The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-03-12

WORK OF
CONGRESS

In the Senate Monday Senator William
Alden Smith of Michigan spoke against
the railroad bond feature of the Aldrich
currency bill. Most of the day was de-
voted to the passage of bills on the cal
endar which are not of general import
ance. \ resolution was passed by the
House authorizing the immigration COM
mittee to investigate charges of peonage
i'm certain States. Mr.. Clark of Florida
denounced Assistant Attorney General
Russell, in connection with certain peon-
age prosecutions in Florida and referred
sarcastically to Attorney General Bona
parte. There followed a lively discus
sion over a bill to deport, after the serv-
ing of their sentence, all aliens convicted
Of felony. The measure was defeated.
Four hundred pension bills and a few
other private bills were passed, and some
time was spent in considering the postof-
fee appropriation bill. Mr.. Hepburn of
Iowa introduced a bill imposing a tax of
80 cents per hundred shares on sales Of
stock or agreements to sell.
-
In the Senate Tuesday speeches on the
pending currency bill were made by Sen
ators McCumber of North Dakota and
Newlands of Nevada. The Senate passed
a resolution offered by Senator Tillman
calling on the Attorney General for all
information concerning court proceedings
in the Indian Territory affecting the
Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes. A num-
Der of bills of minor Importance were
passed. The charge that the railroads
of the country carrying mails had robbed
the people of S1O.o00,O00 was made by
Mr.. Lloyd of Missouri. He declared that
the new system of weighing mails was an
admission of the Postmaster General that
the weighing in the past twenty-seveD
years had been fraudulent. He called for
an investigation of the Postoffice De
partment, and Mr.. Wanger of Pennsylva-
MIA, chairman of the committee TO con-
troll the expenses of that department,
promised that an inquiry would be made.
-:
Currency legislation was made the sub
ject of consideration in the Senate We'd
nesday. Senator Hepburn opposed the
Aldrich bill and Senator Hopkins spoke
in support oe the bill. Senator Aldrich
announced that he hoped to have a vote
on the measure the next Wednesday. This
postofice appropriation bill technically
was under consideration in the House,
but the discussion, under license of gen.
eral debate, took a wide range. Specula-
ton in cotton, finance, the tariff and o
number of miscellaneous matters in turn
occupied the whole time of the session,
Mr.. Sims, tennessee. spoke in favor OF
the Burleson bill to abolish dealings in
cotton futures: Mcssrs. CLANCY of In
diana and Lindberg of Minnesota talked
on the financial question. Mr.. Hitch
cock of Nebraska pleaded for the placing
on the free list of wood pulp and print
paper.
Immediately after the opening prayer
the Senate Thursday morning adjourned
out of respect of the memory of the late
Senator Proctor of Vermont, who died
the previous day. Without transacting
any business the House adjourned out OF
respect to the memory of Senator Proctor.
The Senate Friday passed the army
= pay bill increasing the pay Of officers
from ) to % per cent and the average pay
of enlisted men 40 per cent. Mr.. Depew
spoke in favor of the Aldrich currency
bill. The House unanimously adopted a
resolution to investigate the charges
brought by Representative Lilley of Con-
n~ecticut of corrupt influences upon mem
bers of the House naval affairs committee
in connection with authorizations for sub
marine torpedo boats. The bill to pay to
the archbishop of Manila, OF the Roman
Catholic church, 100000 for damages to
church property by the forces of the Unit
ed States was passed.
-
The Senate was not in session Sarur
day. A part of the session of the House
was devoted to the consideration of pri'
vate claims bills. A number were passed.
after which the remainder of the day
was given to e~ulogies of the late Repre-.
sentative Campbell Stemp of Virginia
As a further mark of respect the House
adjourned until Monday.