The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-04

WASHINGTON, March 3.-The house
which is still in the legislative day of
Friday, was IN session from to 6 this
afternoon, and this evening from o'clock
it worked on into the night to dispose
of the conference reports which crowdeI
in upon it. Everybody was at high ten
sion and it only required a spark to ere
ate a scene. No sensational incident,
such as usually occurs during the closing
hours, occurred, however up to mid
night. The galleries were packed to the
doors all day and evening with inaugura-
tion visitors. The confusion anG din on
the floor, with the speakers gaVel going
necessarily to preserve a semblarce of
order must have made the proceedings
unintelligible to them. There was a big
. fight during the afternoon over the SEN
ate amendment to the sundry civil bill
which, linked together the fate of the
st. Louis Buffalo and Charleston eXposi-
tion appropriations. Mr.. Cannon, chair
man of the appropriations committee,
led the fight against them and defeated
a motion to confer. A motion to appoint
a special committee of seven members
TO visit Porto Rico, Cuba and the Philip
pines, and report upon conditions, raised
a cry of junketing trip, and was debate
at intervals while conference reports
When the session opened Mr.. GrosyenoY
(O0, from the committee on rules, pre-
sented a special order providing that af-
ter ten minutes debate it should be in
order to move concurrence in the senate
amendments to the river and harbor bill
and to agree to the conference asked for
by the senate. Twenty minutes on a
side were allowed on the rule.
HEPBURN KICKED OVER.
No Democrat desired to speak, and Mr..
Richardson CTenn) yielded his time to
Mr.. Hepburn Qo), who aroused the
house with passionate speech denounc-
ing the measure. He taunued the Demo
Gratis for not opposing it, saying the $50,
000000 carried by the bill accounted for it
If the Democrats had stood against the
bill enough members of his side would
have stood with them to defeat it.
Does the gentleman consider it vi
cious?" asked Mr. Wheeler.
I have no word to properly character
ize it, said Mr. Hepburn.
Does the gentleman think there is a
niger in the woodpile?" asked Mr.. Fitz-
patrick (Ky).
L do not know" replied Mr. Hepburn
waving him aside. The gentleman
knows more about 'niggers and wood
piles than I do"
Mr.. Hepburn continued his excoriation
tract the attention of the country to the
measure. While a few appropriations ir
the bill might be meritorious, he said
millions were frittered away.
Mr. Hepburn cited several instances
where important legislation had been
abandoned in order that congress might
be able TO get at the river and harbor
bill. When a bill was such a factor it
became a real danger and menace to
the country. He declared that not over
81 Of the AGO items Of the bill could
pass if they stood alone, and said he
hoped the constituents Of members would
notice that for the $4,000 or $60.O1O they
secured millions of the peoples money
were sacrificed.
Mr. Burton (O). chairman of the rive-
and harbors committee, after some dis
cLssion, made a motion to nOn-concur,
which was adopted, and the bill was
sent to conference. Messrs. Burton,
Reeves and Catchings were appointed
ccnferees.
Mr.. DalzeH Pa.) from the committee
on rules, presented a resolution for the
appointment of a special committee of
seven members Of the committee on in
sular affairs. not more than four of
which shall be of one political party, to
visit cuba, Porto Rico and the Philip
pines and report upon the conditions
there. The proposition met with sharp
criticism.
Mr.. Powers declared that this resolu-
ton was the baldest and most inexcus-
able junketing trip he ever saw pre-
sented.
Mr.. Cooper. chairman of the committee
on insular affairs; Mr. Underwood (Ala)
and Mr. Williams QlI) supported the re-
solution.
Debate upon the resolution was inter
rupted by Mr.. Cannon, who presented
partial conference report upon the sun
drv civil bill The articles agreed to
comprised all the minor issues, leaving
still in dispute the items for the purchase
of the old Corcoran art gallery in this
city 1922 OCO, the appropriation for the
memorial bridge across the Potomac at
Washington, the payment to Mexico OF
s412, co., the appropriation for the Buffalo
Charleston and St Louis expositions and
the amendment touching the redemption
of arid lands. The report was adopted.
Mr.. Alexander IN. " moved to recede
and concur in the senate amendment
carrying $5,O00.000 for the st. Louis expo
sition and $250,OO0 for the Charleston
exposition. The motion prevailed, after
a lively debate. Mr.. Payne was particu
larry vigorous in opposition, declaring
that he would rather see this great ap
preparation bill fail and an extra session
precipitated than be held up by these
three appropriations
CANNON CAUSES COMMOTION.
Mr.. Cannon closed the debate, severely
criticising the senate exposition amend
ments, until he was called to order bJ
one of the South Carolina members an(
cautioned by the speaker for commenting
upon the action of the other branch o.
congress. AS Mr.. Cannon proceeded h,
exhibited intense earnestness Their,
were worse things, he said, suggestively
than an extra session of congress. Fol
himself, he declared he was ready t
see this great bill fail, for he would
never purchase freedom from extra ses
sion by such an abuse of legislative
right, Mr.. Cannon's speech created some
thing Of sensation and he was Vigor
ausly applauded. On rising vote the
motion to concur was defeated, 76 to I39