The National tribune., 1906-05-17
THE SPIRIT OF CONGRESS.
Some of the More Notable Pro.
csedings of the Week.
Senate.

Senate.
Monday. May THE entire session
OF the Senate was fristeTed away on one
amendment. that offered by Senator
Foraker. Which shows conclusively
that the Senate does not care as yet to
test the strength of the President by
vote on the Rate bill.
Soon after the session BEGAN Mr. For
aker brought forward his amendment
10 the first section of the bill prohibiting
the issuance of free passes to everybody
except officers, agents, employees and at
torneys exclusively in the service of the
carrier issuing the pass, or to ministers
of religion, inmates of hospitals, elee-
mosynary or charitable institutions, and
imposing a fine of not less than 500
nor more than $4,000 for each Offense.
There was also attached to Mr.. For
aker's proposition a clause regarding
the giving of equal treatment to every
body by the railroads in their passenger
service. Southern Democrats construed
this latter clause to contain a direct
blow at the "jim-crow" car laws in vari-
Gus Southern States, and they Jumped
on it vigorously.
Mr.. Culberson offered a substitute for
the Foraker amendment. which merely
omitted reference to the car service
and his amendment was adopted by a
vote of 3S to 50. The Democrats. of
course, voted soIidly fc. the Culberson
substitute. and with the aid of the fol-
lowing Republicans, were enabled to
defeat the Foraker amendment: Messrs.
Burkett. Dolliver. Frye. Clapp. Kilt
redge, Knox. La Toilette. Long Nelson
Nixon. Sutherland and Warner.
All the afternoon the Senate wrangled
wearily over this point. while Senator
Aidrich was busy placating people for
the Allison amendment. This amend
ment is now the one accepted by the
President. and provides for a broad
court review. The President has laid
down on the Long amendment, which
was considered to be inspired at the
time it was offered by Mr.. Long. and
was called THE Presidents amend
ment"
The newest thing in the Rate war is
that Senator Aldrich may now be con-
sidered as engineering the Rate bill in
the Senate.
The House had a birthday anniversary
on its hands, and being in a particularly
complacent mood made the Speaker
work harder than during any other day
of this session. Some As bills were
passed. The Speaker having reached
his 10th year, the House took pains to
be nice to him, and gave him a rousing
reception when he entered at one min
ute to IL o'clock m. He seemed startled
by the outburst as well as the attend
ance, it being a record-breaker in both
instances, for nearly every seat was
| filled, and the greeting of the gray
headed, gray-bearded Speaker was
something startling. 10 be sure. Mr..
| Cannon almost seemed to hesitate as
the clamor burst upon his ears the in
slant he set foot in the House, but he
emil irary Ii
cine" like a little man. but it was not
very bitter. He bowed and smiled like
the veriest debutante, till the House.
after three minutes, got tired, and hay-
ing worn itself out. got down to busi-
ness.
One of the most important bills
passed, and without word of debate,
was the Littlefield bill to restrict ap-
pea1s to the Supreme Court in habeas
corpus proceedings 1t provides that
from a final decision by Federal
court in habeas corpus proceedings aris-
/ ing out of detention by process issued
| from State Court there shall be no
appeal to the Supreme Court unless
the Court by which the final decision
was rendered or a Justice of the Su-
preme Court shall be of the opinion
there exists probable cause for an ap-
peal and so certifes.
Speaking of the reason for the pas
sage of the bill, which the Committee
/ on judiciary unanimously recommend
ed, Mr.. Littlefield said:
THE purpose of this bill is to cor
rect very vicious practice of delay
ing the execution OF criminals by
grouDdless habeas corpus proceedings
and appeals therein taken just before
the day set for execution. The prose-
cution of the appeal results in delay
of year or two years.
''They are prosecuted without refer
ence 10 merit, and as the statutes now
stand the right to appeal is absolute
Attention has been called to a condi-
ton existing in one State where petit
ton for habeas corpus after petition
and successive appeals from adverse
decisions thereon in the same case had
been prosecuted. involving a purely
factious delay of three or four or more
years.
THAT the delay of execution and
punishment in criminal cases is the
most potent cause in inducing local
dissatisfaction, not infreauently devel-
oping into lynching. is obvious, and it
Is certainly the duty of Congress to
eliminate so far as possible all unnec-
| essary and factioTs delay. and this will
be accomplished by the passage of this
BILL