The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-04
Rivers and HarbOrs Bill Back
 to Conference
PENROSE IS THREATENING
Senators May Talk the Measure to Death If the House Does Not Give Money to Dela-
 ware River.

Washington, March S-Ihe last day session of the House before the final ad- journment of the Fifty-eighth Congress at noon tomorrow, found that body al- most through with it's work of disposing of conference reports on the great sup ply measures of the government, and few measures of more or less public im- portance.
 A feature of the proceedings was the general desire of the members to abstain from obstructive tactics, and permit the disposition of business Speaker Cannon wielded the gavel over the entire session. and maintained the best of order. The only subject which gave rise to any con- siderable debate was the conference re- port on the river and harbor bill, in the course of which MT. slbley of Pennsyl- vania attacked Chairman Burton for be- ing prejudiced against a free conference on the question of state aid, and in the Improvement of the Delaware river below Philadelphia. Messrs. Adams and Morrill, and colleagues from Pennsylvania, joined in the attack, the latter declaring that unless the House receded from its posi- tion, two senators would talk the bill to death.
 MT. Burton vigorously defended his att titude, and said that if the Pennsylvania delegation wished to take the responsibil- ity of defeating the bill they could do so. By an overwhelming vote the House re- fused to agree to motion by MT. Slbley to concur in the Senate amendments, and the bill was sent back to conference.
 Burton Could Not Reply.
 MT. Sibley asked f 1t were not true M. bod to a senator before the bill left the House. saying that if the Senate amend ed the measure, there would be no bill He declined, however, to allow MT. Bur ton to make an explanation on his (Sib- leys) time. Mr. Sibley then reverted to statement said to have been made by MT. Burton the floor of the House that if the House should disagree to the Senate amendments, there would be a bill. This, he maintained, was ind- cation there would not be a free con ference, and he suggested that it would be better for the Speaker to appoint unprejudiced conferees. MT. Sibley said several senators had informed him there would be no bill unless the House reced- ed on the amendments in dispute. This statement was challenged by MT. James of Kentucky, who asked who the inn perial senators were who instructed him (Mr. Sibley) to inform the House of their dctum."
 Mr. Williams made the point of order that the discussion was not within the rules in the reference made to senators.
 Speaker Cannon sustained this point.
 Presented ty MT. Burgess.
 The reference of MT. Sibley on MT. Bur ton were warmly resented by MT. Bur gess of Texas. MT. Sibley, he said, by inslnuation had conveyed a threat by certain senators that they would defeat the bill unless the Senate amendments were agreed to- He prophesied that if that was those men would go out of political life, and he added with bitter ness, "even in Pennsylvania" MT Bur ton, he said, amid applause, was a brave and fair chairman, always actuated by the highest motives, and a man whom the democrats would be proud to see sit ting on their side. Messrs. Adams and Merrill of Pennsylvania were vigorous in their protests against the conferees for holding out against the Senate amend ments the latter boldly asserting that the bill would be talked to death in the Sem ate if the House did not recede.
 MT. Burton threw down the gauntlet to :. the Pennsylvania delegation, and said to them that if they wanted to take the re- sponsibility for defeating the bill, they could do so. The statement that the bill would be talked to death by two senators, he declared, to be a yelled threat to the House. because he had heard of no other outside of those two.
 He detailed the generous appropria- tions granted to Philadelphia in the past, and in the present bill. and defi9ntly call eG on the Pennsylvania delegation to dis pute him. He declared that so long as he was chairman of the river and harbor committed no threat of the loss of the bill would deter him from fair dealing Tt hn cot fa~ haff 10, 1aea bill, than establish the precedent that one man or two men will insist on some- thing unreasonable, and hold up Con- gress
 Prolonged applause greeted him as he took his seat
 The Sibley motion was voted down, 1S9 to 76
 Sent to Further Conference.
 The bill was sent to further conference, Messrs Burton of Ohio, Dovenor of West Virginia, and Lester of Georgia, being reappointed conferees.
 Bills were passed amending the law authorizing the Pensacola, Alabama and Western Railroad company to construct bridges across the Tombigbee river, Miss issippi, across the Alabama river be- tween Clark and Movroe counties, Ala bama ana across the Black Warrior river between Green and Marengo coun- ties. Alabama.
 MT. Kalanianoale of Hawaii. addressed the House on the subject of the leper colonies in Hawaii. in answer to some suggestions made yesterday that one of the islands be used for a national le- prosarium, including patients from the United States He protested against the proposit.on on the ground it would be destructHe to the interests of the terri tory.
 At 5.O3 D. m. the House took a recess until o'clock