The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1899-02-24

by Mr.. Hepburn Of Iowa, chairman OF
the committee that reported it. and
the leaders on the respective sidessare
engaged in desperate struggle which
involves the fate Of the measure at
this section of congress. After Mr..
CaurGn, chairman of the committee on
appropriations. served notice last
week that there was no time for the
consideration at this session the sup
porters Of the measure decided to
force it onto the sundry civil bill as
a rider If possible. AS soon as it was
offered Mr.. Cannon raised four points
Of order against it and one Of the
most interesting parliamentary de-
bates Of the session was on. AS q
rule the house leaders are able to
hold the members in line, but strong
arguments are adduced in support Of
the pertinency Of the bill, and, besides,
the bill has strong friends on both
sides of the chamber who are ready
to adopt any eXpedient to provide for
the construction of the canal. The de-
bate on the oints of order las ted two
hours and was not concluded. 1t
promises to consume several hours to-
day. 1t seems to be foregone con-
clusion that the chairman of the COM
mittee Of the whole, Mr.. Hopkins of
Illinois, will sustain the points of or
der, SO that the real test will come
upon the question of overriding the
chair. Should the chair be overruled
there is no doubt that the amendment
will command a majority of votes.
About twenty pages of the bill were
disposed Of. No important amend
ments were adopted.
Washington, Feb. 16. - The house
yesterday settled the fate of the Mic
aragua canal bill in this congress by
refusing to override the decision of the
chair in committee OF the whole when
the chair held that the canal bill Of
fered as an amendment by Mr. Hep
burn was out Of order. The friends Of
the Nicaragua bill were very confident
that they would triumph, but after
four hours of debate the chair was
sustained-127 to 1O9 Mr.. Bailey, the
Democratic leader, made an argument
in favor Of the view that the amend
ment was in order. Mr.. Grosvenor
bore the brunt of the argument in be-
(Rep.. Mass.), Dockery Dem., NO. and
Fleming Oem:, Gao We're pitted
against him. The debate throughout
the day was exceedingly spirited, and
in the end q majority of the members
refused to override the house rules. No
record is made Of the vote in commit
tee of the whole. Party lines were
not adhered to, the division in favor
mr. in IN ,,&o s,,S,~
chairs decision being about equal on
both sides of the political aisles. Ten
pages Of the bill were disposed of.
The Senate.
In the senate yesterday Mr.. McEn-
cry, as a question of personal priv
ilege, made emphatic denial of the
statement that his resolution, adopted
by the senate the previous day, was
introduced in the interest of the sugar
growers of Louisiana. He said that
he had not consulted the planters
about the resolution, and that, as a
matter of fact, they were known to be
opposed, as body, to the ratification
Of the peace treaty.
A bill, extending the cordial appre-
citation" Of congress to Miss Helen
Miller Gould for her patriotic services
that the president should present to
her gold medal was passed. After
the executive session an effort was
made to obtain an agreement to hold
an evening session to read the Alaska
code BILL but it failed.
Washington. Feb. 1.-Two very SEN
sational and unexpected things hap.
pened in the house Yesterday during
the consideration of the sundrv civil
bill. The paragraph carrying the ap-
preparation of $2OOo0,OOO for payment
to Stain under the terms of the peace
treaty was stricken out on a point Of
order made by Mr.. Wheeler, Ken
lucky Democrat who declared that he
opposed the appropriation on principle,
and would resort to any technicality
to defeat it. The point of order was
debated for hours, it's determination
Ringing upon the question as to
whether the ratification of the treaty
by the senate and it's signing by the
president vitalized it without the ac-
tion of the Spanish cortes. Warrant of
law was necessary to make the ap.
preparation in order. Mr.. Hopkins
(Rep., Ill.,. who was in the chair, sus-
tanned the point Of order against it,
and upon an appeal his decision was
sustained-149 to &C. Mr. Cannon
then attempted to have the appropria-
ton inserted by unanimous consent,
but Mr.. Wheeler again objected.
After the sundry civil bill had been
completed and reported to the house,
Mr.. Hepburn of Iowa. the champion of
the Nicaragua canal bill. moved to re-
commit with instructions to report it
back with the canal bill Incorporated
In 1t. This was an unexpected move,
as it was generally understood that
Mr.. Hepburn had abandoned all hope
after his defeat Of Wednesday. But
he believed that his motion would
have additional strength in the house.
where members could be put upon rec
ord. The motion. was promptly de-
clared out Of order by the speaker,
whcreupon Mr.. Hepburn appealed and
Mr.. Payne Of New York moved to lay
the appeal on the table Upon the lat
ter motion the vote was taken and the
result was % ayes to g. noes. AS no
quorum was developed on the vote
owing to the latencss of the hour they
MANAGED to carry an adjournment un-