Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-04-23
WORK OF CONGRESS.

The Chinese exclusion bill occupied the
attention of the senate throughout the
18th, Senators Foraker (O.) and McLaurin
Is. Co making extended speeches in oppo-
sition. Senator Kearns (Utah) introduced
bill annexing to Utah all that portion
of Arizona territory lying north and west
of the Colorado river. Interest in the
Cuba reciprocity debate in the house
seems to be waning, judged by the small
attendance on the floor, but the earnest
ness of the speeches on both sides of
the question increase rather than de-
crease in intensity. That the republican
opponents of the bill are determined to
prolong the struggle much as possible
was made manifest by their refusal to
allow speeches to be printed in the Rec
ord. The speakers We're Messrs. Nc
Call (Mass) and Brantley (Ga) for the
measure and MesSrs. Robertson da.)
and Stevens (Minn) against it. The
conference report on the post office ap-
preparation bill was adopted early in the
day, after some criticism of the pneu-
matte tube provision. Mr.. Newlands
(Nev.) introduced a bill to remove all
duties on beef imported from foreign
countries.
The debate on the Chinese exclusion bill
was practically concluded in the senate
on the 18th. By general consent a vote
was taken on two important amendments,
offered by Senator Fairbanks Ond),
| striking out the definition as to Chinese
| students and teachers, and they were
agreed to without division. These
| changes were made with view to recon-
| CLING some Of the opposition to the meas
| ure, which has been directed against the
| rigid restrictions on students and teach
| ers, and the unnecessary inconvenience
| this would impose on the educated Chi
nese classes coming to this country. Sem
| ator Cullom Ull.) introduced bill pro-
| viding for commission to secure plans
| designs TO he
| ed to the memory of President Lincoln,
| $4,000 to be appropriated to carry out
| the purpose of the bill. :. The Cuban reci-
| prOcfty debate in the house was closed
| and the leaders announced that all dam
| ger of the bill being weighted down with
undesirable amendments was over and
| that they felt assured the bill would pass
| in the shape in which it came from the
| committee. Mr. Bureson (Tex.) intro
duced a resolution calling on the secre-
tary of war for full transcript of the
proceedings before the court-martial
which recently tried Maj. Waller in Ma
| Mia for executing Filipino guides.
| The drastic Chinese exclusion bill, orig
| inally framed by the senators and repre-
| sentatives from the Pacific states, met
| defeat in the senate on the 18th and in
| it's place was submitted measure Of
fered by Senator Platt (Conn.) extend
| ing the provisions of the present eXclu-
| sion law and also applying that exclusion
| 10 all lISuldF unOer the Jur1S-
| diction of the United States. Once the
substitution had been made. all senators
| had joined in it's support with the single
exception of Senator Hoar, the substitute
being passed, Is to 1. The senate failed
to substitute the enacting clause of the
| house bill for the senate measure, so that
the bill now will go to the house an
| original measure and from a parlia-
mentary standpoint will have to be acted
on and treated the same as though the
| house had not passed a Chinese eXclu-
| sion bill already. Resolutions were in
| troduced, directed to the secretary of
war and to the secretary of the navy,
| making inquiry to the cost of the war
| in the Philippines, covering the period
! since May, 1898. The friends of the Gu
ban reciprocity bill won a substantial
victory in the house by carrying a mo-
ton to close general debate on the 18th
at three o'clock. The vote was 1853 to
123. Thirty-three republicans voted
against the motion, but this detection was
offset by 50 democrats who voted with
the great body of the republicans for it.
| The debate was featureleSs. Mr.. Hay
| (Va.) introduced resolution inquiring of
the civil service commission to the ex-
tent to which those who had stood high
est in civil service examinations had been
passed over and appointments made of
persons lower down on the list.
For more than four hours on the 18th
Senator Morgan (Ala.), chairman of the
isthmian canal committee, addressed
the senate on the subject of the Nicara-
guam canal. He devoted the greater part
of his speech to a consideration of the
desirabilty and practicability of the two
principal routes. Nicaragua and Panama.
He strenuously favored the former main
tanning that in every possible respect
it had many advantages over the Panama
route. Senator Hoar (MaSs.) introduced
an amendment to the sundry civil ap-
preparation bill authorizing the commits
sioner of labor to make an investigation
of the question of divorce in the United
States and appropriating $4,000 for the
purpose. Senator Nelson (Minn.) intro
duced an amendment to the same bill
creating the Office of Pacific railroad
commissioner and fixing the salary of the
commissioner at $4,500 per annum. The
Cuban reciprocity bill was debated in the
house, the opponents of the measure oc-
| cupying most of the time Mr.. CuShmaT
| Wash), republican, made vigorous
speech against the bill. Mr.. DeArmonG
(Mo) delivered a forcible speech in ia
vor of tariff reduction trust articles
and Mr.. Loud (Cal) declared that di
rectly and indirectly Cuba already haG
cost the United States 100000, 100000.