Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-04-18
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS-
WHAT IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS WEEK.

| Wah1 IL nho DEEM UU1Nu AAAo WGGh
Metal Mail Boxes for Patrons OF Rural Free
Delivery service-Mr, Dillingham; on Chi
nese Exclusion Senator Depew Stirs up the
Southern Senators Extended Discussion of
Cuban Reciprocity Bill
During the consideration of the post
office appropriation bill which was
passed by the Senate Thursday, Sena-
tor Tillman offered an amendment
which was adopted, directing the post
master general to buy metal boxes of
uniform size for the use of the patrons
of the rural free delivery service, at a
cost not exceeding 80 cents each, and
to furnish them to the patrons of the
service at cost Mr.. Dillingham; of
Vermont spoke against the Chinese ex-
clusion bill in its present form. He
maintained that some provisions of the
bill were unconstitutional and con-
tended that there was no country where
the prospect of commercial growth was
Fas good as it was in China. Instead of
having one tenth of the trade of that
great domain we should have third
of it. He would have the bill per-
IttbV' w VIC CAlcHb HClpSShly w Plo
tect American labor, but would libcr-
alize the provisions for merchants, stu
dents and travellers.
Debate on the Cuban Reel procity bill
was continued in the House Friday.
Remarks made in the Senate Thursday
by Senator Depew concerning the pro-
posed amendment to the constitution
providing for the election of senators
by popular vote, in the course of which
he adverted to Southern election meth
DDS, especially those of Mississippi,
caused lively three hours debate Fri
day. The election methods of Missis
sippi and other Southern states were
discussed and several Southern sena
tors vigorously demonstrated that Mr..
Depew's statements were erroneous.
The latter had intimated that if fair
methods were employed in those states
Republican senators would be there as
their representatives.
There was a lively debate in the Sen
ate Saturday over the protest of Min
lister WI of China to the secretary of
state against the enactment of the
pending exclusion bill. Some insisted
that the Chinese minister had only
done his duty, while others declared
that no self-respecting nation would
have permitted such interference in its
legislative affairs. The conference re-
port on the postoffice appropriation bill
was agreed to. Senator Vest spoke re-
gretfully of the sectional discussion of
Friday: said that the Southern people
had mourned sincerely for the martyred
presidents and adverted with deep feel
ing to the death of Gen Wade Hamp
ton, saying that he was the highest
type of a Christian gentleman. whose
memory would live for centuries. The
House Saturday passed the bill grant
ing pension to the widow of Presi
dent Mckinley at $1,000 year 1t had
previously passed the Senate and now
goes to the president for signature. |
The day was devoted to private pension
bills. III being passed. Bills were
passed as follows: For an additional
circuit of New York and for the crea-
tion of the petrified forest national /
park in Arizona.
More discussion of the Chinese eX- |
clusion bill occupied the attention of !
the Senate Monday The House began ,
its second week on the Cuban reel
procity bill. The conference report on
the postotfice appropriation bill was
adopted and a deficiency bill carrying
80, 600 was passed
The Senate concluded its debate on
the Chinese exclusion bill Tuesday.
Two important amendments striking
out the definition as to Chinese stu
dents and teachers were adopted. The
House debated on the Cuban reciproc-
ity bill. No amendments have been
made
. The drastic Chinese exclusion bill
originally framed by the senators and |.
representatives from the Pacific coast
states met defeat in the Senate Wednes-
lay, and in its place was substituted
measure offered by Mr.. Platt of Con
lecticut, extending the provisions of
he present exclusion law and also APP
dying that exclusion to all insular
erritory under the jurisdiction of the
United States The substitute was {
passed IS to /. Friends of the Cuban
eciprocity bill carried motion to {
lose general debate on the bill at 3
''clock today.