The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-19
77,2a,, ,(2From our Regular Corcspondent.)

(rrom our Regular Corespondent3
l WA SHI INCiTDN, y. c., May 1s.-At
five minutes OF five O'Clock this az
,ernoon.s Senator Frye. president pro
tenlpore of the Senate. declared that the
rate bill had passed that body. There
was no violation OF the rules OF the SEN
ate prohibiting applause, but senator's,
correspondents and spectators drew a long
eigh OF relief that the agony was ended.
one Republican, Mr.. Foraker, and two
Democrats Mcsrs. Morgan and Pettus,
voted against the bill.
The bin will be reported to the House
Monday and will be referred to JOINT
committee of conference. How long II
will be necessary to consider the Dill In the
conference committee cannot be guessed.
/. is not likely however, that great
deal of time will he required. nor at all
likely that important changes VIII De
made.
The fear was expressed by Senator Ray
ner. or it might have been a hope, that
Tho President would again change his
5position on the question OF court reVic"
and stand BY an effort made by Rouse
confcrecs to secure the adoption of an
amendment limiting the right OF review
by the courts
Doubts AS to Constitutionality.
Graver doubts of the constutionality OF
the bill have never been expressed than
were uttered to-day, just prior to the final
passage of the bill Some of the ablcst
iawvers IN the Senate expressed the be-
iief that the action of the Senate to-day
in striking from the bill the words. "as
In its Judgment referring to the act
of the commission In declaring rate,
made the bill unconstitutional. others
declared that 1t was necessary to strike
out these words in order to prevent re
bins being in dcrogation OF the Constl-
tuition Stlll others thought that the
constitutonality of the bill could not be
nffected one way or the other by the
words, and that they were as we'll out
az the bill as III it. And tho Senate
took them out. +
The bill might have been passed sew
eral hours earlier than It was, but sena-
tors wanted opportunity to talk longer,
as though the Senate had not been dis
cussine the proposed measure since the
f,rst week in March, They wanted
last chance to express their views,
Rayner on Roosevelt.
The Senate was about to vote OH the
hi at | 80 o'clock when Mr.. RayHer,
of MARYLAND, took tho floor, and FOR an
hour paid his respects to various Ne-
publican members who had been torenose
In framing the bill. The feature Oh ms
specch was his grave doubt OF he con-
become a law His expressions oi aoupe
as to whether the President would con
tnue to stand for the All con hnlehu,
ment, amused, nut they also set peop'e
to wondering.
Mr.. Dolver followed MI Rayhof' az ~
in the course Of a brief speech decla,u ~
that the President emerged from ti.s
fight with everything he had sci out
TO do accomplished. Mr.. Doliver declared
he proposed to vote for the bill pecau
It was decided step In the direction
of efficient rate regulation. lie protested
however, against this being regarded MS
n partisan measure, declaring that Demo-
cratic senator's had rendered nvaluaple
aid in pcrfectng the measure
"r'here are millions of people In this
country, however," he said, "who will
not blame the President fur having united
his party In support OF so important q
measure"
Then Senators Teller, MoI.aurln, and
Foraker discussed the bill with more or
less brevity, the latter reiterating final
ly his belief that the measure about to
become a law was unconstitutional.
Lafollette's Last Word.
There was flutter of excitement In
//,n,+i,uod on Sacond Jonpel