The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-02
Arnendnentto Rivers and Harbors
 Bill Passes Senate
BILL NOW HAS GOOD CHANCE
Senator Penrose May Be the Man Who VIII Use Every Effort to k..l the Meas
 ure.
BY PATTERSON sTEALEY.

Washington. March 1.-(Special) )-Rf D. resentative Underwoods amendment to the rivers and harbors bill offered by Senator Pettus, wcs adopted by the Sem ate today The amendment was amended So as to strike out the $5OO0 and simply authorize the survey, regardless of what lt may cost The amendment is as fol- lows:
 Survey for Mobile bar, near Fort Nor gan, dredging and widening channel across said bar to 1000 feet width and thirty-fve feet depth and channel from the thrty-five foot curve in the lower bay or fleet to Little Dauphin island. 16,OOO feet long, 45O feet wide at top and thirty-five feet deep, including a ba- sin at west end of said channel 2O0O feet wide and 15OO feet long and thirty-fve feet deepp
 The Senate also adopted this amend ment of Senator Morgan. giving L. NJ. Tisdale right to construct a canal from Mon Louis island through Mobile bay between Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines.
 The $200,000 committee amendment for the Coosa went through as reported.
 It is considered almost certain that the amendment will be stricken out in conference.
 The Alabama senators cannot insist upon it's retention as the state already ls so well taken care of in the bill.
 Went With a WhirI.
 Things went with a whirl at the capitol today and when the Senate and House adjourned tonight the conference commit tee was king. Practically everything is In his hands. The House mas passed every regular appropriation bill and all most tho same status prevails in the Sem ate. Of course there has never been any doubt of the passage of all the regu- lar bllls but the Senate today surprised itself. and did more work than 1t had done in two weeks.
 The rivers and harbors bill passed the Senate almost without amendment. The conferees have been appointed and will get to work early tomorrow morning.
 The interest of Congress is now almost entirely concentrated upon two features of legislation, the rivers and harbors bill and the statehood bill Both arc in conferences, and the Senate and House managers are struggling the one against the other to compel a recession from respective amendments.
 Tonight the situation with regard to the two measures remains practically unchanged The chances are still de- cidedly against the statehood bill while in the case of the tremendous pork measure for improving the rivers of the country members of the conference com mittee say the situation is better than 1t has been during this Congress. While this measure Is still in great doubt the opinion is entertained before the mem bers of the committee that it will get through in some form.
 Penrose Must Be Considered.
 Locked in the interests of bot. state- hood and river improvement Is Senator Penrose of Pennsylvania He Is stand ing factor in the final disposition of the two bills
 T. the rivers and harbors bill. the Sen ate added big appropriation for the Dell aware river. Chairman Burton of the House side will not stand for it. He Is reported to have so informed the Penn sy,vania senato,' and also told him that he was going 10 do his best to knock the appropriation out. Penrose Is indlg- nant. and says the appropriation is going to stay In. He talks very much in earnest. and may conclude tS become another Tom Carter. who fcur years ago talked through adjournment one of the most lus- cious rivers and harbors measures ever reported from n. Senate commerce coni- r1.ittoe And there are others. for, &C., cordlng to report, the Tennessee senators. especially the junior. Senator Carmack. are lnsistent that the si00000 for the lower Cumberland stay in the bill. Burton Is against it. and will not yield without a terrific struggle. It is believed the con- ference committee will report against the Cumberland amendment. Then Senator Carmack may have something to say, and 1t may take him SO long to say it that the session will have expired before tho conference report can be agreed upon. But at this stage of the proceedings t is all guess work.
 As stated last night. Senator Penrose. through his friend Buck Andrews. the delegate-elect from New Mexico. and can didate for the Senate from that proposed state, holds out against any conference report from the statehood committee that does not admit New Mexico, thus joining hands with Speaker Cannon and usErpins the powers of the conference committee.
 It Is an interesting situation. and the bill seems doomed.
 Take Up Philippine Tariff.
 It may not be much consolation to the President. but the understanding is that the Senate and House leaders who have so effectually disposed os the Philippine tariff bill will take up the measure at the beginning of the next uession of Congress and report 1t without delay.
 The measure will provide for a tarif of 25 percent of the Dingley rates, a measure similar to that which has been reported to the House.
 It is proposed that this measure when 1t becomes law will stand on the statute books during the life of the Spanish treaty-190S-when free trade will be es- tablished between the United States and the Philippines.
 Under the treaty Spain receives the same tariff advantages in the Philippines as the United States.
 Senator Pettus today called up the Ala bama judicial district bill. which passed the House yesterday. and received its passage. The bill will be approved by