Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-03
Maine Interests Guarded in
Public Building Bill.
A Notable Dinner Of the Bowdoiu
Men in Washington.
Senator Hale and the Big Naval Al.
preparation Bill.

| Heiu tie toWH LOT several Gays In 1Orc
and right good time they have had
| They were given a splendid reception
| by Senator Chauncey Depew at thu
| Corcoran House one evening, where
they had an opportunity of meeting
| many Senators and other prominent
! public men. Among those invited t
that function were Senators Hale anC
Frye. The Corcoran House is on La
fayette Square, diagonally across the
park from the White House and is rem
dered historic from the fact that il
was built and owned by Daniel Web.
ster. Later on it became the home OF
w. w. Corcoran, the famous philan-
thropist. who was native of Massa-
chusetts but who lived here in Wash
ington where he acquired an enormous
fortune that was disbursed. in many
charitable enterprises. 1t is a rare cid
house. somewhat enlarged and re.
modelled in modern times but splen-
didly fitted for entertaining and during
every winter for many years the scene
of numerous social events. About
everybody Of note in the world OF
Washington during a winter passes
within it's portals. The late Senator
DllSC OSSAplCu ~ pilOl ~ CCudtOI ~
pew and entertained there in almost
regal magnifcence.
One of the best known of the Re-
publican editors, who came here for
their annual convention, was Capt.
Benjamin F. Russell of Crawford, Mo-,
who is a native of Oxford county, Me,
and graduate of Hebron Academy. He
is a type of sturdy manhood, went
through the Civil War as Union SOL
der. and settled in Missouri, where he
became a Republican leader. A few
years ago the Republicans swept Mis-
souri, at one of the off year elections
and gained control of the popular
branch of the legislature. Captain
Russell became speaker of the House.
Later he came to Washington during
the 5ith and 55th Congresses as SER
geant-at-arms of the National House
of Representatives. The cutting down
Of the Republican representation from
Missouri. however, forced him to re-
linquish the place since which time he
has resumed the editing of his excel
lent country paper at Crawford.
There is a messenger seated at near
ly every committee door at the Capitol
these days. That is because nearly
every committee has some conference
on over the bills that have passed both
Senate and House and agreements
must be adjusted speedily or the entire
legislation will be lost. Over in the en-
rollment rooms the clerks are working
night and day to keep abreast of the
avalanche of bills that are constantly
rolling in upon them. The force of men
at the Government Printing office is
also working night and day to get out
the printing on parchment of the meas
ures that Congress completes.
Senator Hale was practically the last
of the big Senate chairmen to ring
in this year with his big supply bill
appropriations for the navy. That
was because the House was so long in
getting the bill ready and passing II.
The House committee took several
weeks in preparing the bill, which car
ries a total of over $S0,000,000 but when
Mr.. Hale's committee found time for
meeting they closed out their work on
it in a little over a day. No unneces-
sary delays were had and the day after
it was reported Senator Hale brought
it UP and had it passed with little
trouble or debate.
Every year the Maine Senator ex-
emplifies anew his proficiency in
harding the big appropriation bills,
without stirring up voluminous de-
bate. He and Senator Allison are the
two experts of the Senate in plotting
appropriation bills and they handle all
of the larger bills of that character.
Gov. Burleigh has been taking
a lively part in the fight on the ON
nibus public building bill, which it
was decided to renew in the House,
after the events of some days ago
which included the passage OF the Dill
by the Senate. 1t was believed the Dill
would be passed by the House, if at
all, in exactly the same form as 1t
passed the Senate. But Chairman
Mercer, Gov. Burleigh and others put
their heads together to devise some
plan by which the sites for new public
buildings, including that at Portland.
might yet be gotten into law and they
decided to make try of it. Speaker
Henderson has been fighting the omni-
bus public building bill. although Mr..
Cannon, the prospective speaker OF the
next House, is for it. Gov. Burleigh
was one of the leaders in the House in
putting forward the program to pre-
vent the adoption of sweeping rule
as to the transaction of public busi-
| ness for the remainder of the session,
unless that rule should include pro-
visions to allow committee amend
ments to the public building bill to
be considered. The result was that
promise was obtained that the public
buildings bill should be given consid-
GRAFTON. 1t was taken UP Saturday
night and passed by an overwhelming
vote. AS it passed the House ~
includes 100000 for the Portland
site increase Bar Harbor and Calais
| from $4,000 to $4,000 each and pro-
vides for more land for the Augusta
building.
Representative Littlefield is pleased
with the recent decision of the SUI
preme court in the lottery cases, noted
| in the press dispatches. That de-
cision supports very strongly the pro-
visions of his anti trust bill. about
which, with some lawyers there was
some doubt on the question of consti-
tutionality Mr.. Littlefield himself was
always cautious about asserting that