Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-01-15
Congress.
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| count Of the recent death of Senator
William j. Sewell of New Jersey. In his
Invocation, at the opening of the session,
the chaplain, Rev. DR.. William Milburn,
| made touching reference to the death of
Senator Sewell. He referred also to the
disability OF Senator Berry of Arkansas,
and prayed that he might be able to soon
return to his duty in the Senate. Mr..
Kean of New Jersey formally an
nouneed to the Senate the death of Mr..
Sewell and offered the customary resolu
tons expressive of the sorrow of the Sen
ate aud providing for an immediate adj
journment in respect to his memory As
mark of respect 10 his memory the SEN
ate adjourned Immediately upon the adop-
ton of the resolutions When the House
met after the holiday recess tbeie was
large attendance in the galleries, but
more than half the seats on the floor Were
unoecupied. The chaplain in his inyoca-
tion referred feelingiy to the death Of
the late Senator Sewell of New Jersey.
The oath was administered to Messrs.
Smith of Iowa and Weeks of Michigan.
who had not heretofore appeared at this
session. No business was transacted. Mr.
Loudenslager of New Jersey announced
tAAS hFoNtA VI h9GiidtbT fNtNeii In u04tlE 30
he paid warm and feeling tribute TO the
citizen. soldier and statesman" whose
death, he said, was "the greatest loss the
State of New Jersey ever suffered" He
offered the customary resolutions, which
were adopted, and as a further mark of
respect the House adjourned Rep
resentatiye Jenkins of Wisconsin, of
the Judiciary special committee which
is framing an ant-anarchist bill. intro
duced measure which, in addition to
providing the death penalty for assaults
on the President, requires alien immi-
grants to take an oath not to assault
those in government authority, and not
to publicly uphold the subversion of the
government by violent means.
Consideration of the Hepburn isthmian
canal bill began on Tuesday in the House
of Representatives The debate was of
unusual interest and centered largely on
the new phase of the question due to the
offer of the Panama company to sell it's
property to the United States for S40,-
100000. Mr.. Cannon of Illinois and Mr.
Reeves of the same State, one chairman
OF the committee on appropriations and
the other a member of the committee on
rivers and harbori. asked Mr. Hepburn a
number of leading questions. Mr.. Cannon
wanted to know why the choice of a route
should not be left to the President in
view of the changed aspects of the Pam
anna situation. Mr.. Hepburn replied that
the Panama route was wholly out of the
question so far as Congress was concern
ed in the selection of route for the canal
Mr.. Morris of Minnesota gave notice
that at the proper time he would offer an
amendment to authorize the President, if
he could procure the property and rights
Of the Panama company for $40000.000.
if concessions could be procured from
Colombia and if the Walker commission
so recommended, to purchase and proceed
to complete the Panama canal
On Wednesday the isthmian canal bill
| was before the House for debate. All
| the principal speakers recognized the adj
vantage of the Panama route and an
| nounced themselves in favor of it. So
strong had sentiment grewn in favor of
| the Panama route that the most adj
vanced advocates of its selection were
| talking of forcing a square issue between
| it and the Nicaragua route. The more
conservative friends Of the Panama route
are urging a cempromise-not that they
are uncertain of their own strength, but
to escape playing directly in.o the hands
| of the Panama company. The debate
was rather tedious, Several members
| who had been among the thirty who vot-
ed against the Hepburn bill when it was
last under consideration announced they
would give it their support provided an
amendment is attached giving the presi-
dent power to make a selection. Mr..
Burton of Ohio, chairman Of the comm t
tee on rivers and harbors. who voted
against the bill, reviewed the objections
| by the minority when it was last before
| the House, to show that practically all
had been removed. Representative Hill
of Connecticut attracted attention by
reading letters from expert engineers in
favor of the Panama route. Representa-
tives Bromwel Of Ohio. Gilet of Massa-
chusetts. Littlefield of Maine, Gibson of
Tennessee, Lacey of Iowa and other
speakers advocated the Panama route.
The only one to appear during the day
squarely in favor of the Nicaragua route
was Representative Cummings of New
York.
BY vote which was virtually unani-
nous the House of Representatives on
| Thursday passed the Hepburn Nicaragua
canal bill. But on a test of strength be-
tween the rival routes Panama mustered
100 votes against 40 for Nicaragua.
| Only two members Of the House voted
against the Hepburn bill on the question
of final passage-Mr Fletcher of Mime
sofa and Mr. Lassiter of Virginia. Nr.
| Bishop Of Michigan answered present"
| and several members from the Northwest
| refrained from voting. among them Page
4 Morris of Duluth, who actively advocat-
| ID the Panama route, Mr.. Fletcher has
several times announced his opposition to
government construction of an isthmian
canal. believing the work should be uone
| by private enterprise. The vote in favor
of the bin was 30S. The proceedings
were enlvened by several passages be-
tween Mr.. Cannon and Mr.. Hepburn.
| The feeling between them is well under
| stood by members OF the House who are
ever watehfu for fireworks when they
| come together over bill. As the mcm-
! bers responded to their names on the roll
/ call on the passage Of the bin they left
| the House aud the chamber was practi-
| cally deserted when the Speaker an
nounceG the result and adjourned the
| House.
/
Washington Notes.
The seat formerly occupied by Senator
| Sewen has been assigned to Senator De-