The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-04
IN THE SEN ATE.
cockren Insisted Upon the Presence
of q Quorum.


Washington. March 4.-The senate was
called TO order at 10 o'clock today for
the last sitting of the F'ifty-seVenth con-
gress, but business did not begin until
sometime later. The delay was due TO
the absence of a quorum and to the fact
that Mr.. Cockrell insisted upon the
presence of the necessary number before
taking w the work of the day.
President Pro TEN Frye was as usual
on the minute in ascending to the seat
of the presiding officer, but only dozen
senators faced him. The countenance
of most of them bore evidence of the
two prolonged sessions of Monday and
Tuesday. but the indications of fatigue
soon vanished and business proceeded as
smoothly as 1t would have done if the
senate had adjourned at o'clock yes
terday instead of , o'clock this morn
ing. 1t was noticeable too that the SEN
ators who have been most busily and
most continuously occupied in the clos
ing days of the session were among the
first to respond to their names.
The attendance in the galleries was
also comparatively small. The crowd
increased gradually. however, so that
by the time d quorum was secured on
the floor the audience was respectable
in dimensions and apparently sufficient
iy wide awake to give due attention TO
the proceedings.
AUTHORIZATIONS.
Mr.. Allison. chairman of the commit
tee On appropriations made a statement
regarding the amount of money appro-
priated by the present congress as COM
pared with the appropriations of the
Fifty-sixth congress. The total appro-
priation for the present congress. he sta
ted was 81. .554. Jos, SIS as compared with
s1.440,4s9 ABS, for the Fifty-sixth con-
gress.
It was a curious but necessary thing
he said. to make this comparison more
in detail than by a mere statement Of
aggregates The first and most import
the present congress is an appropriation
of 900 for the Panama canal
which he said accounts for nearly one
half of the increase.
r There is also he said. an aggregate
appropriation for the postohice depart
ment of 1888, ,431 499 for the next fiscal
year as compared with Sl3S,000,000 for
the current year, making a difference
of more than $4,000 600 in excess OF the
appropriations for the last congress foi
the postal service. This, he explained
arises from the enormous increase in ex-
penditures caused by increased postal
business Then too. he said. the rural
free delivery service required large
sums.
There was. he said. smaller deli
cheney than there has been in many
years in the postal receipts as compared
with the expenditures. He called atten-
tion to the fact that the last congress
passed no river and harboT bill. IN the
first session of this congress, he said,
and harbors in addition to which $50 600
900 was appropriated in the sundry civil
bill for carrying out contracts He said
that while X appears that the appropfl-
ations Of this congress have been largely
in~ excess Of those Of the Last congress.
the zlcrease is chiefly made up Of three
items. namely. the $50 600 600 for the
Panama canal. the increased aDpropria-
tion Of $50 COG. 900 for the postal service
and the river and harbor appropriations
He concluded by saying that the peo-
pie of the country endorsed these items
Of increase and that the opposite pO-
htical party c0neurred in them.
Mr.. Bailey lTexO called up a bill
amending the rivers and harbor act 80
as to provide that the S125,000 hereto
fore appropriated for certain river and
harbor improvements in Texas shall be
used for the construction of a channel in
Sabine Lake. Texas
PHILIPPINE BILL DIES
ON an aye and nay vote, demanded by
Mr.. Mason, the senate agreed to take
the bill 10. fl to 9. The effect of the
vote was to displace the Philippine tariff
bill. 1t was then temporarily laid aside
and Mr. HOar spoke on the Philippine
bill. The bill had been talked to death.
he said. This was not criticism of Sena-
tors who think that in the closing hours
of the session this remedy shall not be
dealt with in an hour. The poiRt he
made, he said. was that the senate. the
executive, the house Of representative
and the public are not fit to govern the
destinies of a people 5000 miles away
who have no voice in the government.
1T is the first great object lesson, ?
said he, the WretchedneSs, the lniquitV
of what the American people did two
years ago in regard to these people
Mr.. Lodge referring to the Philippine
tariff bill said that its defeat was not
through any fault of the committee nor
of the house of representatives. From
the beginning of the session down to the
present time, he said. he had tried con
stantly to find an opportunity to pass
this bill He said that as regards the
try it is absolutely impossible on the
face of it, He then made a vigorous re-
plv to NIr HOar in which he said he
did not agree with him in the view that
the American people are not able 10
deal with the great problems in the
east Il believe they are thoroughly
able to deal with it as they dealt with
greater and migntier problems before.
said Mr.. Lodge.
Continuing. he said in these closing
hours he could not undertake to argue
! that question. 1t is a great misfortune,
he said. that the Philippine tariff bill
has failed. 1t was the bill of the house.
the committee and the majority of the
SENATE BLAMED.
1T has been defeated here he said,
raising his voice Senators have not
hesitated to take the responsibility of
/ killing it," It was their province to do
so, and the country can judge. On their
shoulders the blame viii lie.
When he concluded there was loud ap
plause in the galleries.
Acting upon a resolution President
pro tenn. Frye appointed Messrs. Allison
/ and Jones tArkl a committee to meet 4
similar committee from the house and
notify the president that congress was
ready to adjourn.
Mr. Mason Cul9 took the floor and
/ discussed the statehood bill and the
/ Panama canal treaty.
Mr. Bailey CTexl interrupted and said
it was apparent that Mr.. Mason's OBJ
/ ject was to talk the Sabine Lake bin
to death. and he would relieve him OF
/ the necessity Of making this kind Of a
valedictory This Mr.. Mason denied. He
said that he never enlisted under the