The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-14
BLIZZARD CUT OFF BUSINESS.
CAPITOL LIKE \ SNOW PALACE,
AND MANY STAYED HOME.

stead of Holding Committee Meet
incs-The Worst They Have Ever
Net in WnshingtOn-Engag
Gould Not BE FiIIed-WOtiOn TO Adj
fourn voted Down and the sundry
CiviI Bill Taken Up.
Washington. Feb IS.-This is an exceed
insly dnU day in the House. Owing 10
The blizzard outside the attendance was
Very slim.
The great marble capitol looked like a
snow palace Ledses, facades and para
pos were banked with snow. On the
drives and ihe plaza in front Of the build
ms The snow had drfted into great bill
lows. in some places ten feet deep.
MOI street car approached the build
Ing. but few members of the House
managed to reach the capitol in sleighs
and carriages, and the employees trudged
and labored through the deep snow and
binding storm TO reach their posts Of
duty
The hail of the House was as dark as
a cellar. The snow banked upon the
ground glass ceilings shut out the light
and half an hour before noon, the hour for
the House to convene, the lights were
turned on to relieve the gloom.
Committees Did Not Meet.
The committee meetings, with but one
or two exceptions were not held. The
few members of the House. who arrived,
had no thought for anything save the
weather They stood about the weather
In, he i'm 10
discussing temperatures and snowfall and
record-breaking in all parts Of the coun-
try and il was the unanimous verdict OF
the Oldest members of the group that
nothing approaching the present cold speh
and snowfall had been known in Washing
ton in their experience.
Speaker Reed did not appear at the capt.
toll but sent word TO his leutenanis that
IN his opinion it was inadvisable to hold
a session of the House to-day, and after
consulting several members of the MAORI
", Gen. Henderson. of Iowa, who had
braved the storm, decided it would be best
to adjourn Immediately after assembling.
Gen. Henderson had an engagement TO
speak at East Orange n. j., to-day, but
found that he could not get there by rail
Mr.. Dolliver of Iowa. was TO speak to
Sunday school gathering in Newark, N. }.
Gen. Grosvenor, of Ohio, was slated for
a speech a the Marquette Club in Chi
cago tonight, but could not get away, and
Representatives Lacey, of Iowa; Mann of
Illinois and Packer of Pennsylvania, with
Assistant Secretary of State Hill were to
have spoken at the Lincoln banquet to-
night at Williamsport Pa.
Had LudicrOus Experiences.
Some of the members had ludicrous expe-
riences in their efforts to get to the capi-
81 II 1f
chairman of the appropriation committee,
was tumbled out of sleigh into snow
bank as he was coming up Capitol Hill
At 1905 p. m, Clerk Mcdowell called the
House TO order. There were about sixty
members on the floor. Mr.. Payne moved
that the House adjourn. but there were
cries of No" No" from the little cir
Gle of members. most of whom held in
their hands bills which they hoped to pass
by unanimous consent. The motion was
voted down, 9 to A. On motion of Mr.
Grosvenor of Ohio, Mr.. Payne of New
York was elected speaker pro TEN. amid
an outburst of applause.
District day was postponed until Thurs
day, and the House, on Mr.. Cannon's mo-
ton then went into committee of the
whole, Mr.. Hopkins of Illinois in the
chair, and resumed the consideration of
the sundry civil bin.
A resumption of the discussion of the re-
ceipts and expenditures of the treasury
which attracted considerable attention last
week, was again precipitated by Mr.. Sui
ger Democrat, of New York, who offered
some figures as to the cost of the steam
ship subsidy bill.
CannOn's ReiteratiOn.
Mr.. Cannon reiterated his statement Of
last week, regarding the ship subsidy bill
and the Nicaragua canal bill.
MIR. Payne, chairman Of the committee
which reported the subsidy bill, said he
welcomed any information that would
throw light upon the bill, but he protested
against alarming statements as to the &C.
hciencies in advance. Estimates did not
always coincide with appropriations. As
an illustration he cited the fact that the
estimates for the army bill had ranged
as high as S145 900 O00 whereas the military
committee had prepared a bill carrying
less than 100000.
He asked why Mr.. Cannon had not
thrown his influence against the public
building bills a few days ago. Those bills.
he said, would take more money from the
treasury next year than both the subsidy
and canal bills together.
Mr.. Cannon declared that Il the army
bin carried but $50, 600 600 there would be
a deficit on that account OF $45,0OO00O
-'A' nay OeuloCidt, OIL virginia, made a
similar statement
Why are not the $4500O.G0O placed In
the army bill?" asked member
Because the supporters of big stand
ing army fear the effect if the country
understands the real cost" replied Mr..
Hay
Scored the Economists.
Mr.. Barry, Democrat Of Kentucky
made spirited speech, scoring some of
the economists Of the House, who were
shouting for economy and reaching their
hands into the treasury at every oppor
tunity. He attacked the steamship sub
sidy bill, charging that the decay of our
merchant marine was attributable TO the
ruinous protective policy of the Republi-
can party
Mr.. Williams, Democrat, of Mississippi.
declared that the dream of Eastern en-
pre- was already a failure with the rati-
hcatlon of the treaty Of peace, peace and
commercial expansion were to come. In
stead there was war. the prospect of a
long bloody and expensive war. and now
owing TO the great expenditures involved
IN the East the construction of the Mica
cagua canal, which would furnish a real
oasis for commercial qvnapcfop moo 10 l.