The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1903-02-20
Do1NGs IN CONGRESS.
Bills, Resolutions and Messages Before she
Senate and House and How They
Are DisD0sed of.

In the senate the conference report on
the department of commerce bill and 1t
was agreed to without debate. Senator
Morgan (Ala.) almost Immediately after
the opening of the session, resumed his
remarks on the statehood bill, but
branched off on the subject of the pro-
posed treaty with Colombia. Senator De-
pew IN. W then spoke in opposition to
the statehood bill. The house made fair
progress with the sundry civil appropria-
tion bill, covering Sc of the $50 pages of
the bill. The amendments of which Mr..
Cannon UlI-) gave notice on the doth for
the completion of the east front of the
capitol and the erection of an Office build
ing for members were adopted. points of
order raised against them being over
come by the adoption of a special rule
making them in order.
With the exception of a few minutes
during which some routine business was
transacted the session of the senate on
the 18th was behind closed doors. the
Panama canal treaty being considered
most of the time. Senator Frye (Me.)
introduced bill providing fines of $1,000
for persons engaged in riots at sea-
bill providing for postal checks in place
of all bills of less than s. was introduced
by Senator Penrose (Pa).. The house
made slow progress with the sundry civil
bill, covering only q pages and leaving
40 pages still to be disposed of. The de-
lays were occasioned by a rather pro-
tracted discussion of the item in the bill
for the maintenance of the white house
and considerable debate upon the item
appropriating 3,OOO, OOO for the relief of
distress in the Philippines.
An immense crowd was attracted to the
senate on the 18th to hear the invocation
of Gen. William Booth. founder and COM
mander-in-chief of the Salvation army.
When the statehood bill came up Sem
ator Depew On. W resumed his remarks.
He attacked the Mormon church because,
he said, he believed it's members still
cling TO the practice Of polygamy. Sem
ator RawlinS Utah) replied that if the
Mormons were not interfered with they
would work out their own destiny. I'm
der the operation of a special order which
cut off the opportunity to offer amend
ments the house by vote of PAL to 6
passed the Elkins bill to prohibit rebates
to shippers. The six members who voted
against the bill were democrats. The
president transmitted to the house a copy
of the treaty entered into between the
United States and Great Britain relative
to the Alaskan boundary line.
The senate listened on the 14th to the
reading of the Indian appropriation bill
and spent some time'in the consideration
of the measure. 1t was not, however,
finally disposed of. The greater part of
the remainder of the day was given over
to eulogies of late members of the house
of representatives. The senate agreed to
the house amendments to the Elkins anti
rebate bill. The bill now goes to the
president. The house passed the sundry
civil bill and then broke all previous rec
ords in the matter of private pension
legislation, 325 bills In all being passed.
Soon after the senate met on the 18th
Senator Quay (Pa.) offered a resolution,
which went over under the rule, declar-
ing 1t to he the sense of the senate that
a date and hour prior to the I'd Of March
should be fixed for final vote upon the
statehood bill. No debate occurred on the
statehood bill The Indian appropriation
bill and the Philippine currency bill both
were passed. Senator Morgan (Ala.)
spoke on a question of privilege regard
ing the dispatch which recently appeared
in the public prints purporttng to be
signed by the Colombian minister to Mex
leo, Senior Rafael Reyes, in which Senior
Reyes took exception to an alleged state
ment by Senator Morgan in the senate
that the Colombian president had sold
out and abdicated for $1.OoO.000. Senator
Morgan declared that there was a be-
trayal of the senate in the matter of
what transpires at executive sessions and
that Senior Reyes had violated principle
of diplomacy when he obtained Informal
ton surreptitiously from persons false to
their trust. The amendment offered by
Senator Patterson (Col) some days ago
providing for conference between gold
and silver standard countries to fix a
commercial exchange was agreed to with
out division. The house disposed of a
number of bills under suspension Of the
rules, defeating two. The most important
measure was the senate bill to amend
the railroad safety appliance law. A spe-
cial order was. adopted which practically
will make the Fowler currency bill a con-
tinuing order for the remainder of the
session, not. however to interfere with
appropriation bills and other privileged
matters.