Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1904-04-16
THE FIFTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS.
Bill Passed Allowing Original Papers In
Land Office Used as Evidence.
GOTH DAY.

With the postofice appropriation before the
senate nearly all day the debate was about the
general land laws, but centralized upon the
bill to repeal the desert land act and the com
mutation clause of the homestead act
Amendments We're made to the postal bill
to provide for the transfer of the free delivery
service from the Office of the fourth assist MT
to the first assistant postmaster general Sen
ator Fairbanks presented an amendment pro
viding $50 1000 to purchase a site for an addi-
ton to the general postoffice.
An attempt was made and defeated by the
house to suspend the rules and consider the
S475,DU0 appropriation for the Lewis and Clark
centennial at Portland, Oregon.
The military academy appropriation was
taken up and another string of political
speeches followed not germane to the bill.
The bill was passed authorizing the recorder
OF the general land office to issue certified
copies Of patents, records, books and papers,
such copies to be valid in evidence.
Mr.. Miller (Kas.) has broken the record
while presiding over the house by the passage
OF 1l6 pension bills in forty two minutes.
9lsT DAY.
The senate agreed to some amendments sug-
gested by committee to the postOffice bill; one
one of which was Senator Longs amendment
adding % to the force of rural delivery agents
together with another amendment increasin g
the appropriation $1,000 to meet the added ex-
pense.
Senator Quarles offered an amendment
classifying rural delivery routes and fixing a
scale of salaries for agents $3.50, $720 and $3.50,
but no action was taken.
Senator Fairbanks suggested amendment
appropriatlng $4,000 for experimental tele-
phone delivery of special delivery mail in con-
nection with the rural free mail service.
Mr.. Prince GILL in vigorous speech pre-
dicted friction between the general staff and
the secretary of war. This occurred while
the military academy appropriation was being
debated. That bill was passed without amend
ment.
The house joint resolution was passed ex-
tending the invitation of congress to the inter
parliamentary union for the promotion of in
ternational arbitration to visit. the, United
States, and appropriating $4,000 for their ex-
penses and entertainment
A bill was passed to relieve obligers on bonds
given to the United States upon the exporta-
ton to the Philippine Islands prior to Novem
Der 20, lUOl, of articles subject to internal rev
enue tax; also amending the laws in relation
to the collection of revenues.
92ND DAY,
Senator Hepburn spoke the subject of
pure food contending that a very large pro
portion of foods, drugs and liquors were adul-
terated, and that many drugs were absolutely
poisonous.
Several senator's discussed the amendment
for grading salaries ofrural free delivery car
riers, which was finally declared to be out of
order. The committee amendment bearing
on the salaries of carriers ond regulating their
This gives carriers the right to accept and de-
liver orders for merchandise and subscriptions
to newspapers but are prohibited from discrim-
nation against any merchants and publishers
The house passed seventeen bills relating to
the District of Columbia; also the Bowman
omnibus Dill, Un0
payment of small claims; agreed to the con-
ference report on the Notifications bill. The
Alaska delegate bill was taken up and Mr..
Cushman tWash.) presented the necessities of
that territory for representation in congress
93RD DAY.
The senate listened TO eulogies on the late
Senator Hanna. The galleries were well filed
and the speakers had close attention.
Those who spoke were Senators Foraker,
Scott, Cockrell. Platt tCt.l, Cullom, Blackburn
Elkins, Fairbanks, Daniel, Perkins, Depew,
Beveridge, Dolliver, Kearns and Dick
The senate adopted the amendment submit
ted by Senator Long TO the postal bill increas-
ing the number of rural agents to be employed
in establishing rural free delivery routes from
"a as fixed by the house to l00
Senator Bailey introduced the Stephens bill
making an approximation for building. equip