The Indianapolis journal., 1903-03-09

NEW LAW MERELY PROHIBITS SALE
OF LIQUOR AT THE CAPITOL.
Prohibition Amendment Put i'm the
Immigration Bill by Mr. Lands as
Result of a Banter.

STAFF Correspondence OF the Journal.
WASHINGTON, March S.-One of the
provisions of the immigration bill that
passed the Senate late in the session and
became law with the Presidents sigma
ture attached March says that no intox-
icating liquors of any character shall be
sold within the limits OF the Capitol build
ing of the United States" No penalty for
violation of the law is provided. and while
penalties are designated for the violation
Of other parts Of the immigration law 1t is
thought to be question whether the new
provision will prove effective IT is sug-
gested that lawyers and judges may have
to struggle with the law to determine
whether any means can be found to pre-
vent the sales and enforce the statute. 1t
was declared day or two ago that drinks
were still being sold at the House end of
the Capitol and that there was no evidence
Of any intention to cease. 1t was claimed
that no notice had been given the pro-
prietors of the House restaurant to discon-
tinue the sales. The House restaurant is
under the direction OF the speaker and the
committee on public buildings and grounds,
but since the adjournment of Congress
there is no speaker and there is no commit
tee on public buildings and grounds. The
clerk of the House is the head officer, and
If anybody at the Capitol has authority to
direct the cessation of liquor sales it is he.
This condition will prevail for the next nine
months. unless by some development of af-
fairs an extra session should become neces-
Sary.
The provision in the immigration bill pro-
hibiting the sale of liquor at the Capitol
was put there in rather a unique way. 1t
went in the bill on motion of Representa-
tive LandS, of Indiana, who offered the
amendment when some member, criticising
| his attitude on the question of saloons at
| immigrant stations (Which Mr.. Lands op-
posed, asked rather banteringly why he did
| not put in an amendment to the bill shut
| ting off the sale of liquor in the Capitol.
Mr.. Lands was game" and sent up the
| amendment at once. 1t has been asserted
| by some that the House passed this bill
with the attached amendment on the theory
that the Senate would, of course, kill IL. On
numerous other occasions the House took
action on this same question in the same
way and the Senate promptly killed the
amendments. This time, however, the sem
ators failed to do what was expected and
the amendemnt was allowed to remain.
XXX
The chief Of the staff of civil engineers
OF the Treasury Department has not yet
commenced the drawings for any of the
Indiana public buildings that are to be
erected outside of Indianapolis. The law
does not allow him to proceed with drawing
the plans until the site has actually been
transferred to the government and paid for.
Thus far but two of the Indiana sites have
been actually turned over to the govern
ment THESE are Logansport and Rich
sites through the office of the United States
| district attorney, and warrants have been
| sent to this officer at Indianapolis.
| Alexander Mcdowell, clerk of the House
of Representatives. to-day made public an
| official compilation made by Tally Clerk
| Wakefield, showing the work done by the
| House during the Fifty-seventh Congress.
| 1t shows that the longest day of the ses-
| sion lasted with recesses IA hours, during
which eighty roll calls were taken. The
number of bills and resolutions introduced
| in the House during the eighty-two sessions
| OF Congress was 1870, on which reports
were made on 2,S1O bills and resolutions.
The Senate sent to the House ,639 Senate
| bills and resolutions. The House disposed
| of 2,41S of the measures originating with 1t,
| and of 1,012 of the Senate bills and reso-
| lutions, making a total of 3,430 bills and
resolutions acted on. Ii left on its calen-
dars 4O5 House and us Senate bills and re-
| solutions. Fifteen of the pembers of the
| House died during the Congress, seven re-
signed and Messrs. Rhea, of Kentucky
and Butler, of Missouri, were unseated,
| the latter twice
| Col. Freeman Thorp has been commits
stoned to paint the portrait of ex-Speaker
! Henderson to be hung in the lobby of the
House of Representatives. 1t is customary
| to have the portrait of each speaker added
| to the collection already in the lobby of
| previous presiding officers of the House.
| XXX
The protocol between Venezuela and
| Sweden and Norway for the adjustment of
the claims of the latter country against
| Venezuela has been completed. The King
| of Spain will name the umpire of the COM
| mission. This leaves only two of the proto-
| coils with the unallied nations to be COM
| pleted, viz, Spain and Denmark, and Mr..
| Bowen hopes they may be signed this week.
| e. A. G..