The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-20
TWO IMPORTANT MEASURES.
THE SALARY BILL As PASSED CAR
RIEs S25,OOO,OO

Senate Also Passed the Bill Provide
ing For Commission to Adjudi@
cate ana settle the Claims Grows
ing Out of the War with spain.
Atlanta Gets S00O,OOO For n Public
BuiIding-POrtO Ricnn Government
Measure Also Under Discussion.
Washington. March 1.-Two measures
of national importance and many of sllght-
ly lesser interest were passed by the Sens
ate to-day.
The legislative, executive and judicial
appropriation bill. carrying more than
$25 100000 was passed without debate. The
committee amendments were agreed to as
the bill was being read.
The measure providing for the appoints
ment of a commission to adjudlcate and
settle claims of citizens OF the United
States growing out of the war with Spain,
was also passed without opposition.
For a brief time the Porto Rican gova
| ernment and tariff measure was under
consideration. Mr.. Foraker, In charge OF
the bill submitted some committee amend.
ments "A few of them were agreed to.
| but the important ones are still pending
A free trade amendment to the bill was
offered by Senator Beveridge. who gave
notice he would address the Senate Thurs
day.
A request OF the House for conferences
on the pension appropriation bill was
agreed to and Messrs. Shoup, Quarles ana
Talaferro was appointed conferees on-the
| part of the Senate.
Payment of War Claims.
At o'clock the unfinished buslness--thd
| Porto Rlcan bill--was laid aside tempor-
arily and the Senate took up a measure to
carry into effect the stipulatlons of article
seven of the treaty between the United
| States and Spain. The bill provides fon
| the appointment by the President of three
commissioners to receive, examine and adA
| judicate all claims of citizens of the Unit
ed States against Spain which the Unit
ed States agreed to adjudlcate and settle.
The sum of $4,000 annually is appropri-
ated for the expenses OF the commission.
| the life of the commission being fixed at
two years.
Mr.. Davis, In charge OF the measure,
explained that many of the claims would
relate, of course, to personal wrongs suf-
fered by American citizens. Notable
|
| by Mrs. Ruiz, whose husband, a dentist
| of Philadelphia, was tortured and MUIR
| dered in Cuba. The bill has been CAREFUL
| ly drawn, Mr.. Davis said. because of
| the intermediate nature of the claims,
| and he believed the measure Thoroughly
! protected the interests of the government.
Mr. Davis expressed the belief that sub
| stantially all of the claims had already
| been filed with the state department and
| they aggregated about $20,0OO0O0.
| An amendment proposed by Mr.. Hoar
| was agreed to, extending the time for fill
| ing claims with the commission from six
months 20 one year after the organiza-
| tion Of the commission
After an amendment offered by Mr..
| Cockrell, but one appeal Is left under the
! bill, viz, from the findings of the commis-
sion to the United States Court of Ap-
Deals.
As amended, the measure was passed
without division.
AtInnta's Public Building.
Among the bills passed was one appro-
priating $4,000 for the erection of pubs
| lie building at Atlanta, Ga.
| The Senate agreed to the request of the
| House for conference on the bill appro-
| priating $2.095, 600 for the benefit of Porto
| Rico and Senators Allison, Hale and Cock
| rell were appointed as the Senate con-
ferees.
Government of Porto Rico.
Mr. Foraker then called up the Porto
| Rican government and tariff bill for the
! purpose, as he explained of perfectng the
! bill so far as possible from the standpoinG
| of the committee in order that a reprint
might be had of the measure.
The first amendment suggested by Mr..
| Foraker related to the citizenship of the
| inhabitants of Porto Rico. AS reported
| the bill provides that the inha tants of
| Porto Rico shall be "citizens of the United
| States,' the amendment offered by Mr..
| Foraker inserted some words after the
term "citizens," making the paragraph
read: "Shall be deemed and held to be-
citizens of Porto Rico and as such entitled
to the protection of the United States"
| The amendment was objected to by MIR.
| Bacon of Georgia, and went over.
| Another amendment eliminated entirely
section five of the original Senate bill and
! inserted in lieu thereof the following;
1.-THE commissioner Of navigation shall
make such regulations, subject to the APP
| proval Of the Secretary of the Treasury
| as he shall deem expedient for the ma
tionalizauon of all vessels owned by in
| habitants of Porto Rico on April II, 1899,
| and which continued to be so owned up
| to the date of such naturalization and for
| the admission of the same to all the bene-
| fits of the coasting trade of the United
! States. And the coastng trade between
| the United States and Porto Rico shall be
registered with the provisions of law ap-
plicabe to such trade between any two
| great coasting districts"
| This amendment was agreed to. After
some further amendments, principally
| changing the phraseology of the original
| measure, had been offered the Senate at
| 4:45'p. m. adjourned.
| ALL BUT THE CONSTITUTION.