The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-14
Few Members Able to Reach the
Capitol.
WADED THROUGH DRIFTS
DISCUSSED NATIONAL REEVE
NUES AND ADJOURNED.
Sulzer Calls Attention to the Cost of
the Steamship Subsidy Bill
Southern Member Declares We
VIII Have Bloody War Instead
of Commercial Expansion.

Washington, Feb. 1.-THE blizzard
caused practically a suspension of bust
ness at the house today. The great
marble capitol looked like snow
palace. Lodges, facades, parapets,
were banked with snow. On the drives
and on the plaza in front of the build
ing the snow had drifted into great
pillows, in some places ten feet deep.
Not a car line approached the build
ing, but a few members of the house
managed to reach the capitol in sleighs
and carriages, and the employees
trudged and labored through the deep
snow and binding storm to reach their
posts of duty.
The hall of the house was as dark as
a cellar. The snow banked up on the
ground glass ceilings, smut out the light
and half an hour before noon, the hour
for the house to convene, the lights
were turned on to relieve the gloom.
The committee meetings, with but one
or two exceptions, were not held. The
few members of the house who arrived
had no thought for anything save the
weather. They stood about the weather
map in the lobby in the rear of the hall
discussing temperatures and snowfall
and record breaking in all parts of the
country, and it was the unanimous
NGIQiCL VI l-fC OluGSl lltGlllpNAo III NAiC
group that nothing approaching the
present cold spell and snowfall had
been known in Washington in their
experience. The nearest approach to 1t
was the blizzard of 1888, which cut
Washington off for a week from COM
munication by railroad and telegraph
REED WAS ABSENT
Speaker Reed did not appear at the
capitol but sent word to his ieuten-
ants that in his opinion it was mad
visable TO hold a. session of the house
today, and after consulting several
members of the majority, General
Henderson of Iowa, who had braVed the
storm, decided it would be best to ad-
journ Immediately after assembling.
Some of the members had ludicrous
experiences in their efforts to get to
the capitol. Mr.. Cannon of Illinois, the
veteran chairman of the apprODria-
ton committee, was tumbled out of a
sleigh into a snoWbank as he was
coming up Capitol hill. Some Of the
Republican leaders were disposed to
go ahead with a session today and an
attempt was made to communicate
with the speaker, but he could not be
reached at his hotel by telephone.
At 1905 p. m. Clerk Mcdowell called
the house to order. There were about
sixty members on the floor. MIR. Payne
moved that the house adjourn, but
there were cries of mo- from the lit
tie circle of members. most of whom
held in their hands bills which they
hoped to pass by unanimous consent.
The motion was voted down, 9 to A.
On motion of Mr.. GrOsvenor (Rep.
Ohio, Mr.. Payne Of New York was
elected speaker pro TEN, amid an out
burst of applause. District day was
postponed until Thursday and the
CannOT'S motion then
went into committee of the whole,
Mr. Hopkins of Illinois in the chair,
and resumed the consideration of the
sundry civil bill.
Mr.. Cannon asked unanimous con-
sent that Mr.. Hepburn be allowed to
offer the Nicaragua canal bill amend
ment at such point in the bill as he
should see fit, all points of order to be
reserved. He made the request. he
said, in order that there might be
full house when the amendment was
considered.
Mr. Corliss made a similar request
regarding the Pacific cable bill, where
upon Mr.. Cannon Withdrew it.
CONDITION OF FINANCES.
A resumption of the discussion of the
receipts and expenditures of the treas
ury, which attracted considerable at
tention last week, was again precipi-
IaleO DN MI. DulL-I tlDtlli ~ L-Js " ~
offered some figures as to the cost OF
the steamship subsidy bill.
Mr.. Cannon reiterated his statement
OF last week regarding the ship subsidy
bill and the Nicaragua canal bill.
Mr. Payne, chairman of the commit
tee which reported the subsidy bill,
said he welcomed any information that
would throw light upon the bill, but
he protested against alarming state
ments as to the deficiencies III advance.
Estimates did not always coincide with
APPROXIMATIONS. AS an illustration, he
cited the fact that the estimates for the
army bill had ranged as high as S145,-
0OO. 0eO whereas the military committee
had prepared bill carrying less than
$50, O00. 600. He asked why Mr.. Cannon
had not thrown his influence against
the public building bills a few days
ago. These bills, ne said, would take
more money from the treasury next
year than both the subsidy and canal
bills together.
MIR Cannon declared that if the
army bill carried but $50 000,0 600, there
would be a deficit on that account of
S45 ,0OO, 900.
MI. Berry Dem. Ky), made a
snirited Speech scoring some of the
economists of the house, who We're
shouting for economy and reaching
their hands into the treasury at every
opportunity He attacked the steam
saip subsidy bill, charging that the
decay of our merchant marine was
attributable TO the ruinous protective
Dolicy of the Republican party.
Mr.. Williams (Dem. Miss.), declared
that the dream Of eastern empire
was already a failure. With the ratifi-
cation Of the peace treaty, peace and
commercial expansion were to come.
instead there was war, the prospect Of
long. bloody and expensive war and
now. owing to the great expenditures
involved in the east, the construction
of the Nicaragua canal, which would
furnish a real basis for commercial
expansion. was TO be POSTPONED.
After having completed fifty-nine
graphs of the bill the committee
rose and at 4:45 p. "a. the house ad-
iourned.