Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1901-02-14
THE PENSION BILL.
The Measure, Appropriating $I44,-
900, 1000, Passed by the Senate.
NIGHT SESSION on SHIPPING BILL.
The Post Once Appropriation Bill Gets
Through the House The Military Acsd-
emy Bill and spanish War Claims
Bill Sent 10 Conference.

Washington, Feb. S.-The senate
had both day and night sessions yes
terday. AT the day session the pen
sion appropriation bill, appropriating
$l44, 100000, was passed after q few
minutes consideration. The ship SUBJ
sidy bill was then taken up and Sen
ators McLaurin and Morgan, both
democrats, made speeches upon it.
Senator McLaurin announced his in
tention TO support the bill and Sena-
tor Morgan opposed it in vigorous
language. He asked Senator Allison
for an estimate of the appropriations
for the present session and the lat
ter replied that he thought the ag-
gregatc would be about $760,00O, 900.
Senator Hale expressed the opinion
that the figures would be nearly $780,
100000.
The senate passed the bill for the
payment of travel allowances on dis
charge from the volunteer army to
officers and enlisted men of the
Eleventh cavalry and Thirty-sixth and
Thirty-seventh regiments of infantry
who entered the service of the
United States in the Philippines, and
also bill putting in force in Indian
territory the laws of Arkansas relat-
ing to corporations.
The post office appropriation bill,
debate on which has consumed al
most an entire week in the house,
was passed yesterday. The debate
lowered about three topics, railway
mail pay, pneumatic tube service and
special fast mail facilities, but it bore
no fruit. The amendment to reduce
the rate Of railway mail pay was ruled
out on point of order, the amend
ment to continue the pneumatic tube
service in New York, Boston and
Philadelphia was abandoned with the
purpose of making the fight in the
senate and the motions to strike out
the appropriations for special mail
facilities were defeated. The session
was opened with speech by MIR.
Moon. of Tennessee, against the spe-
cial facilities proposition. He said if
the people of his district should de.
liberaiely and knowingly instruct
him to vote for this subsidy he
would throw down his commission
and walk out Of the house.
Mr.. Flooring, of Georgia, a member
of the joint postal commission, la
vored certain notifications and re-
ductlons IN the rates of railway mail
pay. This closed the general debate.
The speaker laid before the house
certified copies of the electoral vote
in several states, excepting those Of
Colorado and Tennessee. The vote
will he counted at'a joint session of
the house and senate February 49,
The speaker appointed Mr.. Grosvenor,
OF Ohio, and Mr.. Richardson. of Ten
nessec, to act as telers on behalf
Of the house upon that occasion
The senate bin 10 allow travel pay
to certain officers and men who re-
enlisted in the Philippines upon their
discharge from the volunteer service
was passed.
Tho military academy bill and The
bill for the adjudication of the Span
ish war claims were sent to confer
ence. Conference reports upon The
bills providing for the abolition of
grade crossings in the District of Co.
lumbia and construction of stations
by the Pennsylvania and Baltimore
q Ohio railways were adopted.
The house then took up the diplo-
matte and consular appropriation bill.
Mr.. Hit, chairman of the committee
on foreign affairs explained that the
bill carries s1,s0s,S0S, being $SS,s3O
less than the estimates and $37,64O
more than the current law. Without
action on it, the house, at 5;25 p. m,