Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-03-07
CARRIERS BIG STROKE
SENATOR TALKS RIVER ANO
HARBOR BILL TO DEATH.
CONGRESS COMES TO CLOSE
Senator TiIiman Fails to Secure Ap-
preparation For Charleston Expo
sition-Vice President Roosevelt
Takes Up Gavei-Richardson Of
fers Thanks to Speaker.

! Washington, March 5.-One Of Tia
most notable occurrences in the his
| tory of congressional legislation
marked the closing hours of the last
] session Of the senate of the fifty
congress. Senator Carter of Montana
signalized his retirnent from the
| senate after six years of brilliant SER
vice by talking the river and harbor
bill to death. He occupied the floor
| for nearly thirteen consecutive hours.
although about three hours of that
time was devoted to other business.
At IL: 40 Sunday night, after the
senate cOnfereeS on the river and nar-
Dor bill had reached a disagreement,
he began his long address, APP
parently in facetious vein, yet at
lacking the bill, denouncing it as
vicious and perniciouS legislation. I'M
warranted by conditions and unsound
in principle. Shortly before o'clock
Senator Allison submitted a further
disagreement on the sundry civil
bill, the item in contention being the
appropriation for the three eXpositions
From this the senate receded and
then passed the st. Louis exposition
bill. Senator Tillman, who cham
pioned the appropriation for Charles
ton throughout the session, made a
final appeal to the senate to save the
Charleston item, but he realized the
Missouri senators were more power
full than he. By vote of SO to 10, the
senate receded from the Charleston
appropriation. The bill was then
passed.
Senator Carter then resumed his
speech, finally announcing at 6:35 that
it was his intention not to permit the
river and harbor bill to become a law
if his strength should hold out. With
one exception, that of brief intermis-
sion while a quorum was being Sc
cured, and of a recess between 1920,
and II, he spoke practically continu-
ously. He yielded the floor only
after the ceremony of the induction of
Vice President Roosevelt into office
had begun. In retiring as president
pro tenn of the senate, Mr. Frye, in re-
Spouse to a resolution of thanks for
his courtesy and impartiality, deliy-
cred a brief but feeling address to the
senate.
At the conclusion of the session.
Vice President Roosevelt was sworn
in and Immediately called the senate
OF the fifty-seventh congress to order.
1t was a simple but beautiful and i'm
pressive ceremony New senators
were sworn in in groups of four At
the conclusion of this proceeding the
senate attended the Inauguration of
the president on the east front of the
capitol. At 1:45 the senate returned
to it's chamber and adjourned immedi-
ately until today
Tribute to Speaker Henderson.
The house closed it's session at
11:45 yesterday amid demonstrations
from it's members following the deliv-
cry of an impressive valedictory by
Speaker Henderson. For an hour the
body had been in the throes of dsso-
luton with little business to perform.
The galleries were almost empty, for
there were too many sights and
scenes without the building and too
many restrictions on admission to per-
nit an overlooking assemblage. Here
and there on the desks of members
were great clusters of flowers, paying
farewell tribute to their services.
Shortly before the closing hour, Mr..
Richardson of Tennessee, the minor
ity leader, presented resolutions testi-
flying to the high regard of the house
for the able, impartial and Gignifed
manner in which Speaker Henderson
had administered the duties of presid-
ing officer. Coming from the minor
ity, there was added significance in
the tribute. The resolutions were
unanimously adopted by rising vote.
Then the speaker, in slow and impress
sive tones, delivered the closing words
of the house, thanking the members
for their cooperation through the
busy and eventful session He con-
cluded at Has and announced the
sessions of the house for the fifty
sixth congress adjourned.