The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1903-02-06
FIFTY-SEVEN1H CONGRESS.
Second Session.

| Saturday was devoted to exercises in
connection with the acceptance from
the state Of Maryland of statues of
Charles Carroll and John Hanson,
which will henceforth stand in stat
uary hall at the national capitol. A
number of bills were passed. including
the house bill providing for the crea-
ton of a general staff in the army
An amendment was added to the bill
providing that any officer now on the
active list below the grade of major
general, who served with credit as an
officer in the regular or volunteer serv-
ice during the civil war before April
8, 1865, SHALL when retired. be retired
with the rank and pay of the next
higher grade. The section is made to
apply to officers who have been retired
on or since August II, 1898, but shall
not apply to any officer whose service
on the active list does not exceed 35
years, and shall not apply to any Off
Ger who has been placed on the retired
| list by virtue Of any act of congress,
nor to any officer who already has re-
ceived an advance of grade at the time
Of retirement, or with view to re-
tirement.
| Washington, Feb. -Senate-The
senate Monday had the army apprO-
| priation bill under consideration. 1t
was about to be passed when Mr.. Pet
tus (Ala) requested that it go over
until Tuesday to permit some amend
ments to be offered. During the read
| ing of the bill Mr. Hale and Mr.. Cock
| rell got into discussion over the gen.
| eral staff provision, the former con-
tending that it was general legislation
and had no place in the bill Mr.
| Cockrell insisted otherwise The state
hood bill was up for a short time and
Messrs. Bard and Quarles spoke in op-
position to it. After a brief executive
| session the senate adjourned until
Tuesday, out of respect to the memory
of the late Representative Rumple, Of
| Iowa.
HOuse-The house passed about 40
| bills under suspension of the rules
! The most important of them was a bill
| to authorize a resumption of the negO-
tiatiOns with Great Britain for the
| preservation of the Alaska fur seals
and to give the secretary of the treas,
ury authority, if a moduS vivendi is
| not concluded prior to the opening of
| the Pelagic sealing season this year
| to eXterminate the seal herd on the
| Pribylov islands, except 10000 females
| and 1000 males. The senate bill ap-
propriating $1,500,000 for a new de
| partment of agricultural building was
| passed. Among the other bills were Il
number to restore to their former rank
| in the army or navy and then retire,
officers who resigned years ago. One
| bill advanced Brig. Gen. H. G.. Merri-
am. retired, to the grade of major gen.
eral on the retired list.
Washington, Feb. 4.-Senate-The
| senate Tuesday passed without objec-
ton or discussion the Elkins bill to
further regulate railroad transporta-
ton. 1t is one of number of meas
ures presented in this congress con-
! corning corporations, and has partiCu-
! lar reference to railroads. The army
appropriation bill, which went over
Monday at the request of Mr.. Peftus,
was passed. The provision establish
| ing a general staff was eliminated.
| Later, the independent measure, iden-
| teal in it's provisions with the gen
| eral staff section of the army bill, was
| passed, after having been reconsid-
cred to permit the incorporation of an
amendment by Mr.. Berry, placing the
chief of staff exclusively under the dl-
| rectiOn Of the president. The bill now
! goes to conference.
| HOuse-The house spent practically
| the entire day on claims bills coming
over from last week. Mr. Payne. the
| floor leader of the majority, fought
| them all, but succeeded in defeating
| only three bills. After the claims
measures were disposed of, general
debate on the post Office appropriation
| bill was resumed, and Mr.. RObb (Mo)
| addressed the house on the trust cues
| ton.
Washington, Feb. -Senate-To.
ward the end of the session of the sen
ate Wednesday there was a lively pas
sage Of words between Mr. Gallinger
and Mr.. Beveridge. The former de
| clared in unmlstakable terms that Mr.
| Beveridge and his followers on tho
| statehood bill was prolonging the de
| bate in pursuance of a deliberate and
/ premeditated system of obstruction.
| Mr.. Quay injected some humor into
| the debate, after Mr.. Kean, who had
| held the floor for some time in OppO.
| SitiOn to the bill, said that he would
| postpone his remarks on account of a
| severe cold, by saying that the infirnl-
tiles of the opponents of statehood
were increasing to such an extent that
| he expected soon to see them all in q
hospital. The general staff bill was
| reconsidered and passed with an
! amendment putting the chief of staff
under the direction of the president
'and the secretary of war under the
direction of the president"
House-The general debate on the
| post Office appropriation bill was en-.
| Hvened by an interesting discussion OF
the tariff question. The consideration
OF the post Office bill in committee OF
the whole was completed but it was
not passed. The annual attempt tc
strike out the appropriations for spe
| cial mail facilities between Washing.
| ton and New Orleans and Kansas City
| and Newton, Kan, was led this year
| by Mr.. Talbert Is. CO, who followed
up his motion after it was defeated il
| committee of the whole with motion
| in the house to recOmmit the bill with
instructions to eliminate the provis
| IONS The latter motion is deSioneG