The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1908-12-25
WORK or
CONGRESS-

devoted cnlcny 10 Gn0 I0rmol px09e0t4r
ton Of departmental reports and the
introduction Of bills. The reports have
been made public from time 70 time
and the bills. numbering $50, were
chiefly for the granting Of pensions.
Senator Johnston, Of Alabama, intro
duced q bill to reinstate former Cadets
Rossell and Weaver, dismissed from
the military academy for hazing. He
declared that their punishment wal
excessive and said that every new Sen
ator was hazcd by being given unim-
portant assignments and being restrict
ed In his privileges. For nearly five
house the House considered the bill
providing for the taking OF the thir-
teenth and subsequent d%ecennial Gen.
suses, and passed 1t without material
change.
-:-:
The Senate held . short session
Thursday, during which an agreement
Wal reached for taking up the omnibus
claims bill Monday with the under
Standing that It shall not interfere with
the consideration Of the postal savings
blu or any other measure In which
senators are especially interested. Aft
er q short executive session the Senate
adjourned until Monday in respect 10
the memory Of the late Representative
Charles 7. Dunwell, Of New York. At
no time vas there q quorum In the
House. The legislative appropriation
bill was presented and several bills
passed. among them being q author
izing the removal of the imposition Of
loss Of citizenship upon deserters IN the
military and naval services.
80
The Senate was not In session Fri.
day. In the House the legislative, e.
ecutive and judicial appropriation bill.
which usually excites considerable dig
cussion. lasting for several days, vas
passed with little debate and practi-
cally In the shape in which it came
from committee. An unusual feature
was that no member asked for time to
indulge In general talk. The bill car
ries an appropriation Of $31, $685. SO.
The House. Immediately after conven-
Ing, unanimously and without debate
adopted a resolution providing for the
appointment of a committee Of five to
consider the reference to the secret
service in the Presidents message.
80
The Senate was rot in session Satur.
day. No particular program had been
mapped out, but under a call Of COM
mittees several measures in which the
members were especially interested
were considered. With few exceptions
they engendered the liveliest sort Of de-
bate. Parliamentary tactics were free
~ ~resorted to, with the result that i've
times the roll was called. The first
wrangle occurred on a resolution fixing
the boundary line between the States
Of Colorado, Oklahoma and New Mex
leo, which was adopted by a good ma.
jority, but not without two roll calls.
The House then by a decisive vote r.
fused further to consider the bill pro
vidins for arbitrary settlement Of dis
putes between employers and employees.
Next the bill providing for the protec-
ton Of aliens in the United States was
thrashed out at length. The measure
had rough sailing. and 1t was passed
by a slim majority after the roll had
been called twice.
.:-:
The Brownsville affair consumed
nearly the entire session Of the Senate
Monday. Senator Foraker obtained the
door early and read letters from q for
mer soldier Of the twenty-five regi-
ment telling Of the procedure Of gov
eminent detectives in attempts to get
q confession from him. Mr.. Foraker
inal bill for the re-enlistment Of these
soldiers providing that a commission
Of three retired army officers be Gre
ated to determine whether discharged
soldiers are innocent of completely In
the shooting up of Brownsville 40 q
prerequisite for their reinlistment, in
stead of leaving that duty with the
President. as provided by the Warner
bill. The Presidents message giving
the results Of the War Departments
investigation of the Brownsville affair
was read and Mr.. Foraker again took
the floor to comment upon the mes
sage. While considering bills dealing
with affairs In the District Of Column
bia the House passed a measure for
SJ-cent gas in Washington. The by
pow goes to the Senate. rs well as an
other bill abolishing bucket shops in
the District. A bill providing for free
lectures In the public schools was voted
down. An attempt by Representative
Henry OF Texas to obtain q change In
the reference Of q bill prohibiting the
making of future contracts on agri-
cultural products brought forth the
promise from Chairman Scott OF the
agricultural committee that his COM
mittee would soon grant hearings to
farmers unions and others on this sub
ject. The House voted to adjourn Sat
urday, Dec. 10, to Monday, Jan. 4.