The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-05
THE SPANISH WAR CLAIMS.
a Commi SsiOn TO be Created to Adj
judicate Them-Now &29,000,-
600 ON File.

Washington, Feb. 1.-THE House to-day
passed the Senate bill to create COM
mission to adjudicate the claims of United
States citizens against Spain which the
government of the United States assumed
by the treaty of Paris, after having
amended the bill so as to refer the claims
to the Court of Claims This action con-
forms the action of the House a the last
session when the bill was recommitted
with instructions to report back such an
amendment as was adopted to-day.
strong effort was made to vote down this
amendment and pass the Senate bill, bun
the advocates of this course We're defeat
ed by a majority of So A bill was also
passed to extend the characters of nation
al banks for another period of 20 years
after 1902, when the present extension eN-
pfres. The bill occasioned no debate
aud was passed without division.
Mr.. Haugen, Wisconsin, in charge OF
the Spanish claims commission, asked
the House TO vote down the amendment
and pass the original biE This cour &c
led the opposition under the lead of Mr..
Underwood Of Alabama, last week TO
charge that the consideration of the bill
mad been agreed to under a misapprehen-
sion. MIR. Grosvenor OF Ohio, to-day az
gued in favor Of the passage of the orig
inal Senate bill. He said that not more
than $29,O00 goo of claims were now on
file at the State Department.
Mr.. Underwood urged that the amend
ment should be adopted, first because the
House. after full discussion on the pre-
vious occasion, had instructed the COM
mittee to bring in such an amendment,
and, secondly, because the government
already had a wei equipped court for
the trial of just such claims
Mr.. Underwood declared that the corri-
doris were full of lobbyists urging the
adoption of the Senate bill. They believed
their clients would fare better before such
a tribunal than before the court of
claims.
After considerable debate the commit
tee amendment was adopted, 123 to IS.
Mr.. Maddox of Georgia and Mr.. Cannon
of Illinois were among those who opposed
the bill TO ratify the agreement with the
Crow Indians of Montana. The lands
which the government was to purchase
from the Crows, Mr.. Cannon said, were
not worth 100000, much less S1l0O,OOO,
which the government was 10 pay. The
bill was defeated, 81 to 40.
Mr.. Knox, chairman of the Committee
suspension of the rules, of the bill to re-
deem Hawaiian silver coins not abraded
below lawful value at par and recon
them into standard silver coins of the
United States; abraded coin to be receiv-
ed at its bullion value.
Mr. Wilcox. the Hawaiian delegate, was
asked to explain the relative value of ma
tive and American silver in Hawaii. He
said that both circulated at par, but that
gold commanded 3 per cent. premium. lie
was offered time to give his views in eX-
tense. but declined to do so.
The bill was defeated, 20 to So two
thirds not having voted in the attirma-
tive.
The Indian appropriation bill was sent
to conference.
Mr.. Sherman of New York, Mr.. Curtis
of Kansas, and Mr.. Little, Arkansas,
were appointed conferees. The House
then went into committee of the whole
and resumed consideration of the pos
office appropriation bill
Mr. H. c. Smith of Michigan, spoke in
favor of reduction of railway mail pay
No action was taken.
At 5:25 the House adjourned.