The Monticellonian., 1899-02-03
PROCEEDINGS IN CONGRESS.
ington During the Closing Days Of the Fifty -Fifth sessIon.

IN the senate on the 25d Senator White (Cal made an address in support of the Vest anti expansion resolution and the Bacon resolution, declaring that the Philippines ought to be free and independent bill was passed authoriz- ing Oklahoma to use certain buildings at Fort Supply as an insane asylum and one to grant a pension Of 1lO0 month to ex-Senator Palmer for his services in the civil war The executive session was taken up in discussion over the promotion Of Admirals Sampson and Schley and others over the heads of officers who were their superiors in rank The controversy was afterwards postponed for 20 days. Most of the time of the house was occupied with Dis trict of Columbia business A bill was passed to extend the navigation laws Of the United States to the Hawaiian islands MT. Clark Ua) introduced bill providing that no polyg- amist shall be senator or representative.
 TWO notable speeches were made in the sen ate on the Eth one by Senator Lodge tMass) and the other by Senator Clay (Ga). Senator Lodge appealed for the ratification of the peace treaty and to trust the American congress and people Co deal justly with the Philippines afterwards Senator Clay, while faVoring rati- hcatton. strongly opposed expansion. The senate in executive session refused to consider the peace treaty with open doors by a very large vote.,..The house began the consider aiion of the army reorganization bill The de- bate was not exciting. At the night session on the bill there were only IS members present. The principal speech made by MT. Simp- son tkant, who spoke in opposition to the bill
 ONLY brief time was occupied by the sen ate on the 2oth in open session. Senator Cock rel (Mo) introduced a resolution asking for Information about a claim of the old settler Cherokees on account Of interest. The bill pro- ytdng for the erection Of a building in Wash ington for the department of justice at cost of Sl0O0,00O was carried An agreement was made to take vote on the peace treaty on Feb arV B and fn iut {Ua tfo treaty each day up to that time at two o'clock. ....The house listened to two stirring speeches by Mir Johnson Qnd) and MT. Deliver Ual. The army bill was under debate, but the ques- tion Of expansion came to the front Mir John- son spoke for almost two hours and denounced the proposition to annex the Philippines When he finished MT Deliver replied to him and defended the administration. Both mem- bers were repeatedly cheered by the galleries and their friends on the floor
 THE senate on the 18th passed the house bill authorizing the Little River Valley Railway company to construct a railroad through the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations in the Indian territory. Senator Mallory (Fia then made speech against the annexation Of the Philip pine islands After executive session the appropriation bill was taken up It carries Sl4S, ,233, $50 Senator Sullivan (Miss) offered an amendment that no person should be paid pension who had an income of a750 year It
 
 tor Butler (N. CD then spoke on his amend ment to pension ex-confederate soldiers. main- taining that the great fratricdal conflict was forced upon the south and that the confederates simply defended their constitutional rights At the conclusion of his speech he withdrew the amendment.... The third day Of the debate the bill for the reorganization Of the army in the house passed without notable incident Its feature was an hours speech by MT Grosvenor (O), who declared that the present situation in the Philippines was due to the opposition in this country to the ratification of the peace treaty. Several other members also spoke for and against the bill
 IN the senate on the 27th Senator Platt (N " spoke on the general subject of expansion. Afterward the pension bill was considered, Senator German Md) calling attention to the large amount carried l45, ,C0) 000-and stating that the war with Spain will swell the pension roll by at least 5000 names After some brief remarks from other senators the bill was passed and an executive session taken to con- slider the peace treaty .... Strong opposition was manifested in the house to the bill for in- creasfns the army. The debate caused several speeches for and against expansion to be de- Evered The bill was afterwards read for amendment under the fve-minute rule The evening session was devoted to private pension legislation.