Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-04-10
WORK OF CONGRESS.
Senate.

The passage Of 4 large uumber of bills or
minor Importance and an extended uscue-
sion of a neasure to authorize the dammlhS
Of the Snake river, Washington, occupied the
entire time Of the Senate on the 3Uth inc
session was brought to sudden close ny
lack Of a quoruil, a motion TO adjourn De-
ing adopted at 3:45 p. III.
Nearly the entire session Of the Senate
was consumed in consideration OF a Dill to
permit the building OF 4 dam on the Snake
river, Washington, and an adjournment was
only reached after Mr.. Hepburn OF Idaho
announced that he would not permit a vote
10 be taken the 3lst. During the dis
cussiOn Of the bill Senator Teller made
speech against executive cncroachment.
Several bills Of minor Importance were
passed. AT $50 p. II. the Senate adjourned.
The passage Of bill authorizing the CON
structiOn Of dam across the Snake river in
the state Of Washington, and the cOnSiderd-
ton Of measure for adjudicating he claims
OF states against the government account of
the disposition Of the proceeds Of public
lands, occupied nearly the entire session OF
the Senate on the lSt. The Senate at Ala
O'Clock adjourned.
The session Of the Senate on the 2nd was
largely consumed by discussion of bill to
rcOrganize the public school system in the
District Of Columbia by placing it under
the control Of a director appointed by the
national commissioner Of education. The
bill relating to the settlement of claims of
states On account Of the disposition Of pub
lie lands was again taken up and the Bacon
amendment for settling the accounts Of own
Of cotton seized by the government dur
ing the Civil war, amounting to $J,0OO,0 900,
was considered, but without results, either
on the bill or the amendment. The Senate
at 3:3S p. IN. adjourned.
The Senate was not in session on the Bird
The Senate was not in session on the 18th.
House.
Charges OF a serious nature against Gir-
ford pinChOt chief of the forestry bureau,
were made in the House on the Both by
Messrs. Smith of California and MondelI
of Wyoming, during the consideration or
the agricultural appropriation bill. MIR.
Smith accused him Of entering into a
cret understanding with the city of Los
Angeles with the view to securing to the
city valuable water rights in the Owens
river valley as against the interests of pr
waite parties having prior claims Mr.. Mon
dell denounced him for, as he charged ilIe-
gally paying the expenses of forest officials
bill was under discussion all day. At 5:34
D. IN. the House adjourned.
After having undergone many changes
the paragraph of the agricultural apDropria-
tion bill relating to the bureau of forestry
was finally passed by the House on the 31st
Mcssrs MOndell of Wyoming and Smith
of California continued thelr attacks ON the
bureau, supported by Messrs. BOnynge of
Colorado and Cushman of Washington.
These embraced charges that the bureau
had created timber monopolieS in favor of
large corporations, illegally assumed iuris-
diction over water rights belonging to the
western states, and juggled with figures in
Congress. The apprOpria ton for the in
vestigation of soils was increased The
House at 0.Db y. m. ADJOURNED.
Debate of the agricultural appropriation
bill in the House on the 1St was devoid of
the charges and imputations which marked
it's consideration on Monday and Tuesday.
More progress was made with the measure
than on any previous day, and the indca-
tions are that it will finally get through
on the q Inc discussion dWelt on a pro
position for an increased appropriation for
the farmers bulletins, which, however, was
refused, and the subject of inquiries into
road building, etc. by the department, the
trend of CpiuiOn being that such work should
be encouraged. The session was opened
with bitter attack on Attorney General
Bonaparte 10y Mr.. Clark of Florida, who
denounced him as being no lawyer, and unfit
to hold his office. The occasion for the ut
terrace was the reporting, out of committee
of a resolution by Mr.. Clark calling for
statement OF the expense connected with
peonage Investigations and prosecutions.
That the resolution was simply further
and unnecessary attack on the attorney gen
eral by Mr. Clark the declaration OF
Mr.. Caulfeld of Missouri, who led the OPP
a 40 p m the House adjourned.
Carrying Il total of $11 Dos, SOC, the agri-
cultural appropriation bill was passed by
the House on the 2nd. During the debate a
New York, a Democrat, characterizing as
Bocialistic the bill of Minority Leader VIII
Hams providing for the utilization of the
treasury surplus in the construction and i'm
provement of roads in the several states
With the agricultural bill out of the way,
the Democrats, under the leadership of Mr.
Williams, conducted Il successful filibuster
against the transaction of any further bust
ness. At 1910 p m. motion to adjourn
was forced through by the majority.
The Democratic filibuster in the House
was continued all day on the 3rd. The gag
rule was finally applied to stop the debate
on the district bill. At 6:42 the House ad-
Sourned
BY adopting a sweeping cioture rule In
the House on the 4th the Republicans left
to the Democrats only very limited powers.
No longer can flibuster be conducted
against sending to conference bills with
Senate amendments; no longer can a mo-
ton to close debate be amended or dis
cussed, and no longer can a motion to adj
journ take precedence over motion to
take recess. After the adoption OF this
rule the House resumed its wonted aspect
and business proceeded in an orderly man.
ner. One of the few privileges left to the
Democrats was to force a roll call on ad-
journment and this they did, but to no
avail. the motion carried overwhelming
ly, and accordingly the House at 5:36 p m.
adjourned until the 9th.