The Washington times., 1902-04-28
Agreement Probable for
Adjournment for Spring
Cleaning. ~.
PHILIPPINES BILL DEBATE
Will Be Continued During the Afternoons
Appropriation Measures Ready for
Consideration-Conference Reports on
Oleo and Chinese Exclusion.

There will probably be four-day seq
sion OF TIE Senate this week. An agree
mert may be reached to adjourn over from
Thursday. May 1. to the following Mon
| day. This is for the purpose OF allowing
| the employss to do little spring clean
ing in the Senate chamber and cloak rooms.
| The debate on the Philippine civil gov
ernment bill will continue to occupy the
attention of the Senate every afternoon
| session for some time There are one or
| two appropriation bills ready for consid-
| Grafton. and 1t is expected that these will
| be disposed of during the morning hour
Conference reports on the oleomargarine
and Chinese exclusion bills may also be
| expected. and as these are privileged mat
tiers, 1t is possible ihat they may to some
extent interfere with the Philippine debate.
The Investigation OF the Sugar Trusts
interests in Cuba will be begun By the
Cuban committee early in the week. and
sessions will be held every day. while, be-
ginning on Tuesday. the Philippine com
mittee will resume its inquiry into the
lnnietion OF TIE water cure and other tor
Witnesses Summoned. s4..-
The following witnesses. privates or non-
commissioned officers who served in tho
Philippines. have been summoned. at the
instance OF the Democrats. to tell what
they know about tortures:
lsadon Fl. Diete. Of watertown. Mass:
j. Manning. Charlsstoxn, Mass: Richard
Otrien. 1871 Amsterdam Avenue. Nev
York City; L. E. .HaIleck. Charlestovn
Mass. and David J. Evans. Concordia
Kan
The first weeks debate on the Philip
pine government bill has been much moro
spicy and interesting than was looked
forward to. The subject of the conditions
In the archipelago has been sthrasbed
over Tor three years In a conscientiously
exhaustive manner by the Senate. and
wnen the Democrats announced that they
intended to talk on the subject for three
10 six weeks 1t was generally taken for
granted that there would be a chance for
the committees to catch up with their
work
The public also believed that a dry
time was In store. very evidently. for at
the beginning OF the week and until we'll
along in Mr.. Rawlins' speech there were
fewer people in the galleries than at anv
time before this session.
Only two speeches have been made but
they have consumed a week and allowed
almost nothing to come up In the Senate.
So much for exhaustiveness. but despite
that they have been far more full of in,
terest than there was any hope for or
any legitimate right to expect
An Audience Gathered.
Mr.. Rawlins began to empty benches.
on the Republican side. Part
ly by the force of his speech and partly
by the determined measures of his Demo-
cratic colleagues an audience was gath
cred on the second day and there has been
one ever since
The Democrats evidently intend to do
all that they promised In going over the
in the Philippines. There is
now reason to believe that their argu-
ment will be listened to carefully. The
first two speeches of the series were in
every way important contributions.
The present week in the Senate will be
devoted almost entirely to this debate.
Some legislation may be accomplished in
the morning hour. however. and it is to
this that the friends of bills now look
who are otherwise in despair OF getting
their measures through at this session
1t is probable that any District legisla-
lion to be accomplished at this session
will be during the morning hour, and 1t
Is not unlikely that the union railway
station bill will be passed during the
present week.
The railways are to submit their idea
II an amendment to the bill to allow OF
he use of the station for other railway
ines. They object to the Patterson
amendment. but they do not object to
Iome provision broadening the bill in this
'egard. 1t is believed by the District
Committee that an agreement can be
cached between the railways and the COM
nittee which will make the passage OF
he bill an easy matter when 1t comes up
gain. 7-
District Appropriation Bill.
The District appropriation bill has
ONE over to the Senate from the House.
ut it will be in committee for some time,
nd is most likely to show itself in the
'pen session during the present week.
The army appropriation bill has been
,otten into shape by the subcommittee OF
he Military Affairs Committee. and will
e reported to the full committee in
ew days, and by them undoubtedly to the
enate during the present week. This
nay be passed during the morning hour.
II, as a revenue measure, ii may tenn
orarily displace the Philippine bill. The
ther appropriation bills now pending
lay be taken up in the same way.
Two or three conference committees Of
Importance are out. whose bills may be
eported during the coming week. and
nal action taken on them.
The Chinese exclusion bill conferees
ave almost reached an agreement. but
n one point, the life OF the law now to
G enacted. they have SPLIT. second
difference was ordered on the question
ist Saturday.
The river and harbor bill is also in con
,rence. and the oleOmargarine bill has
OF yet become law