the late Representative Crawford. of
/ Texas, who died at midnight last night,
| was shrouded in black and covered with
| flowers.
Immediately after the reading of the
Journal, Mr.. Burke Dem., Tex an
] nounced the death of his colleague in
| feeling words and the usual resolutions
| were adopted The following commit
| tee was appointed to attend the funeral:
| Messrs. Burke, Henry (Texasl. DeGraf-
| fenreid. Lanham, McRae (Ark.). SIN.
| n<y.). Brewer (Ala.). Moon (Tenn.). Nc
Cleary CMinn), and Mahany IN. W
Mr. Walker Mass. Rep.) who has
been seeking the privilege of addressing
the House for several days, then receiv-
| ed unanimous consent to speak for an
| hour, such time, however, not TO in
| terfere with conference reports.
Bills were passed allowing certain
officers to accept decorations from for
eign governments, and some conference
reports on bills of minor Importance
were agreed to.
Mr. Walker, Chairman of the Com
mittee on Banking and Currency, then
took the floor under the privilege grant
ed him earlier in the day. The ssatc-
ment was largely personal, showing the
efforts Mr.. Walker had made during
a long series of years to secure mona
tary legislation. In this connection hc
answered published criticisms of his
course and went into an elaborate ey-
PLANTATION of the long fight in his con
mittee which resulted in the report Of
Il bill and its subsequent withdrawal.
lHis colleague, Mr.. Barrett Rep., Mas.
demanded an opportunity 10 ,aply,
claiming that Mr.. Walker had agreed to
yield him time. This Mr.. Walker de-
MED, saying he always kept his promise
to man and God, but mot according
to the standards of his colleagues"