The National tribune., 1899-03-02
DOINGS OF CONGRESS.
Abstract Of the Important Proceed
ings.
In the Senate ON Feb. II the Naval pt


was heard when several Senators cr1tI-
ciSed the method by which a combination
| of spectators secured the star route CON
tracts. An amendment was adopted tnat
star route bidders shall reside on the
route where the service is to be performed
In the House two bills were introduced
Ito pay Spain $40, 600 0G0 provided for in the
Paris treaty. One, by Representative
Cannon, is in the terms of the provisions
Of the paragraph which was eliminated
from the sundry civil appropriation Dill.
The other was introduced by Representa-
| tive Gillette, of Massachusetts, ana, IN
addition to the appropriation, contains a
second section, substantially in the IAN
guage of the McEnery resolution passed
| by the Senate. The third section is the
same as the Bacon resolution offered as
an amendment to the McEnery resolutioil'
and which was defeated by tie vote In
the Senate.
In the Senate on Monday the Army re-
organization bill was taken up by vote
of a. to 26. Mr.. Hawley insisted upon
proceeding with the bill, as 1T was
measure of immense importance. lie an
nounced that he proposed to accept no
conditions except those OF unconditional
surrender.
! In the House report was made by the
Judiciary Committee of a resolution DE
claring that Representatives Joseph
Wheeler. from the Eighth District of Ala
bama Edward L. Robbins, from the
| Twenty-first District of pennsylvania;
David G. Colson, from the Eleventh DIS
trict of Kentucky, and James r. Camp
| bell, from the Twentieth District OF liIi-
nois, by accepting commissions in the
Army of the United States, and belng
mustered into such service after Delng
sworn in as such Representatives, there
| by vacated their seats as such Reprer
sentativcs and ceased to be members OF
| this House as of the dates they accepted
such military Offices, respectively, ana
are not now members OF the 55th Congress
of the United States
The report says in part that: ne
trainers of the Constitution intended 10
keep the Legislative, Judicial and EXecu-
tive branches of our Government separate
and distinct; to prevent Cabinet oliicerS
from being members of Congress, ana
thereby giving undue power. to the Presl-
dent and his immediate advisers; To pre-
vent the Capitalization of power and ofnce-
holding power in a lew hands; TO prevent
Judges from acting at the same time aS
legislators and thus concentrating power
i'm the courts: to avoid the manifold dan
GERS to the existence and perpetulty OF our
free institutions and representative Gov
eminent that would follow concentra-
tion of the Legislative and Judicial orthe
Legislative and Executive Che mllltary
and naval power being branch OF the
Executive) in few and the same hands.
Following out this line OF argument one
of the pleas made is that, III their power
as legislators is suspended only white
holding Offices in the Army or Navy, they
NAV first (and in anticipation OF com
misSionsl make obnoxious laws ana theh
go into the military and naval service 10
execute them, leaving the people power
less, for while there is no possible quorum
<lN orc
either house, and hence a repeal OF OBJ
noxious laws or the enactment OF new
ones is made impossible. Even repentant
and patriotic Representatives woulo ne
unable to return to the halls OF Legislation,
unless by the consent OF the President,
without committing the crime OF desertlon
and incurrng the death penalty. Even
the court OF impeachment might be In the
Army and Navy, unable 10 convene, and
the whole Government would be IN the
hands of what might prove to be an am
bilious and unscrupulous Executive.
In the Senate on Tuesday the Army re-
organization bill was proceeded with. Mr..
Hawley was recognized to speak, and
said he did not see how anybody could
have voted against taking up the BILL for
il was evident to all that something must
be done to strengthen the Presidents
arm. He thought there could be no doubt
peace treaty within the next two or three
days. With this proceeding concluded
and the exchange completed, the Army
must necessarily be reduced to its original
dimensions of q 600, unless some law
should be enacted.
In the House the Naval appropriation
bill was considered.
In the Senate on Wednesday the ses-
sion was devoted to two special orders,
the reading of Washington's Farewell Ad-
dress, an annual custom OF the Senate on
Washington's Birthday, and the pro
nouncing OF eulogies on the late Senator
Justin S. Morrill,, of Vermont.
In the House Washington's Farewell
Address was read.
Mr.. Hemenway, OF Indiana, presented
the conference report upon the Legislative,
Executive and Judicial appropriation bill.
The report was adopted without debate.
The report was a complete agreement
between the two houses.
The House then went into Committee OF
the Whole and considered the Naval ap-
propriation bill.
In the Senate on Thursday the River
and Harbor bill was considered.
In the House the Naval bill was the
principal business considered.
In the Committee of the Whole amend
ment to the Naval bill to build great
armor plant was ruled out upon a point of
order, and the price to be paid for armor
was cut down from S545 to S445. A pro-
viso was also added precluding the Gov
ernment from paying more than was paid
by any other foreign Government for SINH
lar armor.
The bill was passed.
1t becoming evident that the Hull Army
bill could not pass, on account Of Demo
cratic opposition, quiet conferences re-
suited on Thursday in an agreement be-
tween the Republicans and Democrats i'm
the Senate that a compromise bill should
be prepared in which both sides would
yield a little sor the purpose Of breaking
the existing deadlock. In other words |
a basis OF compromise was arranged, the |
result a temporary reorganization of the |
Army TO continue until 1901, by which |
time Congress will have had time to fully |
consider the permanent needs of the serv-
ice and enact a measure that will receive
the support and Endorsement of Congress
and the Administration.
Conferences were had with the Presi-
dent, Senators German and CockreIl,
representing the Democrats, and Allison,
Chandler, Piatt OF Connecticut, Spooner,
Hawley, Hanna, and others, representing
the Republicans, and later a more GEN
eral conference was held at the Senate
chamber, when the outline of the com
promise measure was agreed upon.
In the Senate on Friday routine matters
occupied much of the session. Mr.. SewelI
in the debate on the Army bill, urged its
passage.
In the House the debate on the Armv
appropriation bill began. Mr.. Hull Chair
man of the Military Committee, made a