Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-06-06
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS
WHAT IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS WEEK

Naval Operations in Philippines Cost $40 900,
900 to Date-Polish and Prussian Heroes t.
Be Honored With Rochambeau-Am
ments to the Philippine Government Bill
Gen Buencamino's Testimony for the Arm.
Congress Thanks Secretary Hay for Hi
Mckinley Memorial Address.
During the discussion of the Philip
pine bill in the Senate Thursday al
amendment, extending to the Philip
pines the provisions of the bill o
rights of the constitution of the Unit
ed States, excepting the right to bea
arms and to trial by jury, was agreed
to. The House passed the bill to in
crease the subsidiary silver coinage
and adopted the conference reports OF
the omnibus public building and for
titications appropriation bills.
The Senate Monday debated the Phil
ippine government bill under the Is
minute rule. Its provision relating te
franchises was amended so as to pro
hibit corporations from employing per
sons held in slavery or involuntary ser
vitude. A new section was added pro
viding that the treasury of the Philip,
pine government shall be a depository
for such public money as the secretary
of the treasury may direct. During the
debate Senator Proctor of Vermont
made spirited defense of the Ameri-
can army from attacks that have been
made on it, To offset the testimony OF
Gen. Felipe Buencamino, formerly
Aguinaldo's secretary of war, who
takes the side of the army and the civil
government under Judge Taft against
the reports of cruelty and bad manage
ment, Mr. Patterson of Colorado read
the address of Buencamino to the Unit
ed States Senate urging the granting
of Independence to the Filipinos,
Thereby bringing to an end this cruel
and wicked war; Gen. Buencamino
has been testifying this week before
congressional committees.
The House by vote of 10 to 46
adopted a Joint resolution extending
the thanks of Congress to Secretary of
State John Hay for his address on the
occasion of the Mckinley memorial
exercises. This resolution had met
with some opposition on the ground
that Mr.. Hay had abused the occasion
by injecting a Republican stump
speech" into the address.
The Senate Tuesday passed the Lodge
Philippine government bill by vote
of Is to 30. Three Republicans, Messrs
Hoar of Massachusetts, Mason of Hi
nois and Wellington of Maryland. vot-
ed against the measure, and one Dem
ocrat, McLaurin of South Carolina,
voted for it. All amendments offered
by the minority were rejected. The
deb ate on the measure has been in
progress seven weeks and two days.
After the passage of the bill, the Mic
aragua canal bill was made the unfin-
ished business. The House began con-
sideration of the anti anarchy bill.
The House committee reported sub
stitute for the Senate measure, holding
that the Senate bill was unconstitu-
tional. Mr. Lanham of Texas support
ed the feature of the bill to exclude
but opposed that making
it a particular offense to kill the pres
ident or anyone in the line of presiden-
tial succession. He argued that every
man was equal before the law, and
that existing laws were ample to pun
lsh the killing or attempted killing of
the president.
The Senate discussed the project of
an isthmian canal Wednes-
lay, Senator Morgan of Alabama speak !
ing nearly three hours and insisting
hat the recently suggested danger to
he NicaIaguan route from seismic dis /
jurbances exists in imagination only. |
he asserted that of the two routes, the |
Panama was the more dangerous in 4
his way. The House continued its (
of the anti-anarchy bill. /