Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-01-25

The House on Tuesday passed the naval
personnel bill without division on the final
passage, thus accomplishing what the off,
GERS of the navy have striven for during
more than a decade. BY its provisions
the line and the engineer corps are welded
into an amalgamatcd line, staff officers are
given positive rank, but their command is
limited TO their own corps, and a system
OK voluntary aEd compulsory retirement
on three-Quarters pay. as OF the next
higher rank of forty officers a year, is es-
tablished, which is designed to remove the
congestion in the lower rank at forty-five.
The bill also practically eQualizes their
pay with that of army officers The most
Important change in the bill as reported
was tie adoption, after a hard fight. of a
substitute for the organization OF the ma
rine corps, by which the corps is to consist
OF 0,oOo enlisted men and petty officers.
with general officers and stat. This will
increase the marine corps by 1900 men
and increase the cost OF it's maintenance
sl,oo0,ooO. Several unimportant bills
were passed by unanimous consent before
the personnel bill was taken up. Almost
the entire session of the Senate was de-
voted to consideration of the pending
Nicaragua cana! bill. Speeches were
made in support OF the measure by Mr..
Chiffon (Tex.) and Mr.. Turner (Wash1
and in opposition to it ny Mr.. Spooner
(Wts.,. AT o'clock consideration of the
Dill under the ffteen-ninute rule was be-
gun and was continued to the close of the
session.
Inc Committee or Interstate and For
eign commerce had the right Of way in
the House on Wednesday and succeeded
In passing quite a number of bills of minor
Importance, most of which authorized the
construction of lighthouses. fog signals.
etc. Then the bill to grant the Pacific
Gable Company subsidy of 100000 a
year for twenty years for the construction
and operation of a cable was called up and
very spirited debate, which consumed
the remainder of the day. followed. The
opposition was headed by Mr.. Corliss
(Rep., Mich.), who advocated the con-
struction of a Government cable. No
conclusion was reached at the hour of adj
journment, and as the special order under
which the House was operating expired
with the adjournment, and as objection
was made TO fixing another day for its
consideration, it goes over indefinitely.
The Senate listened further on Thurs
day to discussion of the policy of expan-
sion Mr.. Turner (Wash., Pop.) deliv-
cred carefully prepared speech on the
Vest resolution. The speech was for the
most part a constitutional argument in
which Mr. Turner took issue with Sena-
tor Platt and Senator Foraker upon their
recent utterances. At the conclusion of
MIR. Turner's argument Mr.. Foraker took
some sharp exceptions to statements made
In the speech, especially those referring
to him personally. The Nicaragua canal
bill was under consideration nearly three
hours. After much debate substitute
presented by Mr.. Morgan (Ala1 for the
bond amendment offered by Mr.. Allison
was adopted. 1t provides that bond pay
ments shall not exceed S20, 900 900 In any
fiscal year. The amendment as amended
was then adopted Al to 10. The last
hour of the session was occupied in discus
sion of several amendments offered by
Mr.. Caffery of Louisiana, all of which
were defeated. The House practically de-
cided the Brown Swanson contested cleo
tiOn case from the Fifth Virginia dis
trict in favor of the sitting member, Mr..
Swanson, a Democrat, by declining To
consider the case. The postofice appro-
greatest surprise Of the day was the adop-
tion of two amendments striking out of
the bill the appropriation of Sill 900 for
the fast Southern mail and $25, 900 fo-
special mail facilities from Kansas City
to Newton, Kan.
The proceedings in the House were en-
hvened on Friday by wordy duel be-
tween Mr.. Grosvenor Of Ohio and Mr.
Lewis, Democrat, the member from
Washington. 1t occurred during the de-
bate on private bill to refer to the court
of claims the claim of Cramp & Sons. the
Philadelphia ship builders for damages
from the Government for delays incident
to the building of the warships New
York, Massachusetts, Indiana and Column
bia, due TO the failure Of the Government
to deliver armor plate and other materials
for these ships on time. The postoflce an
preparation bill was passed At 4:30 p. m.
the House recessed until o'clock. The
evening session was devoted to private
pension Legislation aud adjournment was
taken TO Monday. The Senate was in ses-
sion for five hours and half, but the ses-
sion was practically barren of results.
Two notable speeches were delivered. one
by Mr.. Nelson (Rep., Mimi, In opposi-
tion to Mr.. Vests anti-expansion resolu-
ton, and the other by Mr.. White Dem.
Cali, personal explanation Of his posi-.
ton with respect q the instructions given
the California Senators by the Legisla-
ture in that State as to voting on the
pending peace treaty. At the conclusion
of the speeches the Senate resumed con.
sideration of the Nicaragua canal bill, but
IL was not romnlefad
Senator Morgan's Nicaragua canal bin
passed the Senate Saturday afternoon by
a vote of AZ TO @. As a matter of fact. n
was passed twice, once by a viva voce
vote and the second on a roll call. The
opposition had been dwndliug away for
several days. Friends and foes of the
anti-scalping bills were also lined up in
the Senate the same afternoon. The sup
porters Of those measures won their first
victory. BY vote Of 80 to q they sue
ceeded in having the Senate bill taken up