Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-24
Is BUSY.
Many Bills Come in as Session
Is About to Close.
Some Of Local Interest---methods to
Facilitate Their Passage.
Mountain State Men and Storage Reservoirs
-Crocsus Of tho Senate.

washington, Feb. %. -(SpcciaD.--
ing the closing days OF congress members
push to the front with bills of local inter-
est to their particular sections Measures
to which there is no objection and which
involve little or no expenditure of money
are passed by unanimous consent in both
houscs. In the senate the members of the
lamentations committee are ever vigilant
to sec that no time is taken up in debate
over these measures, and to nearly every
request made while an appropriation bill
is before the senate some member OF the
committee says he will not object unless
the bill leads to debate. Should there be
n discussion of tho measure it is soon set
aside. Speaker Reed offers every facility
for passing bills Of local interest by unan-
imous consent methods and recognizes
members until objections are made by
some one on the floor These bills relate
mainly to granting rights of way for rail-
roads over public lands or Indian reserva-
tions, allowing the construction of bridges
across navigable streams and matters
which concern only the locality in the dis
trict of the members moving their consid-
Grafton. Sometimes a mcritorious claim
or pension bill is passed in this manner,
although most Of such bills are scrutinized
with great care. Two Mondays in each
month are set aside when bills are passed
under suspension of the rules if twO-thirds
of the house SO vote, and the last six days
of the session are also suspension days.
Bills passed by this method are generally
measures to which some factious objection
is made by a single member or by small
coterie OF representatives To get recogni-
ton for a motion to suspend the rules
bill must present meritorious features to
the speaker, as he feels responsible for
bills passed by this method.
Mountain State Men In Earnest.
When Senator Carter OF Montana pro-
posed an amendment to the river and har
Dor bill appropriating 100000 for the
construction of reservoirs in the mountain
states at the headwaters Of streams for the
purpose of holding water in the mountains
until it was needed for navigation, it was
generally considered that there was no
serious intention Of pressing its consider
alton. Other men from the semiarid dis
tricts proposed similar amendments ap-
proprating smaller amounts and looking
to the construction Of such reservoirs in
their respective states, and the question
began to be asked if these men really
meant to press their amendments. 1t was
soon found that they We're not only going
to press them, but were acting in such a
solid phalanx that it would be necessary
for the senate to yield at least in some
particular. The men from the mountain
states where there are few if any naviga-
ble streams say that they have no ODDOr-
tunity of enjoying the benefits of the ap-
preparations made for rivers and harbors;
also that If the plans which they have out
lined should be carried out and immense
reservoirs built the navigation of many
streams would be greatly improved, as
there would not be such loss Of water
in the spring. when it could be stored and
utilized during the dry summer months.
More than this, however, the storage of
this water would be very beneficial to the
arid regions. and what was not needed for
supplying the streams could be utilized to
good advantage in irrigating the arid
lands These mountain states, while not
very strong in the house, have got a large
representation in the senate, and they
seem to be united in this matter and will,
no doubt. secure recognition. They are
also REINFORCED by reports from the geo.
logical survey, which indorse the PROPOSE
ton and point out places where reser-
voirs could be built to advantage.
EuloRies In Congress.
Every senator or member. he he great or
obscure, is sure of culogistic ceremonies in
both senate and house if he dies while be
is n member Of either bodv Tbero ;s M
| rule or regulation providing for this. It is
n rIJStnn, hat hac T..
most impossible to change it. 1t has been
| well known that Speaker Reed does not
believe in the custom and suggestions have
been made, supposed to emanate from him,
that rules should be adopted in the house
stopping the eulogistic ceremonies An
other suggestion has been made that Sun
days should be set apart for eulogies, but
members OF congress have never been
ready to make such an innovation If