Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1900-05-31
WHAT CONGRESS IS DOING.
Proceedings of Our National Lawmakers
from Day to Day In Condensed Form
Resolutions and Bula.

IN the senate on the I'd Senator Spoon
eI (Wis.) made speech in favor Of his
bill providing that upon the suppress
sion of the instruction in the Philip
pines the government of the islands shall
devolve upon the president until such
time as congress might direct otherwise.
Senator Allen (Neb.) offered resolu-
ton requesting the president to transmit
to the state translationS of the conSti-
tutions of the South African republic and
Orange Free State. 1t was adopted. A
resolution calling on the secretary of
war for information about the military
operations in the Philippines was also
adopted, together with one directing an
investigation of the operations of the
North American Trust company. The
house devoted almost the entire day to
| the Alaskan civil bill, disposing of "a
pages. The conference report on the
! army appropriation bill was adopted.
| In the senate on the Esd Senator Platt
| Comm spoke on the Bacon resolution
for an investigation of financial affairs
in Cuba. He favored the adoption of
| the resolution, but deprecated what he
| declared was a cheap effort to make po-
Htical capital out of a shameful condf-
| ton of affairs which the republican par
ty needed no prodding to induce it to
| probe to the bottom. Senator SpoOner
(Wis) then continued his address on the
| Philippines question. Afterwards the
| conference report on the army appro-
priation bill was agreed to-. The house
| passed the bill to eXtradite Nicely for al
! legged postal frauds in Cuba. A resolu-
/ ton to allow the committee on ways and
| means to sit during the recess of con-
gress for the purpose of framing a bill
for the reduction of the war revenues
and a resolution for a sine die adjourn
ment June were also adopted.
| Soon after the senate convened on the
| 24th Senator Bacon (Ga.) began an ex-
! tended reply to the speech of Senator
| Platt delivered the previous day. His
speech was largely supplemental to that
which he delivered several days ago de-
handing an investigation of Cuban fnan-
| c1al affairs. His resolution under the
| rules went to the committee on contin-
! gent expenses. Senator Spooner (Wis.)
| then concluded his speech the Phil
tppine question. The debate which he
| aroused took a turn decidedly political.
| He charged the so-called anti-imperiaI-
| lists with creating an issue which was
not legitimate Senators Allen (Neb.)
and Pettigrew IS. ID controverted many
| of his statements and the controversy at
| times became almost personal. Senator
| Chandler On. H) presented a petition
| from 16 ministers of South Carolina, de-
2laring that the colored residents of South
Carolina are diSfranchiSed A bill was
passed for the investigation of the his
| torica1 archives and public records of the
| state and territories and of the United
| States with q view Of their preservation
| by pubIicatiOn.....Th house devoted al
most the entire day to the consideration
| Of the Alaska civil government bill, but
progress was slow. The conference re-
port on the Indian appropriation bill
| was adopted.
Discussion of the Spooner Philippine
| bill was continued in the senate on the
18th by Senator Morgan (Ala.) On the
! general question of the ownership and
| government by the United States of
| the Philippine islands he was in &C
| cord with Senators Spooner and Lodge
| but he regarded the pending bill as I'M
| wise and dangerous legislation, because
of the great power it placed in the hands
of the president. Senator Allison Qa.)
| then called up the sundry civil appro-
| priation bill, 65 of the 157 pages being
| disposed of. Speeches in memory of Dan
| iel Ermentrout, late a representative
| from Pennsylvania, closed the day..
The house devoted two hours to the
construction of the Alaskan civil govern
ment bill without completing it. The ses-
J sion then from noon until adjournment
was devoted under the rule to private
| pension bills, 100 bills being favorably
acted upon in committee of the whole
| The senate the 26th agreed to the
| resolution for an investigation by the
| committee on Cuban affairs of the Gu
ban postal and other irregularities, au-
| thorizing the committee to visit Cuba
| If necessary to pursue the inquiry -. In
| the house, Mr. Cooper CWis.) chairman
| Of the committee insuIar affairs, pre-
| sented a favorable report on the Hay
resolution calling upon the postmas
general for certain information regard
! ing the reports of E. G. Rathbone, direc-
| tor of posts in Cuba, and the resolution
was adopted without division Another
resolution from the same committee in
| troduced by Mr.. Jones CVa.) calling upon
| the secretary of war to report in detail
| the payments made, and to whom, from
| the revenue of Cuba and Porto Rico, was
! also adopted.