The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1907-02-21
WORK OF
CONGRESS


The Senate passed the army appropria
tion bill carrying $S1,600,O0O Monday.
The amendment to permit the govern
nient to accept reduced rates on army
supplies and officers and enlisted men to
accept reduced transportation was defeat
cd by point of order. An amendment
increasing by 20 per cent the pay of Off
ceys ami enlisted men also was defeated
ty point of order Amendments were
excepted to build monuments to Revolu-
tionary officers, as follows: To General
John Stark. an equestrian statue at Man
chester, y. H., $4,000: statue to Gen
crai Nathaniel Green ut Guilford Court
House, n. c.. $1,000: statue to Gen.
e-al James Schrivner at Midway, Ca, So,-
600. Senator Carter secured the adop-
tion Of an amendment placing William III.
Crook on the retired list as major. Mr..
Ciook served as private through the
Civil War and ever since has been en-
ployed as clerk at the White House.
Senator Berry presented an argument for
the expulsion of Senator Smoot on the
ground that the Mormon church advo-
Gates the doctrine of polygamy, and held
that the Senate could exclude any Senator
by a majority vote. A special message
was received from the President urging
the enactment of bill to grant white
persons who have intermarried in the
Cherokee Nation sixty days in which to
dispose of improvements on lands from
which they have been dispossesed. Bills
relating 10 the District of Columbia were
considered in the House. In committee
of the whole the House went on record in
favor of a fiat 4-cent street railway fare,
with a PROVISION for eight tickets for %
cents. in the District of Columbia. but in
the House the amendment was declared
defeated. Thereupon the point of mo
uuo, um" was made, and the House at
5:tO p. m. adjourned. During the ses-
sion the Indian appropriation bill was
sent to conference, the House managers
being Sherman of New York, Lacey OF
Iowa and Stephens of Texas.
80
The Senate occupied Tuesday in argu-
nent on the bill granting the government
the right to take an appeal on points OF
law in criminal cases. No action was
taken on the. measure. The District OF
Columbia appropriation bill. carrying
S1O.724532. an increase of S6S7 ,29S over
the amount as passed by the House, was
reported and notice has been given that
the bill would be put on its passage We'd
nesday. The new Santo Domingo treaty
was received from the President. After
the passage of number of bills under
unanimous consent, the House in commit
tee of the whole considered the naval ap-
preparation bill. While the bill was un-
der consideration Mr.. Slayden of Texas
made an address in which he declared the
rumored danger of war with japan as
ridiculous. The army appropriation bill.
the Notifications appropriation bill and
the omnibus light house bill were sent to
conference.
The Senate Wednesday passed the bill
giving the government the right to appeal
to the Supreme Court for construction
of the constitutionality of any law in
volved in criminal suit. The District OF
Columbia appropriation bill, carrying
nearly $11 100000, was passed. The bill
establishing an agricultural hank in the
Philippines was taken UP, and the Philip
pine tariff bill. which passed the House
at the last session, was interposed as an
amendment by Senator McCreary. No
action resulted on either the bill or the
amendment. The conference report on
the immigration bill was received and
read, but action was deferred. A message
from President Roosevelt urging consfd-
GRAFTON of legislation affecting the public
lands was received and read. The first
night session of the Senate during the
present session was held to consider pri-
yate pension bills. The House consid-
cred the naval appropriation bill. The
appropriation for a steel floating dry dock
to cost not exceeding $1,400,0O0 was
stricken out on a point of order by Mr..
Mann of Illinois. After completing forty
five pages of the naval bill the House ad-
iourned.
An attempt in the Senate Thursday to
force action on the conference report on
the immigration bill, carrying an amend
ment designed to settle the japanese con-
troversy, resulted in flibustering move
ment headed by Senators Bacon and Till
man. A truce was finally declared until
Friday. The agricultural appropriation
bill gave rise to considerable discussion
on the proposed increase in the salary
of the chief of the forestry bureau. No
action was taken. Senator Knox made an
address in defense of the right of Senator
Smoot to his seat The naval appropria-
tion bill occupied the entire time of the
House, and it was almost completed. The
single remaining section is that increasing
he naval establishment.