Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1901-02-28
THE WORK OF CONGRESS-.
Condensed Proceedings from Day tn Day
of the Closing session or the Fifty
Sixth National Legislative Body.

| office appropriation BILL making some
progress but not completing it, a sharp
controversy on the pneumatic tube ques-
ton being precipitated by an amendment
offered by Senator Mason Gid extending
! that service to Chicago, and one by Sen
| atOr Vest (MO.) extending it to st. Louis.
The amendments were referred to the
| committee. The house finally passed the
sundry civil appropriation bill and en-
/ tered upon consideration of the general
| defciency-the last of the general ap-
preparation bills. Mr.. Lentz co., in
some remarks about a paragraph in the
| bill for payments for the apprehension
| Of deserters, made the startling charge
| that soldiers in the Philippines had buried
native alive and had then beheaded him,
and he read a letter written, he said. by
a soldier in the Philippines saying that
| he and his companions while on an ex-
petition were ordered to shoot every man
and beast they found.
The senate on the 21st had under dis
cussion resolution by Senator Jones
| (Ark) to discharge the judiciary COM
mittee from further consideration Of the
antitrust bill passed by the house and
| to bring it before the senate for consider
| alton. Many senators maintained that
| the house measure was unconstitutional
and protested against taking up so great
| a question in the closing hours of the
| session. The resolution finally went to
the calendar. During the remainder of
| the session the post office appropriation
bill was under discussion. After a pro-
! longed contest the appropriation for pneu-
matte tube service was eliminated en-
| tirely, so that the bill stands now the
service will have to be discontinued after
| the 1st of next July. During the con-
| sideration of the deficiency appropriation
| bill in the house Mr.. Bailey (Tex.)
| charged that there were employees of the
house who were dividing their salaries
with others who performed no work and
! challenged any one on the other side
to deny his allegations. At the close of
| the session he offered resolution for
|
mittee, which was referred to the COM
mittee on rules. The bill was finally
passed.
During the greater part of the session
| of the senate on the 22d, while the post
| office bill was debated, a proposition to
| discontinue the appropriations for fast
| mail facilities from New York to New Or
| leans via Atlanta and from Kansas City,
| Mo-. to Newton, Kan, was under dis
| cussion. By a decisive vote the senate
| continued the appropriations. An effort
was made to obtain appropriation to
| continue the pneumatic tube service in
New York, Boston and Philadelphia, but
| it failed. The bill was finally passed.
Afterwards the diplomatic and consular
appropriation bill was passed in 40 min
| utes. After spirited debate the confer
| ence report on the Indian appropriation
| bill was rejected and sent back to confer
ence. Early in the day Washingtons
| farewell address was read by Senator
| Bacon (Ga.). A resolution of the legisla-
| ture of Kansas in favor of legislation to
prevent unjust discrimination in inter
! state commerce was presented by Sena-
! tor Harris (Kan.) and referred. The
house. devoted the day to odds and ends
| Of legislation. Nine bills were passed by
unanimous consent and % claims bills
and 139 pension bills were passed.
| The senate the 23d passed the bill!
which releases the appropriation of $5,-
| 100000 for the Louisiana purchase exposi-
| ton at ST. Louis in 1903. It was amended
| by providing an appropriation of $3.50. 600
| for government exhibit at the Charles
| ton exposition, to be held next Deem
| Der. Before the bill passed amendments
were adopted closing both expositfons on
! Sunday. The fertilization and the army
| appropriation bills were also considered,
the former being passed. The day closed
| with eulOgies on the late Representatives
! Hoffecker (Del), Wise CVa) and Daily On.
| V 1.-The house adopted a resolution to
investigate the pay of its employees. The
bill to increase the efficiency of the rev.
enue cutter service was debated for two
| hours, but no action was taken. Several
of the appropriation bills were sent to
| conference and considerable miscellaneous
| business was transacted. Public business
| was then suspended to permit the house
| to pay tribute to the memories of the
| late Representatives Clark IN. H.) and
| Shaw IN. W.
The struggle for insular legislation be-
gan on the 18th in the senate. The army
| appropriation bill was under considera-
ton and the Philippine amendment was
reached. In addition the Cuba amend
| ment was offered and the general debate
| on these propositions began. An evening
session was held to continue the debate
| Senator Carter (Nont.), who is one of the
senators in charge of the army appro-
priation bill, insists that the Cuban
! amendment to the bill must be further
| amended SO as to compel Cuba to render
an accounting to the United States for
the money which has been expended by
! this government in Cuba, with view to
the repayment at some future time. A
resolution offered by Senator Gallinger
On. H.) authorizing the pensions COM
mittee to make examination of all
laws granting pensions to soldiers, their
survivors and dependents, to make in
| vestigation of special pension legislation
and to make any other inquiry on the
general subject of pension legislation as
| the committee may deem desirable was
adopted. "A partial conference report on
! the naval bill was agreed to by the house
and the bill went back to conference
The house also agreed to the conference
report on the bill to create commission
of five to adjudicate the claims of United
States citizens against Spain assumed by
| the United States under the treaty Of
Paris. Some time was spent in cIearine
up conference reports upon District of
Columbia business.