The National tribune., 1900-03-29
IN CONGRESS-.
Synopsis of the More Important
Proceedings OF Both Houses.

In the Senate on March 20, routine
matters were considered The Porto Ricau
tariff measure was the subject of much
/ talk and conference outside of the chamber.
shall have elapsed. and that the vote will
| be close as between free trade and the
small tariff.
In the House Representative Sulzer. of
| New York, took the floor and delivered a
scathing denunciation of the Administra-
| tion'S alleged pro-EngliSh course. charging
that it did nothing without the consent OF
| Downing street; that the recent action
of Secretary Hay was taken upon the
request of Lord Salisbury, and defeated
a concert of the European powers TO inter
yene in South Africa. and charging, gener-
ally. that the English were erecting fortifi-
cations along the Canadian border that
menaced the peace and welfare of this
country. -- ..---.-.-
This denunciation was made by Mr.. Sui
ger through the unanimous consent of
the House. Representative Hull. Chair
man of the Committee on Military Affairs,
reported back Mr.. Suffers resolution for
information about British Notifications,
with recommendation that it lay on the
table. Mr.. Hull explained that the War
Department had made this Endorsement
on the resolution:
The information the Department pos
sesses on this and like cases has always
been held to be confidential. and for good
| and sufficient reasons has not been made
| public. 1t is remarked, however, that
| Great Britain, so far as the Department is
informed, is in no instance erecting fortifi-
| cations trespassing on our rights:
This was signed by Adi't-Gen. Corbin.
The resolution was tabled
Representative Hay, OF Virginia, filed
the report of the House Committee on
Military Affairs on the bill establishing
national battlefield memorial park of
G, 900 acres on the site OF the battles of
nl-cb Cha lnr.t-iiio bn WiI-
dernesS. and Spottsylvania Court House.
The report states that more men were here
engaged than iii any battle in the worlds
history. The intrenchmentS over the
entire field are said to be in q remarkable
state of preservation. At Fredericksburg
is the home of the mother of Washington,
still intact and monument erected by
the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Here, too. Capt. John Smith anchored his
little bark and fought the Indians in 1908,
and within sight of the city were born
Washington. Monroe, Jefferson, the Lees
of both the Revolution and the civil war,
and Zachary Taylor. The report adds
that in Virginia the great war began and
ended. and not an acre of this soil. where
more men fell than all the other battlefields
of the war. has yet been dedicated as Il
national park.
The House entered upon consideration of
the Loud bill to restrict the character Of
publications entitled to one cent per pound
rates as second-cass mail matter. The
subject has been before two or three SeS-
sions of recent Congresses, and at one time
passed the House in a form somewhat more
severe than the present bill
The Senate amendments to the legiSla-
tive appropriation bill were non-concurred
in, and the bill was sent 10 conference.
In the Senate on March 81. the bill to
provide a civil code for Alaska was con-
gilprpI The cnmmittnp amendments
were first agreed to, after which Mr.. Perkins,
Of California, offered an amendment pro-
vidine that the seat of Government shall
remain at Sitka until the necessary grounds
and buildings at Juneau are acquired.
The amendment was agreed TO. After
some minor amendments had been dis
posed of the bill was laid aside.
Routine matters occupied the rest of the
day.
In the House the Loud bill was debated
The time was devoted to an analysis OF the
measure. and the speakers devoted them
selves strictly TO consideration of postal
matters. There was one incident in the
speech Of Representative Mcpherson, of
Iowa, which brought on a lively exchange.
He accused Representative LentZ, of Ohio,
who spoke surrounded by piles OF books
that he waved on high, with being an
attorney for the opposition to the bill, but
afterward withdrew the word attorney"
Later Mr. LentZ replied very vigorously
to the charge, and called Mr.. McPherson
an attorney for the express companies.
The Senate amendments to the urgent
deficiency appropriation bill were nom
concuTed in, and the bill sent 10 confer
ence.
The conference report on the Porto
Rico emergency appropriation bill was
discussed in the Senate March %. without
final result, its adoption being postponed
in order to allow Senator Tfllman to make
Il speech upon it. The discussion lasted
considerable time. The principal re-
marks were made by Mr.. Bacon, of Georgia.
in opposition He said an analysis of it
would show that the Senate had yielded
practically everything and the House moth
ing. The provision Of the conference re-
port TO which Mr.. Bacon made ESPECIAL
objection was the one striking out the
Senate amendment TO the bill which limited
the appropriation Of revenue to that collect
ed up 10 Jan. l, 1900, instead Of permitting
il to apply 10 that collected up tothe present
time, and 10 future collections. as provided
in the House bill. This. lie declared,
might appear very harmless change,
but beneath it was deep-iaid scheme to
secure radical action without appearing TO
do so. His objection TO striking out the
amendment was based not only upon the
contention that the appropriation bill
should be definite in its terms, but upon his
belief that that action had been taken for
the purpose OF providing for the contln-
gency that the tariff bill now pending may
fail.
The adoption Of the conference report
and the passage Of the bill, Mr.. Bacon
asserted, mean the continuance of a tariff
wall between Porto Rico and the rest of
the United States, a tariff wall not only
Of IS per cent. of the Dingley rates, but Of
100 per cent. of those rates.
The adoption of the conference report'and
the ad journment of Congress without
further Legislation on the subject would
leave the tariff wall standing. thus per-
hitting the apparently innocent appro-
priation bill TO accomplish more than the
regular Porto Rican tariff measure would
accomplish if passed. - '',.-- -..'r .,r,'.'.'.
Mr. Allison defended the report. the
Government Porto kican bill Being laid
aside 10 permit him to proceed.
He said that not only the Republican
Senators. bat the President and others in
authority We're agreed upon the importance
Of legislation i'll the interest of Porto Rico,
and as an evidence of this feeling the bill
looking 10 this end had been put in the very
forefront OF the business of the Senate
so far as free trade is concerned" con-
tinued Mr.. Allison. lit is very we'll per-
haps; but we must take into consideration
the fact Of the relations of our productions,
such as rum, tobacco, ETC. with those of
Porto Rico. The mass of the people there
are poor and the greater share of the prop
erty is III the hands of few men, and we
must so adjust our relations as to make
than nd ,t I,t