The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-12-08
ASKS SHAW TO REPORT
WHETHER NATIONAL EXAM iNERS
HAVE DETAILED OF ANY
BANKS SUBSCRIBING.
VOTED FUNDS FOR PANAMA.
BOND POLICY OF TWO PARTIES
OCCASIONED FEATURES FOR
LIMITED DEBATE IN
THE HOUSE.

Washington, Dec 1.-THE subject Of
campaign contributions by insurance
companies occupied the major portion
of the time of the senate today. 1t
came up in connection with Tillman' S
resolution calling for an investigation
of national banks aid in politics and
was exploited by the South Carolina
senator in a speech of some length.
The address dealt with the President S
recommendation for the pun 'shment
of bribery in elections with Senator
Platts testimony for the New York
investigating committee and with
yadous other pertinent matters. 1t
was couched in characteristic Ian
guage and attracted considerable at
tention. The resolution directing the
secretary of the treasury to report
whether the reports of national eX-
aminers show that the banks have
made campaign contributions in re-
cent years was adopted at the close
of Tillman's remarks.
An appropriation of $1l,099,000 was
voted today toward the construction
of the Panama canal. The amount was
a compromise between $16,500,000 car
ried in the bill under consideration
and an estimate of something over
s6,000,0O0 recommended by Williams
the Democratic leader, TO carry on the
work until the middle of January
Hepburn in charge of the bill sug
gested something over $l1,000,000
would carry on the work until March.
There was no intention manifested
10 delay the work, only the argument
for cutting down the original estimate
being that closer scrutiny might be
had of the estimate. The bill was
amended in accordance with the sug-
gestlons by Mann of Illinois, direct
ing the President TO require annual re-
ports from the canal construction Off
GERS covering all detail of the work;
requiring each employe 10 give con
gress any information it may desire
and restricting all expenditures to
money appropriated by congress and
TO that received by the operation of
the Panama railroad.
otherwise the bill was not amended
and contains besides appropriation,
provision for removing the tax dis
ability against the proposed bonds to
be issued for construction of the
canal. thus placing the bonds on a
footing with other government bonds
as available for security for national
bank circulation and to reimburse the
treasury for money appropriated in
the bill. The bond provision in the bin
was the point for the attack of today.
Williams offered several unsuccess-
ful amendments all seeking to aban-
don the policy of issuing bonds for
canal work on the grounds there j.
sufficient available funds in the treas
ury to meet all needed demands for
canal work. Overstreet did not succeed
in amending the bill so that the sl0,-
O00.0 600 already expended in canal con
stuction might be refunded TO the
treasury from the sale of the canal
bonds.
The bond policy of the two parties |
occasioned the features of the debate |
and resulted in limited political dis /
cussions. Secretary Taft accompanied /
by the auditor and purchasing agent /
Of the canal commission. came to the |
capitol and remained available TO give /
any information thar might he asked !
for on the floor. but they were not
called upon.
With the bill out of the way and
no committees appointed to begin con
sideratiOn of the several thousand
measures thar have been introduced
since the session began the house ad-
journed until Monday.