Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1900-03-29
WHAT CONGRESS IS DOING.
Proceedings of Our National Lawmakers
from Day to Day in Condensed Form
RESOLUTIONS and Bills.

Discussion of the Puerto Rico govern
ment and tariff bill was resumed in the
senate on the goth. Senator Morgan (Ala-)
maintained that, as the treaty or Paris
was the supreme law of the land, 1t was
impossible for the United States to aban-
dol either Puerto Rico or the Philippines
The house entered upon the consider
alton of the Loud bill to restrict the
character of publications entitled to
pound rates as second-class mail matter.
Mr.. Sulzer On. V delivered denuncia-
ton of the administration IN connec-
ton with his resolution of inquiry calling
upon the war department for information
as to what Notifications were being
erected on the Canadian border. The
resolution was laid on the table
Senator Turner (Wash.) made a state
ment in the senate on the 21st that he
had heard that concessions for gold min
ing in the bed of the sea near Nome,
Alaska, had been granted by the secre-
tary of war and he moved resolution OF
inquiry into the matter which was agreed
to. The additional urgent deficiency bill
was then passed. The house debated the
Loud bill relating to second-class matter
in the mails. Mr.. Lane Ia.), introduced
a bill providing for an exposition at St.
Louis in 1903 to celebrate the Tooth ami
versary of the purchase of the Louisiana
territory. Mr.. Dinsmore (Ark) intro
duced a resolution requesting information
from the secretary of state concerning
the alleged British opening of correspond
ence addressed to Charles Macrum, late
United States consul in South Africa.
Almost the entire session of the senate
the 22d was spent in the discussion
of the conference report upon the Puerto
Rican appropriation bill. Senator Cock
rel1 (Mo) introduced a bill for an expo
sition at st. Louis in 1903 to commemorate
the Louisiana purchase. 1t apprOpriates
S., 900, 900 to the exposition. The house
recommitted the Loud bill relating to sec
ond-class mail matter by a vote of 14S
to SO, with 16 present and not voting. 1t
is unlikely that the bill will appear again
this session Mr.. Fitzgerald (Mass.) in
troduced bill allowing $5V to the family
or representatives of a soldier dying in
the service and 500 to the family of an
officer dying under similar circumstances
to cover the funeral expenses of the de-
ceased.
The senate on the sd adopted the con-
ference report on the Puerto Rican relief
bill by a vote of 35 to Is, practically a
strict party expression. The time of dis
cussiOn was consumed principally by
Senator Tillman Is. c., who made a
fierce attack upon the measure. A num-
Der of private pension bills and a meas
ure to prevent dangers to navigation
from RATS on the Pacific ocean were
afterwards passed. The house passed
142 pension bills The conference report
on the Puerto Rican appropriation bill
was then presented by Mr.. Cannon. He
asked for immediate action, but it was
finally arranged to take a vote the next
day.
A measure was passed in the senate on
the oath providing for the appointment
by the president of a commission to in
vestigate the trade and commerce of the
orient with view to the extension of
American commerce. Senator Fairbanks
Tnd.) presented a resolution accepting
a statue of Oliver P. Morton from the
state of Indiana, and providing that it
be placed in statuary hall. It was agreed
o....After a spirited debate the house
took the last congressional step in COM
plotting the Puerto Rfcan relief bill, agree
ing to the conference report by vote of
1877 to 81 The bill turns over to the pres
ident, for the use of Puerto Rico, over
81, 600 of the customs receipts collected
on Puerto Rican goods. A bill was
passed appropriating $4,000 for designs
for a suitable memorial in Washington
to Ulyssus S. Grant. A resolution was
also passed asking the secretary ofAstate
for information the 'open door, ne
sotiations concerning China