The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-27
SUNDRY CIVIL BILL
HOUSE PASSES IT WITH FEW AMENDMENTS.
An Amendment Directing Attorney General to Prosecute Steel Cor poration For Absorbing T. C.I.
 Company Was Ruled Out.

Washington, Feb. 26.--The House O | Representatives again today got t, work on the sundry civil appropria ton bill and It's consideration was con cluded before nightfall. th5s e.
 Various increases In salaries provid ed for officers of the board of man agers of national soldiers homes were stricken out on points of order by MT. Macon (ArkD
 The House overwhelmingly voted down an amendment of Mir Fitzgerald | (N. Y.) striking out the provision pro- | hibitfng canteens at national soldiers homes.
 On the ground that it was new leg | islation the chair sustained a point of order against the provision admit ting to national soldiers homes all | honorably discharged soldiers or sail | ors who have seen service in the Philippines. China and Alaska, and it was stricken out
 An amendment by MT. Bartlett (Georgia) directing the Attorney Gen. eral to prosecute the United States Tennessee Coal and Iron Company and appropriating $50.000 for that purpose was ruled out on a point of order by Mir. Tawney.
 A practically similar amendment of fered by Mir. Hitchcock, (Nebraska) was held. to be in proper form and a point of order against 1t by MT. Taw- ney was overruled.
 In speaking to his amendment, MT. Hitchcock declared that the absorp- tiop of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company was gigantic merger, spec tacular and far reaching In its char acter which practically accomplished the purpose of creating a monopoly in the steel interests of the United States" He said that investigation had shown that the panic was not stayed by the merger, but that the Morgan banks forced the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company to the wall in order to secure the interests of a ri- val concern.
 An assertion by MT. Tawney that the amendment was offered simply to provide opportunity for political speeches brought a reply from Mr. Sherley (Kentucky).
 He said that if there is any politics in the proposition, the politics get into 1t by virtue of the action of an executive without warrant of law"
 If there was one indictment that lay against the government, he said 1t was that the laws were not enforced i'm partially against vioiators. whethe CT the action of the President was in good or bad faith. he argued, 1t was taken without rights, and the facts develop ed that the action was not a wise one
 We have heard a good deal about the square deal" he said, but have seen less of it."
 The amendment was lost s1 to 113.
 The provision calling for the pay ment to the Catholic Church in Porto Rico of $120,000 in settlement of all property matters in dispute between the church and the United States, was stricken out on a point of order by MT. Garrett, of Tennessee. On a similar point made by MT. Douglass of Ohio, the paragraph auth orizing proposals for raising the battleship Maine in Havana harbor, went out of the bill, against the appeals of MT. Sulzer, of New York. He said 1t was a national disgrace to continue to allow the wreck to remain. and not take out the sixty-three bodies still in the hulk.
 We would better quit remembering the Maine," exclaimed MT Douglas. The bodies that were not taken out, he said. were not now bodies but food for fishes. To bring their ghastly re- mains home, he continued. would sim ply be to reopen in the hearts of their families a sore which. thank God. Is substantially removed"
 When the provision relating to the Isthmian Canal Commission was reach ed an amendment by MT. Fitzgerald, of New York, cutting down the salary of Secretary Bishop from $1o,o00 to s5 900 per annum was adopted.
 Mr. Fitzgerald advised the House that MT. Bishop was provided with a $11. 900 home, a horse and carriage, and a coachman. and said that $5,OO0 salary was enough.
 The clause authorizing an increase in the amount of Panama bonds from $135. 5.OO0. 900 to $1eO. .00o.o0o under the act of June 2s. 1902, went out on a point of order by MT. Fitzgerald, of New York. The bill was passed