The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1900-03-24
PROCEEDINGS N CONGRESS
SUMMARY OF THEIR WORK
Number Of bills Pass-The Investign-
ton of the Occur .d'Alens Trou-
blss-A New Philippine BiIl-Notes
Of the House.


In the Senate.
! In the senate Tuesday Senator McCom
as, representing the majority Of the com
mittee on privileges and elections, present
ed report and resolution declaring Scot
of West Virginia to be entitled to his sea
in the senate. The resolution was placet
on the calendar McComas stated tina
Senator Pettus would present the minor
ity report.
Senator Pettigrew asked unanimous con
sent for the printing as document col
lection of the sayings and writings O
prominent statesmen of this country. Sen
ator Sewell of New Jersey objected.
A number of minor bill were passed. The
Puerto Rican government and tariff bill
was then taken up and Senator Morgan
addressed the senate upon it He main
tanned that the treaty of Paris was SUI
preme law as applied to the islands &C
quired from Spain.
The senate committee on naval affairs
agreed to report the bill for the Pacific
cable which Senator Hale was authorized
to draft at the last session of the commit.
tee, and the bill was later presented to
the senate. The bill provides for the pres.
ent cable only to Honolulu, but declares
the purpose to extend it in the future
Three million dollars is appropriated for
the work, and other surveys are author
lied.
In the senate Wednesday morning Sena-
tor Turner of Washington offered reso-
luton directing the secretary of war to
inform the senate whether any concc,s-
ions to excavate the gold-bearing beds of
the sea in the vicinity of Cape Nome,
Alaska, or in other Alaskan waters have
been made to any individuals or corpora
tons or associations by the secretary OF
war or any other department official, and
If so, upon what theory or authority such
grant was made.
In response to an inquiry as to the in
formation which had prompted the resolu-
ton, Senator Turner said he had been in
formed by the governor Of Alaska that
the war department had granted exclusive
rights to certain persons to mine The bed
of the sea near Cape Nome.
'lf this is true" he said, "it is shame,
reproach and a scandal"
The resolution was agreed to.
Senator Pettigrew offered and secured
the passage of resolution directing the
secretary of war to inform the senate
what were the qualifications Of voters in
the approaching election in cuba; who
nro had ho h.
of the election and who would have the
managing of it.
Senator Hale called up the measure
making appropriations to supply addition
al urgent deficiencies. The committee
thereto was agreed to and the
| i'll passed without ccmlaept.
Senator Carter called up his IN ,ton to
reconsider the vote by which the senate
J yesterday adopted tn. resolution providing
tor messenger to every senator not \
chairman of a standing committee. Tho
motion prevailed and the resolution was
referred to committee on contingent ex-
renses
The bill to authorize judges of the dis
trict court Of the Unite States to appoint
reporters AMI determine the
duties and compensation OF such reporters
was passed. The bill provides for the ap-
pointment of 90 court reporters at Sal
ary of $4,000 each, extra pay being pro-
vided for extra manuscripts of court PRO
ceedings supplied.
AT the opening of Thursdays session of
the senate the following resolutions were
passed: Resolution by Senator Allen re-
luesting information as to tariff rates in
force in the Philippines, Guam, Puerto
Rico and Cuba. Resolution by Senator
Butler asking the secretary of the treas
lry for information as to the bank char
Iers granted since the passage of the cur
-ency bill and for other information con
'erning the operation of the bill. Senator
Pettigrew introduced a resolution calling |
ipon the president for an itemized state
nent of the expenses of the Philippine |
and each of its members. Sen
tor Davis objected to its present consid
ration and it went over. The senate then |
ook up the conference report on the Puer
o Rico appropriation bill.
Senator Bacon objected to the changes
made in conference. The report would, he
aid. indicate that mutual concessions had
'een made On behalf of both the senate and
he house, but he held that an analysis
would show that the senate had yielded
Practically everything and the house moth
ng.
Immediately after the reading of the
ournal in the house Thursday the Loud
ill was taken up. This is the concluding
ay of the debate on the measure. Mr..
loon of Tennessee opened the discus
ion for the opposition. Mr. Loud, in
harne of the hill announced fhat Mr.