Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1900-04-05
WHAT CONGRESS IS DOING.
Proceedings of Our National Lawmakers
from Day to Day in Condensed Form
-ResOIutiOuaa and asilIs.

The Puerto Rican tariff and government
bill was discussed for nearly three hours
in the senate on the 9th, but little prog
ress was made on the measure. The
Alaskan civil code bill was considered
during the morning hour and an amend
ment to set aside the secretary of wars
permits for mining gold under the sea
precipitated a lively debate. A resolu-
ton offered by Senator Harris (Kan.)
calling upon the secretary of the in
terror to furnish the senate all papers
or charges fled with the government
relating to G. M. Barnes, governor of
Oklahoma, was agreed to.....The house
debated the army appropriation bill, the
discussion covering a wide range of top
les Mr.. Lentz (O) denounced mill
tarism and the war in the Philippines,
which drew a heated reply from Mr.
Marsh QIl.). Mr.. Carter (Kan.) introduced
a bill to establish bureau of criminal in
formation in connection with the depart
ment of justice.
The senate on the 18th agreed to vote
on the Puerto Rican government and
tariff bill on the afternoon of the Sd of
April. Senator Davis (dinn.), in the de-
bate on the measure, advocated free
trade between the United States and the
island The Alaskan civil code bill was
discussed for a short time. Senator Gal
Hnger On. H.) presented resolution
from the committee on pensions provid-
ing for additional help for the committee,
stating that there were 1,750 senate bills
before the committee and hundreds of
voted nearly the whole day to the army
appropriation bill, a good deal of talk
taking place, little of which was pertinent
to the bill. The senate bill to approve
revision of certain sales of Otoe and Mis-
souri, lands in Nebraska and Kansas was
passed and the conference reports on the
urgent deficiency and pension appropria-
ton bills were agreed to.
In the senate on the 18th the propo-
sition to strike from the Puerto Rfcan
cent. Of the Dtngley duties the is
lands products was defeated by vote
of Is to 49, Senator Beveridge Qnd)
made a speech advocating reciprocity
between the United States and Puerto
Rico. Senator Plat On. " introduced an
amendment to the Indian appropriation
bill, providing for a congress of the rep
resentatiVeS of the various Indian tribes
of the United States at the Buffalo Pan
american exposition and appropriating
900 for the payment of the expenses
of the congress. The house passed the
army appropriation bill. One of the
amendments adopted opens the soldiers
homes to the officers and men of the vol
unteer and regular armies, incapacitated
by service during or since the Spanish
war.
Senator Pettus (Ala.) delivered the
funniest speech on the Both heard in the
senate for many years. It sparkled with
wit and sarcasm at the expense of Sen
ators Gallinger IN. H.) and Beverfdge
on the Puerto Rican bill. Senator Davis
(Minn.) introduced bill for the extern
sion of the provisions of the laws re-
lating to the soldiers homes so as to
include soldiers who participated in the
Spanish war and the wars succeeding and
also to those participating in the Indian
wars. The house devoted most of the
day to war claims, three small bills being
passed. The conference report on the
diplomatic and consular appropriation
bill was adopted.
The feature of the senate's session on
the 31st was a. exhaustive discussion
of the Puerto Rican bill by Senator Fair
banks Qnd.). He supported vigorously
the pending measure. Senator Pettus
(Ala.) offered an amendment that the
legislative assembly of Puerto Rico shall
have no power or authority to enact any
law in conflict with the constitution of
the United States. The amendment was
lost, Is to 31....The house finished up a
hard weeks work by passing the fortf-
fications appropriation bill. Not a single
amendment offered and the bill
passed as it came from the committee.
It carries $7,093. 4S8. A resolution was
| adopted re-electing the present board of
managers of the national soldiers home.