The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-05
CARTER PREVENTS A Vote
The River and HarbOr Bill Talked
TO Death in the Senate.
The Montannn Makes Good His
Promise of Sunday Night-Business
Proceeds During Preparations for
the Inauguration Ceremonies.

Promise of Sunday NiEht-Business
Proceeds During Preparations for
the Inauguration Ceremonies.
OF all the great appropriation bills in
troduced during the session of Congress
which came to an END yesterday. that pro-
viding funds for River and Harbor inn
prov. gnents was the only one which failed.
1t was talked to death in the Senate by
Mr.. Carter, following out his threat of
Sunday night He was assisted by Mr..
Pettigrew.
The Senate remained in session all Sun
day night with the exception OF a recess
from S:45 until 1880 O'Clock. 1t was for
the most part dreary wait for action by
the conferees on the great appropriation
bills, although the time between the vari-
Gus reports was all filled in with uninter-
esting speeches.
AT l O'Clock yesterday morning four
OF the bills-the Postoflice, the Naval.
the Sundry Civil, and the River and
Harbor-were still in process of adj
justment between the two houses. the
failure Of any of which, but the last
named, would bring about an extra
session of Congress. On the Naval
bill an agreement had been reached some
days ago on all but the Senate PROPOSE
ton to purchase additional Holland sub
marine boats. The House conferees were
unusually insistent that this should go
out of the bill, carrying their opposition
on to the extent of refusing to report an
agreement. Finally the Senate by vote
receded from its amendment and the bill
was disposed of.
The Postoffiee bill was in similar po-
sition, but the conferees reached COM
promise. The Sundry Civil bill was
fbplInb. no d
Senate had added 153 amendments to the
bin after it passed the House, many of
them carrying large sums of money. The
conferees made three partial reports be
fore their last attempt, and then they pre-
scented disagreement on the largest item
In the bill-that appropriating S5,C05,000 for
the St Louis Exposition, S500O9o for the
Pan-American Exposition and $685. 600 for
the Charleston, S. c., Exposition.
The House voted twice ,,gainst the
Charleston Exposition specifically, but
Senator Iillman, the sponsor for that
item, had declared that If that went out
the others should too. The conferees there
fore recommended the Senate give up the
three appropriations, and this was done
at O'Clock yesterday morning The st.
Louis Exposition appropriation however,
was afterward passed in separate bill.
Then the conferees presented what
proved final diSa greement on the RiV-
and Harbor bin, the House refusing
TO accept the Senate amendments provid-
ing four reservoirs for arid lands ana an
appropriation for the BraZos River. Re
ports had been made several times on
these same items and Senator Nelson, one |
of the conferees on the part of the SEN !
ate, stated his belief that the bill would !
fail unless the Senate receded. He there |
fore moved that that action be taken.
MesSrs. Warren and Stewart spoke in 1
favor of the arid land reservoirs, and then |
Sir. Butler at some length attacked the |
right Of his successor, Mr.. Simmons, 10 n |
seat in the Senate, because of the illegal !
election laws of North Carolina and the |
alleged bribery and corruption in the 4
North Carolina Legislature, which he /
characterized as the worst in the history |
of the State.
Mr.. Wellington inVeighed against the /
extravaganza by the expiring Congress in
appropriations for rivers and harbors, |
which mad no practical utility; for an ex- |
tensive navy of vessels, which in a few |
years will become obsolete; TO defend for I
eign dependencies which the people did |
not want, and which required the main |
tenaDce OF an expensive standing army.
At $50 O'Clock, as a final vote was |
about to be taken on the River and Har- |
Dor conference report and the weary |
Senators were preparing to hasten home !
ward for a few hours sleep Mr. Carter |
began speech with the avowed intention |
OF killing the River and Harbor bill. He |
denounced the measure generally and
specifically rs pernicious legislation and
declared he would talk until the end of
the session If necessary TO prevent it be-
made when he would pause 10 allow the
vote TO be taken, but he would shake his
head and resume his remarks.
The Senators gathered in knots and sad
ly discussed the situation, but could find
no way out of the dilemma. The House
managers. who were waiting for action by
the Senate. agreed to withdraw their OPP
position TO the amendments, but the
bill and conference report were in the
possession of the Senate the House could
take no action. SO Mr.. Carter talked on
in his deliberate way until o clock, when
Mr.. Wellington, who also opposed the bill,
raised the point of no quorum. Thirty
one tired and more or less angry Sena-
tors responded to their names after many
OF them had been awakened from their
maps on the sofas in the cloakrooms or
committee rooms.
This was less than q quorum and the
Sergeant-at-Arms was directed to send for
the absentees. After half an hours wait
the managers of the River and Harbor
bill were ready to give up the fight and
n motion was made to take recess
until 1890. so the Chamber could be
swept and additional chairs brought in
for the guests at the Inauguration cere-
monies. IN the absence of a quorum,
however, the only motion allowed was
one to adjourn, which was out of the
question the Senate being technically on
the legislative day of Saturday, and when
that day was closed the session would eX-
pire by limitation.
Finally, at $50 O'Clock. with the Senate
still in session, the President pro tenn
pore directed the employees to proceed
Der for the Inauguration ceremonies. The
tioor was Uttered with cast-away bills
and bits Of paper, but the sweepers made
short work of the job, the Senators mean
time slipping out for breakfast. Then
the chairs of the Senators were placed
close together on the Republican side and
in the vacant spaces on the Democratic
side, the area in the rear Of the Cham
her being filed with hundreds of small |
cane-seat chairs to accommodate the Dip
lomatic Corps, the members of the House |
and other guests. The reporters tables
cred chairs placed against the clerks |
desk for The use Of the President and the
Cabinet.
At 1920 o'clock the scene in the Senate
Chamber was unique. The western sec
ton showed only rows Of vacant chairs
and unused desks, because that space was
reserved for the members of the House
and of the Diplomatic Corps; while the
eastern section was filled up with the I
Senators Of both parties, no longer divid-
ed by political questions. And in one Of I
The passageways on that side Mr. Vel
lington was holding forth at the top of
his voice. at times in original remarks
of no bearing whatever upon any legisa-
tive subject, but more frequently reading
from a pamphlet-hs only object being to
consume time. And so il went on until
1890 o'clock, when a motion to take a
recess for half an hour was made 10y Mr. |
Hansbrough and promptly declared car
ried by the Presiding Officer. Mr. Bur
rows.
The Presiding Officer called the Senate
to order when the recess ended. A mes
sage from. the House of Representatives !
was then received announcing among
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