The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1908-01-30
WORK OF
CONGRESS
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"~~~~~~~~~~~>~~S A..s
The Senate calendar was cleared of
nearly every bill upon it Thursday, and
the bill to revise the criminal laws of the
United States was taken up and discuss
ed until adjournment. A complete change
OF front was exhibited by the majority in
the House of Representatives in the con-
sideration of the bill to codify and revise
the penal laws of the United States. The
pacific spirit displayed by the committee
on revision of laws, toward the close Of
Wednesdays session, when it appeared as
though the several amendments strength
eping certain provisions of the bill regard
ing corruption in the appointment of per
sons to public Offices would be adopted,
vanished, and instead every inch Of
ground was fought over to keep ameud-
ments out of the bill. When adjourn
mont was taken only six additional pages
had been disposed of and but one or Two
verbal amendments by the committee had
been inserted.
The Senate was not in session Friday.
After passing large number of pension
bills the House at l % p. m. adjourned
until Monday. The penal code bill was
not taken up. .. ..t..
The bill revising the criminal laws OF
the United States was taken up as un-
finished business in the Senate Monday,
and its discussion occupied the greater
part of the session. letter was receiv-
ed from Secretary Cortelyou explaining
his delay in giving the financial figures
which had been asked for. Unrestrained
opportunity to express views on the i'm
migration question was afforded members
of the House by the decision, soon after
convening, to take up and consider = bill
appropriating $250,0O0 for an immgra-
tion station in Philadelphia, and so many
took advantage of it THAT the code of laws
bill, which the managers of the House
had planned to take up, was also side
tracked for the day. The entire session
was devoted to a consideration of the bill,
which was passed.
/ ="
The Senate Tuesday discussed the pro
priety of authorizing one of its commit
tees to investigate the circumstances con-
nected with the issuance of an injunction
in the case of the Hitchman Coal and
Coke Company versus John Mitchell by
Judge Aston G. Dayton of the United
States Circuit Court of the northern dis
trict of West Virginia. Senator Culber-
son asked to have a resolution for that
purpose adopted, and Senator Hale
thought it should not harass judges in
their decisions. and he did not favor
such a resolution unless there was con-
siderable ground for believing that
Judge had exceeded his authority. Con-
siderable time was spent in considering
the bill to revise the criminal code. At
the close of day, of excitement in the
House of Representatives an amendment
was added to the penal code bill making
it criminal offense for any officer or
employe of the government to give out ad-
vance information regarding any crop sta
tistics authorized by law to be prepared.
The original amendment was by Mr..
Burleson of Texas, who made a strong
plea for its passage, but substitute
by Mr.. Sherley of Kentucky with brief
addition by Mr.. Olmsted of Pennsylvania,
was accepted. Earlier in the day interest
attached to tilt between Mr.. DalZiel of
Pennsylvania and Mr.. Randell of Texas
over the latter's amendments prohibiting
Senators or members from being employ
ed by public service corporations. The
climax of the debate came when Mr..
Clark of Missouri announced, amid thun-
derous Democratic applause, that William
J. Bryan would be nominated at the Den
yer convention, while Mr.. Boutell Of
Illinois aroused the members on his side
to a high pitch of enthusiasm by stating
that Speaker Cannon would be the Re
publican nominee. ....
The Senate spent over an hour We'd
nesday in discussing resolution offered
BY Senator Hansbrough of North Dakota
directing the Department of Commerce
and Labor to suspend its investigation
into the affairs of the International Har-
vcster Company, which was ordered by a
resolution over a year ago. During this
discussion Senator Hansbrough declared
that the Harvester trust" is attempting
to control the selection of delegates to
the next Republican national convention
and is especially plotting to defeat him
for reelection to the Senate. The resolu-
tion finally was referred to committee.
The criminal code bill was again consid-
cred for over two hours. Rapid progress
was made in the House of Representa-
tives in the consideration of the bill to
codity and revise the penal laws of the
United States. The only amendment of
any Importance which got through was
one by Ollie James of Kentucky, making
it criminal offense, under heavy penalty,
to falsify government crop statistics, the
object of the amendment teing to protect
the cotton and tobacco growers from
spectators. Over fifty pages of the bill
were disposed of. Except for political
speech by Mr.. Kimball of Kentucky, the
proceedings were monotonous and ut no
time were hundred members in their
seats.