The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-05-17
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! CONGRESS-
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The Senate was not in session Satur-
day. General debate on the naval appro-
priation bill terminated with the close of
Saturdays session of the House, one par
agraph of the bill being read in order to
make it the continuing order before the
House adjournment. international arbi-
tration, the reduction of armament, a
carefully prepared address on the achieve
ments of the navy and a defense of the
naval program for 1907, together with a
speech in favor of monument on Kings
Mountain battlefield were the features of
the legislative day. Those who addressed
the House formally were Mr.. Bartholdt
of Missouri, Mr.. Johnson of South Caro-
lima, Mr.. Webb of North Carolina, Mr..
Tirrell and Mr.. Weeks of Massachusetts,.
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In the House Monday forty-ive impor-
tant bills, covering wide range OF SUBJ
jects were passed. The Senate spent
most of its time on a single amendment
to the railroad rate bill, and ended by
adopting substitute instead. The provis-
ion under discussion was Senator Fora
ker's prohibition of the granting of re-
bates, passes, drawbacks, special passen-
ger rates, or determinations in accommo-
dations to railroad patrons paying equal
rates. Senator Culberson finally secured
the adoption of the following substitute:
'"That no carrier engaged in interstate
commerce shall directly or indirectly issue
or give any free ticket, free pass, or free
transportation to any person except to the
officers, agents. employees and attorneys
exclusively in the service of the carrier
issuing the same, or to ministers of re-
ligion, inmates of hospitals, eleemosynary
or charitable institutions. Any carrier
violating this provision shall be deemed
guiltz of a misdemeanor, and shall for
each offense pay to the United States a
penalty of not less than 500 nor more
than $4,000"
The House devoted Tuesday to the ma
val appropriation bill and accomplished
the reading for amendment of the first
fifteen pages. Several topics were dis
cussed, including the difficulty of obtain
ing enlisted men in the navy, the location
of the naval training station on the great
lakes, the cost of smokeless powder, and
finally the unnecessary expenditure OF
100000 year fer chains for ships. This
last matter was under consideration when
the House adjourned. Aside from few
minutes devoted to the reception OF the
Allison amendments to the railroad rate
bill and half hour given to routine bust
ness. the Senate devoted its entire ses-
sion to the Intellectual consideration OF
the Elkins amendment prohibiting COM
mon carriers from engaging in mining
coal or in the production of other COM
modities in competition with shippers, and
adjourned in a state of great confusion as
to the exact subject before it.
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Nearly the entire time of the House
was taken up Wednesday by two PROPOSE
tions-first, whether the Navy Depart
'ment should go into the open market and
purchase anchors, chains and cordage, or
continue to manufacture these articles.
and second, whether the cost OF transport
ing coal from Atlantic and gulf ports to
the Philippine Islands, in American bot
toms, should be limited to 50 or 50 per
ton. Mr.. Grosvenor's substitute amend
ment giving the Secretary of the Navy
the right to purchase in free markets
should il be demonstrated that this could
be done more cheaply, was adopted, 80 to
76. The reading Of the naval bill was
continued until adjournment. s The Sen
ate spent the greater part of the day
again in the consideration of the question
of divorcing the production of coal and
other commodities from their transporta-
tion. and closed that branch of its work
by adopting a modified provision formally
offered by Senator Elkins, but originally
suggested by Senator McLaurin.
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The Senate Thursday completed the
consideration of the second section of the
railroad rate bill, and just before adj
iournment listened to the reading of sec
tious 3 and 4. The following amend
ments to the bill were agreed upon Re-
storing the imprisonment penalty of the
act of 1887; imposing penalty OF fine
and imprisonment against shippers who
secure rebates from transportation COM
panies; giving government business the
preference over all other traffic in time OF
war The naval appropriation bill again
was before the House, and an amendment
adopted providing that shells and projec-
tiles for the navy, after June 80, 1905,
shall be purchased in the open market.
Amendments designed to enlarge the navy
yards at Washington and Pensacola were
defeated.
After passing 800 pension bills the
House devoted most of the rest of FRI
days session to consideration of point
OF order against new steel floating dock,
provided for in the naval appropriation
bill. The chair finally held the point of
order we'll taken. The Senate, by vote
of % to "a, practically a party ballot
disposed adversely of Senator Bailey's
non-suspension amendment applying to in
terstate commerce commission orders, as
covered by the railroad rate bill. Senator
Rayner's amendment. combining court re-
view to constitutional questions, was also
voted down.
National Capital Notes.
viscount Aoki, recently appointed first
ambassador of Japan to the United
States, has been presented formally to
the President.
Lieut.. Leigh c. Palmer, attached to the
battleship Missouri, has been selected TO
represent the navy at the puptials Of
King Alfonso at Madrid in June. Lieut..
u. S. Grant Ill. corps Of engineers, had
been previously selected to represent the
United States army at the same occasion.
The House committee on territories de-
cided to make a favorable report on two
bills by Representative Cushman of Wash
ington, regulating fishing in Alaska. One
bill, prevents aliens from fishing in Alas
kan waters, and is said to be aimed espe-
cially at the japanese.
President Roosevelt has signed the bills
passed by Congress making an extra ap-
preparation of 100000 for Mare Island
navy yard, at San Francisco, and making
an appropriation of $4,000 to meet emer-