The Mena star., 1899-01-11
PROCEEDINGS IN CONGRESS-.
V 4Sork of Our National Law makers at Wa h. ington During the Closing Days of
 the Fifty- Firth Session.

THE first session after the holidays of the senate on the 4th occupied only IA minutes The president sent in the peace treaty. with short message of transmitted. md the senate went into executive session and on motion of Senator Davis (Minn.) the treaty wns referred , to the foreign relations committee. The senate then adjourned out of respect to the memory of the late Senator Merrill (Vtl .. There was a slim attendance when the house met Tt noon The blind chaplain prayed for the recovery of .S Mir Dngley. the floor leader who is critically i'll. and the Alaska crimes bill was then taken up. Mir Lewis tWashl introduced resolu- fion for committee to investigate the charges of bnd meat having been supplied to our sol- diersL The bill providing for the retirement of United States Judge Foster of Kansas on ac- count of the inconvenience caused by his ill., health. was reported favorabiy from the judi ciary committee. The house adjourned at 4:25 D. out of respect to Senator Morrills mem ory.
 IN tho senate on the 5th resolution offered by Senator Hoar lMass) was adopted Is asked the foreign relations committee to re- port the status of claims Of United States citf- zens in existence against Spain before the war Senator Caffnry (I.a continued his speech In opposition to the Nicaragua canal bill Sena- tor Berry (ArlS) presented q protest from m Arkansas camp of United Confederate Veter- ans against the proposition to get the federal government to pension confederate soldiers Senator PettRrew IS. D. reported fayorably
 
 homes amendment to the Indian appropriation bill .. The house debated the bill to codify the laws of Alaska. The remainder of the day was given to the consideration of bills reported by the judiciary committee and quite number of minor importance were passed, among them being one to retire Cassius c. Foster United States district judge of Kansas
 SOON after the senate convened on the 9th the resolution of Senator Hoar (Mass) calling on the president for the instructions to the peace commissioners aud reports on the treaty was adopted after Q short debate. Senator Gallery (La) then delivered an extended argu- ment in support of the resolution of Senator Vest (Mo) against expansion Senator Nor gan Ala afterward announced that the conn mittee accepted the amendments of Senator Berry (Arlx) to the Nicaragua canal bill. but they were not passed on by the senate .... The Legislative executive and judicial appropria- tion bill was taken up by tho house committee of the whole and when the aspiration for the civil service commission was reached Mir. Ev- ans (Ky) made motion to strike 1t out The ;motion carried by vote of 67 to 6L During the general debate on the bill MT. Swanson tVa delivered speech on anti imperialism. A bill was passed to pay volunteers upon their muster out two months extra pay If they have served beyond the limits Of the United States and one months extra pay if they have only served within the limits of the United States -this extra pay to be In lieu of furloughs or leaves of absence
 WHEN the senate convened on the 7th Senator .j>asco lFla-l presented memorial from con- l fS-etate veterans at Ocala, Fla, against the adoption of the proposition to pension ex-con- scderate soldiers. Senator Allen (Neb) made q speech in which he thought that too much was being made of the proposition to pension .cx-copfederates He thought there was never any serious intention on the part of Senator Butler (N. O., the author of the proposition to have confederate soldiers. but he was a4nns HA sizne The District of Columbia appropriation was then taken up Senator Chiffon iTex.t offered an amendment to the Indian appropria- tion bill providing that part of the Kiowa. Comanche and Apache. sn area IA sections Of land shall not be opened to settlement until January 1, 1909 Senator Mason Qll) offered a resolution against governing people of any other country without their consent and asked that it be laid on the table. The house adopt cd all of the amendments which were added to the legislative judicial and executive appro- priation bill in the committee of the whole, with the exception of the one striking out the appropriation of the civil service commission which went over
 THE senate on the 9th passed bill providing that all honorably discharged soldiers and sail- crs who served in the war of the rebellion, the war of 1872 the Mexican war and the with Spain, who may be disabled in any way shall be admitted into the Home for Disabled Volun- ssar Soldiers Senator H0ar tsfassf then made a constitutional argument against thls coun- try acquiring foreign territory to be governed as colonies Senator Platt (Conn) briefly re- piled to some points reiteratng his former statement that the United States had power to acquire and govern foreign territory Senator Caffery U4a) afterwards concluded his speech in opposition to the Nicaragua canal bill .... The house passed the legislative. executive and judicial appropriation bill, the appropri- ntion for the support of the civil service com mission. which had been previously stricken -out in committee of the whole. being restored The bill for the codihcation of the laws of Alaska was then considered
 BOLD BANDITS AT FORT SCOTT