Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1902-12-19
CONGRESS.

situation in Venezuela Is causing cen
siderable comment among senators
and there are indications that reso.
luton OF inquiry may be introduced
at an early day. The senate discus Led
the bill to promote the efficiency OF
the militia and also the omnibus state
hood bill. 1t agreed to the concurrent
resolution Of the house for an adjourn.
ment from December 20 to January 5
House.-The house passed the sen
ate bill for q union railroad station In
this city to cost $4.000,000. The sta
ton is to be situated north of the
present site OF the Baltimore and Ohio
depot at Delaware and Massachusetts
avenues and in front of 1t Is to be
large plaza lark. The house also
passed an urgent deficiency bill, which
carried among other items an apDro
priation of 100000 for eradicating tho
foot anc mouth disease in New Eng
land. A bill was passed to provide for
allotment in severalty of the lands Of
the New York Indians.
Washington, Dec. 16.-Senate.-The
Venezuelan question occupied the at.
tention of the senate in executive ses'
sion yesterday tor almost an hour
The tone of all the speeches, whether
by republicans or democrats, was that
our position as a nation should be one
of watchfulness. There was gen.
eral agreement that while the means
adopted by Great Britain and Germany
for the collection of their debts had
been quite strenuous, they thus far
had committed no infringement of the
Monroe doctrine and therefore had
done nothing to which the United
States could take exception.
Washington, Dec. 17-Senate.-The
senate passed the pension appropria-
ton bill without discussion. It carries
$139,847,000. An urgent deficiency
bill also was passed. The amount
carried by this bill is $1,14S,40O, and
includes an item of 100000 to enable
the secretary of agriculture to stamp
out the foot and mouth disease, which
has become epidemic in the New Eng.
land states. The militia bill was up
continuing his remarks against the
constitutionality of the provision for
a reserved force of trained men.
House. - Representative Fowler,
chairman of the house committee on
banking md currency. introduced
bill today which was drawn by him in
accordance with the views of the re-
publican members expressed at recent
conferences and which will be urged
instead of the currency bill reported
to the house at the last session. The
bill provides that any national bank
may, with the approval of the comp
troller of the currency take out for
issue and circulation an amount OF ma
tional bank ctes not exceeding Is per
cent of as paiu up and unimpaired
capital. without depositing United
States bonds with the United States
treasury in the manner provided by ex-
listing law"
Washington, Dec 1S.-House.-The
house passed the bill to reduce the
duties on the products of the Philip
pine islands coming into the United
States from per cent of the Dingley
rates (the present duties) to 25 per
cent of those rates. The discussion of
the bill was accompanied by ccrsid
cradle maneuvering on the democratic
side to secure test votes on various
amendments designed to lower the
tariff barrier still further. and rec
ord vote was forced on motion to re
commit with instructions to report a
bill providing for absolute free trade
with the islands. The division on
this proposition was on party lines
with the exception of Mr.. Mccall of
Massachusetts,. republican. who voted
with the democrats. The discussion
of the pure food bill. which has been
made continuing order until dis
posed of. was begun. The Mccall reso
luton calling on the state department
for the correspondence in the Vene
zuelan imbroglio. was adopted at the
beginning Of the session.