The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-20
SENATE D|SPOSES
 IF PANAMA BILL Report of the Conference Con-
 mittee is Adopted ISSUE HAS BEEN RAISED Senate Not Pleased With Action of House In Taking Exception to
 Separating Bond Pro-
 vision.
ISSUE HAS BEEN RAISED


 Washington, December 19.-The Senate today accepted the report of the confer ence committee on the Panama canal emergency bill and thus, so far as 1t is concerned. finally disposed of that meas ure.
 The acceptance of the report was pre- ceded by a brief discussion of the res toration of the bond provision to the ap- propriation bill and of the action of the House in resenting the senate's action in separating those two questions.
 Speeches were made by Messrs. AL drieh, Spooner and Teller, all expressing the opinion that the Senate had not con travened the constitutional provision re- quiring that all revenue legislation shall originate in the House.
 The House message was referred to the committee on finance, with instructions to report on the Senate prerogative in- volved in the question.
 Several minor bills were passed dur ing the day
 The Senate began it's session today by passing bill for the relief of a dead man, the late Lieut.. William H. Hugo, who was cashiered in 1881, as MT. Pet tus, who represented the bill, said. for the offense of being "tipsy at roll call The Senator said the bill had passed the Senate every session since he had been a member.
 At 12;45 the Senate went into executive session.
 At l:l0 D. m. the doors were reopened. and after passing bill establishing a fish cultural station took a recess for half an hour in order to afford time for Inc eonferees on the Panama canal ap- propriation bill to complete it's work.
 Reported on BllI.
 When the Senate resumed business MT Allison from the conference committee presented the report on the Panama bill. Commenting on the report, MT. Allison called attention to the fact that the lam guage of the provision relating to bonds as agreed upon is similar to that of the iuhnihg act Of 1900, and he said that in- asmueh as that bill had originated in the Senate he was surprised to hear that the House had taken exception to the senate In separating the bond provision rom the bill itself He related many other instances to show that such meas ures In which there are not considered revenue bills. He added the opinion that If this question Is to be raised as between the two houses it cannot be properly raised by one house alone The matter must be considered by both bodies to secure proper adjustment.
 M. Spooner also defended the action Of the Senate, saying that the original provision was obscure and capable of mis- interpretations Tt is not a difference of opinion as to etiquette, but the suggestion of the House is challenge of the power of the Senate" he said.
 Question of Function.
 If the House is wrong. the Senate has no right to yield" he continued, "and if right, the Senate should give heed for it is important that each body should keep within the scope of it's own func- tions. He dwelt in this connection upon the possible entanglement growing out of such encroachments and without men, tioning any state, said he had read in the papers today that governor had de- termined who should be speaker of the house of representatives in the state. Such case as this he characterized as treason to our constitutional system" He contended that in the case at issue the House was wrong.
 of the House Is right then the Senate is deprived of legislative function which it has exercised from the foundation of the government" he said and added that the Senate would be greatly weakened by following such construction
 MT. Spooner commended the course of tho Senate conference committee incor- porating its own bill in the canal measure and gave notice that he would later move the, reference of the House communication to the committee on finance for full in -yestigation. Mir Elkins suggested the con- struction of the canal should be placed under the control of the engineers of the army.
 MT. Teller said that the Senate conferees had not surrendered any of the amenda- tory powers of the Senate but that the emergencies were such that 1t was thought wise to yield to the House demand for the consolidation of the two measures in one MT. German asked If the committee on appropriations had accepted the construc- ton by Secretary Taft, that If the bonds were voted the President would have the right to enter into a contract for the ex- penditure of the entire sum without fur ther action by Congress in the way of ap- propriations. MT. Allison replied that ,,n der the Spooner law that was a disputed point, but that the pending bill provided that In the future there must be appro- priations before contracts can be entered into. The conference report was then agreed to and on motion of MT. Spooner the message from the House was referred to the committee on finance with fnstruc- tions to present the report on the subject. The Senate then at $40 adjourned.
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