Evening star., 1901-12-19
Short Sessions Held in Both
Houses.
Dc ARMoND MAKES 4 STATEMENT
House Makes Canal Bill a Special
Order.
NOMINATIONS CONFIRMED

After the vote on the Philippine revenue
bill yesterday there was a general exodus
| OF members Of the House for their homes
to spend the Christmas holidays, and today
when the House met there was a waste OF
vacant seats. The session Of the House
was brief. Some odds and ends Of business
| were disposed OF.
| Mr.. Cannon Qll) asked unanimous con-
| sent for the consideration of bill for q
| deficiency appropriation of $4,000 for fur
nishing transcripts Of records In the gen.
erai land office. The employees who were
doing this work, Mr.. Cannon said, were
mostly women, and he appealed to the
House in the spirit Of the yuletide season to
pass the bill. There was no objection ana
the bill was passed.
The message OF the President relative to
the creation Of an Appalachian forest re-
| serve was laid before the House.
| Mr. DeArmond (Mo.) at this point rose to
| question OF personal privilege. He said
| tnat while he was absent In the Philippines
report was circulated In his state to the
| was being held up in his district until his
return. Il DESIRE" said Mr.. DeArmond,
10 present some testimony to disabuse the
| minds Of those who may have been misled,
| critical and to confute those who may have
| lied"
Not Matter of Privilege.
He thereupon sent to the clerks desk and
| had read letter sent by him to the first
assistant postmaster general asking that
| official what his status was to be in regard
to appointments in the rural free delivery
| service in his district.
| Mr. Payne (N.Y) made the point of order
| that the letter did not constitute a oues-
tfon of personal privilege
| l,oJ
yersy with department about patrona se
dld not constitute a matter of privilege. If
| IL were, he said. members might constantly
| arise on such pretext to air tbeir or;a,-
ances
| Upon Mr.. De Almonds representation
| tnat ne would develop a question of priyi-
Iege, however. the Speaker allowed him to
/ proceed. second letter from Mr. Dear
mond to the Postmaster General was sent
| 10 the desk, but as soon as it was read both
MT. Payne and Mr.. Grosvenor renewed the
| Point OF order that no question of personal
| privilege had been presented.
MIR. Grosvenor's point was that if a mem
| Der OF the House, in his legislative capacity.
| chose to invade an executive department
Ior tne purpose OF patronage, unless 1t
| was charged that such action Involved
| moral turpitude, it presented no question of
| personal privilege.
The Speaker seemed inclined to think that
ooth points of order were well taken
But Mr.. DeArmond insisted that renorts
circulated In his district We're false and in
| furious to him in his legislative capacity.
Mr.. DeArmOnd's Statement.
The Speaker finally ruled that no ques-
ton OF personal privilege had been pre-
sented, whereupon Mr.. De Almond asked
ana obtained unanimous consent to make a
personal statement. He proceeded to ex-
plain that reports were circulated In his
district that he had caused action on free
delivery routes to be held up during his ab-
sence in the Philippines; that those reports
were circulated by those who lied and knew
they lied. He read letters addressed by
him to. the first assistant postmaster pen
eral last April none of which. he said had
ELECTED reply. He also had read a letter
received by him after his return from the
orient. but dated July 8. saying a certain
rural free delivery route would he estat
lished. and another dated July g. saving
the action spoken of in the letter Of July 3
mad been held up to await the final ac-
ton OF the Postmaster General
~, Mr1 DeArmond said he wondered whether
the postmaster General, who had lust an
nounced his purpose of leaving the cabinet
was gong because he was wearied by the
great labor Of solving this question.
that the department had not treated him
frankly. fairly or in manly way." II
had not answered the pertinent question re-
|. garding the division of carriers between
the parties. He charged that the course
OF the department was In the interest of
certain republican bosses in Missouri. one
OF whom hoped to get into the United
States Senate.
Canal Bill Made y Special Order.
Mr.. Hepburn asked unanimous consent
that the Nicaragua canal bill be made
special order for Tuesday, January 7, and
to continue as special order untn disposed
Of, not. however, to interfere with revenue
or appropriation bills.
Mr.. Cannon asked whether the passage
OF the bill would embarrass the executive
| In securing the right of way through Mica
ragua OF Costa Rica.
Mr.. Hepburn said he knew of no neeo-
tiation that would be interfered with by
this legislation. On the contrary, he said.
legislation must precede acquisition. the
bill itself providing means for the acquire
ment of the right Of way
Mr.. Richardson, the minority leader said
this was In no sense a political question.
and there was no objection to the PROPOSE
| ton on his side Of the House
Mr. cannon said he was in favor of the
building Of the canal, but he thought there
should be place to put the canal before n
was authorized. As this was a request for
consideration, however, he said he would
not object, and after some further discus
sion the order for the consideration Of tha
bill was made. o
At LAS the House adjourned until Ian
uary g. 1902
THE SENATE.
In the absence of Mr.. Frye OF Maine,