The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1899-01-10
WORK OF CONGRESS


though in that brief time two open ses-
sions and one executive session were
held. The galleries were filed with
spectators before the senate convened,
the general expectation being that the
peace treaty would be presented. The
senatorial members of the peace COM
mission appeared on the floor and were
given hearty greeting. In the abb
sence Of the vice president Mr. Frye of
Maine, president pro tenn, called the
senate to order The chaplain in his
Invocation said:
I'VE come together under a sense Of
bereavement by the absence of the
senior senator from Vermont, whose
counsel and presence shall no more en-
rich the proceedings in this chamber.
We bless thee, 0, Lord, for his noble
life, for his example to all men, and we
pray that his spirit may ever abide
within these walls
Scarcely had the clerk began to read
the journal Of the last session of the
senate when Mr.. Davis moved that the
further reading be dispensed with.
The motion prevailed. Mr.. Frye i'm
mediately recognized Maj. Pruden, as
sistant secretary to the president, who
presented message from the presi-
dent. The message contained the
treaty of Paris. On motion of Mr..
Davis the senate went into executive
session in order that the treaty might
be referred to the committee on for
eign relations. In a few minutes the
senate reconvened in open session. Mr..
Allison announced the death of Sena-
tor Morrill,. The usual resolutions
were adopted, and as a mark of re-
spect the senate adjourned at 1915.
The House.
The house spent the day considering
the bill to define and punish crimes in
Alaska and provide code of criminal
procedure for the territory. SiXty-sev-
en- pages were completed and the bill
was made a continuing order until dis
posed of, not, however, to Interfere
with appropriation bills or special or
ders. The house adjourned out of re-
spect to the memory of the late Senator
Morrill,.
Washington, Jan. 6.-The judiciary
committee had the right of way in the
house for three hours, and quite q
number of bills of minor Importance
reported from the committee were
passed. The remainder of the day was
occupied in continuing the considera-
ton of the bill to codify the laws Of
Alaska Some twenty-one pages were
disposed of, making eighty-three in all
of the 23l pages. A section in the bill,
copied from the statutes of Oregon
providing punishment by fine and i'm
prisonment of persons who prevent or
frnr1
working, aroused a protracted debate
on the ground that it was an attack On
organized labor 1t was finally strick-
en- out. The following bills, called up
by the judiciary committee, were
passed: TO provide additional circuit
judges for the Third and Sixth judicial
districts; to regulate the terms OF court
in the eastern district of Tennessee
and the district Of Butte, Mont; to re-
tire Cassius S. Foster, United States
district judge Of Kansas; to amend the
revised statutes so as to allow the
United States five peremptory chal-
lenges in criminal cases; to permit ship
owners to file indemnity bonds; to al
low legally appointed guardians OF IN
sane persons to prosecute patent claims
and to release the International Cotton
Press Company Of New Orleans from
liability for So, 4S9 of internal revenue
taxes.
In the Senate.
Little business except that of a rou-
tine character was transacted by the
senate. A resolution, offered by Mr..
IIoar of Massachusetts, directing the
committee on foreign relations to re-
port to the senate whether the treaty
of Paris makes any provision for the
claims of citizens Of the United States
against Spain, which were in existence
before the present war, and the status
of such claims after the ratification OF
the treaty was adopted. Mr.. Gallery
Of Louisiana continued and concluded
his speech begun before the holiday re-
cess in opposition to the pending Mic
araguan canal bill
Washington, Jan. Z. - Immediately
after the senate convened the reSOiu-
ton offered by Mr.. Hoar Of Massa-
chusetts. calling for information as to
the instructions of the commissioners
who negotiated the treaty of Paris, to-
eether with all correspondence and re-
Dorts relating to their work, was laid
before the senate. Chairman Davis,
one Of the commissioners, desired that
it be referred to the foreign relations
committee, but Mr.. Hoar insisted that
the senate had as much right to such
information as the members OF the
foreign relations committee. and that
the president should determine Wheth-
er the senate should have it. The res
olution was adopted in secret session.
IN support of the resolution offered
some time ago by Mr.. Vest OF Missouri
in onnosition to expansion, Mr.. Gallery