Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-01-30
The WEEK IN CONGRESS.
THE PRESIDENT WILL HAVE sTHoNa
ANTITRUST LEGISLATION.

ANTITRUST LEGISLATION.
What Congress Finally Agrees Upon-lnves-
tiration of Lessler Bribery Charge = The
Philippine Coinage Bill-The House Meets
Original Package Liquor Decision
The statehood bill was considered in
the Senate Thursday and Friday. The
House Thursday adopted resolution
for a full Investigation of the LESSER
bribery charges by the committee on
naval affairs. The democratic substi-
tute for the majority Philippine COIN
AGE measure was adopted. This makes
tbe gold dollar of the United States the
standard Of value in the islands, ex-
tends the monetary system of this
country over the islands and provides
for the coinage of one half cent pieces.
Friday 235 private pension bllls were
nassed. The House also passed the
Alaskan delegate bill, which provides
for the representation OF the territory
of Alaska in the House OF Representa-
tives by delegate. 1t also deInes
the citizenship and the qualihcation
of electors and creates the machinery
for the elections, the date OF. which
shall be the last Tuesday In Septem,,
Der. The first delegate Is to be elected
next autumn and is to hold seat IN the
5Sth congress. The Senate MONDAY
passed the diplomatic and consular APP
preparation bill, then taking up the
statehood bill. Consideration of this
bill was interrupted to allow the pas
sage of House bill making an appro-
priation for the suppression of and to
prevent the spread of contagious and IN
fictitious diseases of livestock.
The Senate Philippine committee
substituted the Lodge gold standard
and coinage bill, defeated in the House
Thursday, for the one passed by the
House
The House adopted resolution call
ing on the postmaster general for the
correspondence and documents in his
possession concerning the recent post
office trouble in Indianola, Miss The
military academy appropriation bill,
carrying S644, 273, was passed without
amendment or debate. The judiciary
committee reported on the Littlefield
anti trust bill.
The Senate spent Tuesday in consid-
Grafton of the statehood bill. Another
ballot, to test the sentiment OF the
Senate, was secured, the vote standing
II to 80 on motion to adjourn. The
House passed about 20 bills reported
from the judiciary committee mostly OF
minor importance. One, however, was
to meet the original package decision
OF the supreme court by making intox-
icating liquors imported into states
subject to the jurisdiction of such
states. The bill is designed to prevent
evasion under the original package de-
cision of the liquor laws in prohibition
states. Mr. Clayton of Alabama, who
was in charge of the bill, explained
that it would permit prohibition states
to breakup the practice now INDUCED in
of permitting firms to buy and import
intoxcants in original packages, but
that it would not prevent an individ-
ual from importing for his personal
use. One other important bill passed
was the Senate bill to increase the sal
aries of federal judges. 1t raises the
salaries of the chief justice of the SUI
preme court to Sl3, 600, the associate
justices to Sl2, 500, circuit judges to
81, 900, district judges to Sc, 600, the
chief Justice of the court of claims to
&c, 800, associate justices to 81, coo and
the justices of the supreme court of the
District Of Columbia to 5000.
The House naval committee began
its investigation of the Lessler bribery
charges Friday. Representative Less
Ter testified that he was opposed to the
building of more submarine torpedo
boats. Philip Dobln came to him
from Lemuel E. Quigg and said there
was 5000 il he could be brought to
the other side. Lessler described con
versations with Quigg and John Nc
Cullagh, superintendent of elections
in New York, in which pressure was
brought upon him to support the meas
ure. He said he would not do it.
Philip Doblin was then deputy su..
perintendent in McCullagh' s office and
a political friend of Lessler's. Repre-
sentatives of the Holland torpedo boat
denied that Quigg was connected with
that company or that such proposals
had been authorized. Mr.. Quigg him
self, and Mr.. McCallagh emphatically
denied the charges associating them
with offers of money. Philip Doblin,
who testified Saturday that he had Of
fered Representative Lessler money to
influence his vote on the boat bill,
and said also that he had been told
there might be $1,000 in it for him, re-
tracted his story Monday, and denied
that Mr. Quigg had offered him any
bride in any way He claimed he told
the story out of deep obligation to
Lessler and at his request. Tuesday
Mr.. Lessler testified that he had vol
unteered to Representative Roberts of
Massachusetts, who is also member
of the naval committee, to sign a
statement generating the Holland
torpedo boat company from all connec-
tion with the alleged attempt at brlb-
cry. but, when Mr. Roberts presented
to him for signature letter addressed
to the Holland company, he declined
to sign it. Mr.. Roberts. who has
been strong advocate of the construc-
ton of submarine boats, emphatical-
" disclaims any improper motive in
presenting the letter to Mr.. Lessler
Senator Quay introduced the state
hood bill as an amendment to each of
two appropriation bills, the agricultur-
al and sundry civil, in the senate
Wednesday. His apparent purpose was
to render it necessary to accept state
hood in order to secure the passage of
the appropriation bills. The house con-
sidered the Indian appropriation bill
and the delegate from Arizona ans
wered senate charges to the effect that
Arizona repudiated her debts, denying
that she ever repudiated or defaulted
a dollar of it.
Congressional Notes.
= oar;1ne1xy A,nnocnl 70,