Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-04-21
coNeREss.

CONGRESS.
Washington, April 1.-THE Culber-9
/ son amendment to the postoff1ce APP
/ preparation bill, providing for a COM
/ mission to investigate the postoffice
1 department was before the senate all
! of yesterday, and, after being ruled
| out of order, in modified form was
| pending when the senate adjourned.
Mr.. German made an earnest plea for
en- investigation, saying the postofiace
4 department had cast reflections upon
| members of congress and that
4 thorough investigation should be
| hau. Mr.. Aldrich answered that the
amendment as finally modified meant
| nothing; that If an investigation was
| to be had it should be "a live one" He
| said that if any specific charges were
brought in they should be looked into
| by congress, but that the demand
| should not be made part of a general
| appropriation bill Semf-political
| speeches were made by Messrs. Teller
| and Simmons.
-..e house yesterday passed the bill
reported by the committee on rivers
and harbors appropriating 100000
for the restoration or maintenance OF
| other river and harbor improvements.
Washington, April ia sharp col.
| loquy occurred in the senate yester-
day between Senators Teller and
Hopkins growing out of the reading
| by Mr.. Teller of a letter written by
| the late Gen. H. p. Thomas of Chicago
attacking the civil service administers
ton of the treasury department. Mr..
Hopkins took exception to the quoting
| of the letter, and declared that the
Colorado senator would be willing to
accept authority from the slums,"
whereupon Mr.. Teller declined to
yield further, declaring Mr.. Hopkins
reference to the slums to be insulting.
| The incident occurred in connection
| with the discussion of the postotfice
appropriation bill. That measure was
under discussion during the first half
| of the session and was passed, all
amendments offered by the Democrats
being voted down.
| The race question again was injec.
|
of representatives yesterday when Mr..
Scott of Kansas delivered long ad.
dress in which he referred to his pre-.
] vious statement that it was current in
Kansas that ex-President Cleveland
! had dined G. H. j. Taylor, a Kansas
| negro politician. In spirited reply
Mr.. Williams of Mississippi. the mi.
| nority leader, defended the attitude OF
tho South toward the negro and said
that discussion of the race question
4 by the Republicans was al. old game
by which, when the Republican party
found itself confronted with issues
that threatened it's supremacy, it be,
gan to wave the bloody shirt At the
instance Of Mr.. Bartlett of Georgia
letter from ex-President Cleveland
| Cleveland was read, denying that he
| had ever dined negro
Washington, April IA. - Under q
special rule the house yesterday de.
voted itself to consideration of a bill
| amending the law relating to the Phil.
| ippine islands. The provision in the
| bill in reference to the granting OF
railroad franchises and the guaran.
teeing of per cent on the cash CAPT.
| tai actually invested in such rail.
roads was opposed by Mr.. Jones OF
Virginia, who alleged that British and
| Belgian capitalists were ready to
build the roads without such guaran.
tee
The senate began consideration OF
| the bill providing for the govern.
ment Of the Panama canal zone. The
| greater part of the day was occupied
by Mr.. Morgan lin support of amend.
ments offered by himself. None o!
them was accepted and the reading OF
the bill was nearly half completed.
| Washington, April Is. The house
| Of representatives yesterday passed
the Philippine bill, following which
there was an extended debate over
resolution to permit Col. Thomas w.
Symons Of the engineer corps of the
army to serve on the advisory board
! of consulting engineers in connection
with internal improvements in the
State of New York After several
i HeIy SpoeCHSS udu DeeH HfduS, IL Was
adopted by an Overwhelming major.
ity The general deficiency bill was
| then taken up,
The senate devoted the entire day
to consideration OF the bill for the
government of the Panama canal
zone and Mr.. Morgan again occupied
the floor most of the day. The dis.
cussion related principally to details
/ Of governing the canal, but some con.
| sideratioE was also given to Mr..
Hale's amendment requiring the use
Of American bottoms in the conveying
OF canal supplies to the scene Con.
sideration of the bill was not con.
cluded.
| Washington, April i6-After day
l An