The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-02-25

| cited to Cuba for alleged postal frauds;
| authorizing the 'aggregating of pension
| liabilities and increasing to $50 the allow
ance to widows in certain cases, on the
| lines of recommendations by the @. A. r.,
authorizing the appointment Of Charles A.
Boutelle. a veteran member of Congress- as
captain on the retired list OF the navy;
providing for the centennial celebration of
| the establishment OF the permanent seat of
government at Washington; extending the
mining law to saline lands; providing a
| criminal code of laws for Alaska; allowing
employees OF navy yards, arsenals, etc., fif-
1 teen days annual leave.
| Aside from legislation the two houses
have several animated personal con-
| 9pBW 9I9M uosssIl 20 so5IBq0 'seIsIsAoIl
against Delegate Wilcox, of Hawaii, but on
| inquiry by the House committee the dele
gate was upheld in the right to his seat on
the ground that the charges referred to
| action prior to the Hawaiian territorial
| act At the first session Brigham III. Rob-
erts, of Utah. was expelled from the House
after an exciting contest; Senator Quay, OF
| PENNSYLVANIA, was refused a seat in the
| Senate on the appointment of Governor
Stone; sensational charges against Senator
| Clark, OF Montana, were investigated by a
| Senate committee the exciting mining riots
| IL. the Couer d'Alene district of Idaho were
| investigated by committee of the House.
The Senate also appointed Cuban inquir-
| ing committee, but little has been accom-
| plished on that line.
! Four of the most important measures be-
fore the present Congress namely, the
| bill, the Pacific cable bill and the oleomar-
| garine bill, have occupied much time and
| have aroused great public attention. al
| though their enactment is not probable at
| this late day in the session. The canal bill
| was passed in the House of Representa-
| tives. and authorized expenditures of sl40.-
| 0o0, 900, with present appropriation of s10.-
| 900, 900. The measure was favorably report
| ed TO the Senate, but owing to the compli-
cations arising over the Hay-Pauncefote
| treaty the Senate has not considered the
| BILL and it is likely to be one of the meas
ures to die with the Congress. The ship
subsidy bill has been active subject of
| controversy in the present Congress. and
| particularly in the Senate, where the
| test has been long and bitter. The House
has taken no action on the bill pending the
present indications the bill will not have
a parliamentary status as having passed
| either branch of Congress.
| The Pacific cable bill passed the Senate
at the first session and has been pending
in the House since 1t provides for cable
/ eminent management The bill as reported
/ to the House was favorable TO private con-
| struction of the cable The House has
| failed to act, however, and the prospects
are that the measure will fail.
| BILLS WHICH WILL DIE.
The oleomargarine bill was passed by the
| House early in the present session. Its chief
| feature is that placing tax of 10 cents per
| pound oleomargarine when colored in
| imitation of butter, the stated purpose be-
| ing to prevent alleged fraudulent practices
| in placing this article on the market. The
bill has met sharp opposition in the Sem
| ate, and in these closing days of the ses-
| sion its passage is still in doubt.
| Quite a number of other measures of gen.
| eral legislation more or less important will
| expire with the end of the Congress after
| having secured a certain degree of con-
| SideratiOn and success in one branch or the
| other. These include the joint resolution
/ a
| the election of United States senator's by
| the vote Of the people, which was passed
| in the House. but has remained Enacted
| upon by the Senate, and bills to establish
| the department OF commerce and Industry,
to endow state schools of mining with
| authorizing the President TO appoint COM
| mission to study the commercial and indus
| trial conditions OF China and Japan and
| TO regulate trusts and other organizations
| in restraint of trade.
| Besides the antitrust bill passed by the
| House and not acted upon by the Senate
| resolution proposing a constitutional
| amendment giving Congress more ample
| power to deal with trusts was defeated in
| the House. Another measure defeated in
| defining the power of injunction and limit
| ing the authority of the federal courts to
| issue this process.
| Much of the time of the Senate has been
occupied on the important treaties con-
| sidered behind closed doors. These in
| cluded the Hay-Pauncefote treaty neutral
| Great Britain and Germany dissoving the
| tripartite agreement on Samoa and divid-
| ing the islands; commercial reciprocity
| treaties with France, Germany, Argentine
Republic, Nicaragua and with Great
Britain respecting the various British colo
MES of the West Indies. The contest over
| the Hay-Pauncefote treaty was most vigor-
| ously conducted. The treaty was presented
| TO the Senate early in the first session and
| then went over to the second session. After
| another sharp contest at this session The
| treaty was amended so as TO permit the
| United States to adopt such measures of
| military protection for the canal as the
| interests of this government required. In
this amended form the treaty was returned
| to Great Britain. The final action of that
| government will have to be made known
| before the present Congress expires if the
| treaty is to be effective.
| The various reciprocity treaties have not
| received the attention at the hands of the
| Senate that was desired by those who nego-
| tiated them and by the numerous foreign
| governments interested. They comprise all
| the treaties made under the reciprocity sec
| ton of the Dingley tariff act. and the in
action of the Senate on these treaties ap-
| pears TO terminate the protracted negotia-
| tions which have been carried on by foreign
| governments on the subject of reciprocity
| by treaty.
| Another treaty considered and ratified by
the Senate is that purchasing of Spain
for 100000 several small islands north of
| the Philippine group which were omitted
| from the acquisitions under the treaty of
| Paris. The payment to Spain has been pro-
| vided for In the deficiency appropriation
| bill of the present session.