Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-05-20
CONGRESS IN SESSION.
In the Senate.

In personal explanation to the SEN
ate on the 18th, Senator Piles of Wash
lngton dIsavowed any responsibility for
the appointment of Richard A. Ballinger
as commissioner of the general land office
or later as secretary of the interior. This
action resulted from limitations in the
Balllnger-PinchOt investigation that Mr.
Piles had Influenced the appointment in
the interest Of the Cunningham coal
claimants. Senator Simmons of North
Carolina spoke in favor of the Dixon
long and short haul clause, after which
the railroad bill was laid aside. The
theory that the President may withdraw
from entry the public lands without au-
thority Of Congress was cOmbatted by
Senator Borah in an extended argument.
The Senate on the 18th reached an
agreement to begin voting at o'clock
on the 18th on the long and short haul
amendments to the railroad bill, and to
meet daily at IL o'clock, beginning
Monday. The voting agreement for to-
morrow provides that all amendments
relating to the long and short hand shall
be disposed Of before the end of the
legislative day, but the understanding
does not preclude the taking of recess
from one day to another in case the
amendments should require more time
that can be given them tomorrow. All
OF the speeches of today were in support
OF the Dixon long and short hand amend
ment- Ihey were made by Senators
Clapp, Smoot and Nixon. The Senate
passed the House omnibus lighthouse
bill, which, after receiving the consider
atiOn OF conference committee will
go to the President for his signature.
The feature of the consideration of the
administration railroad bill in the Senate
On the 10th was the vote taken on an
amendment by Senator Cummins to
strike out the sections of the bill to pro-
vide tor the establishment of a commerce
court. This was defeated by vote of
% 10 81. The affirmative vote was cast
chleHy by Democrats and ''insurgent''
Republicans. A number of other amend
ments were offered to the sections. but
all OF them were defeated
The provision of the railroad bill for
an extra allowance of $1,000 a wear to
members OF the proposed court of com
merce over the allowances of circuit
court Judges was stricken out by the Sen
ate on the 18th. The greater part of the
session was devoted to a discussion of
the Cummlns amendment making the in
Iefstate commerce commission the de-
iendant IN all cases in the courts grow
ing out of orders of that commission.
but no action was taken.
In the House.
In the House the entire session on
the 18th was taken up by the consider
alton of bills affecting Indian lands.
In the House on the 10Th Representa-
tive Payne of New York delivered an
extended defense of the Payne- A ldrich
tariff bill, arguing that the recent adj
vance In the cost of living was not due
to that legislation Representative Gov
Of Ohio spoke, denouncing conditions in
national military homes.
The 10th being unanimous consent
ana SUSPENSION day in the House, a large
number OF bills were passed. Among
the more important measures ma sed UaS
a Senate bill providing for a system of
parole for United States prisoners sem
fenced for more than one wear and who
have served at least one-third of their
terms. A resolution, introduced bv Mr..
Henry OF Texas, to change the date of
Transformation Of the President from
March until the last Thursday in AnriI
was defeated. Only one vote was lack
ing OF the two-thirds of the House neces-
sary to provide for the submission of q
constitutional amendment for that pur-
pose TO the several states of the Union.
General debate on the sundry civil bill
III the House on the 18th gave an op-
portunlty tor several speeches. Mr..
campbell of Kansas denounced Demo-
cratic tariff revision which. he said was
shown by experiences of the country TO
be disastrous. Mr.. Underwood of Ala
bama criticised the President and the
Republican majority of the House for
failure to give publicity to facts gath
cred in connection with the corporation
tax. Mr.. Keifer of Ohio advocated his
plan for an international agreement for
preserving neutrality of the Panama
canal Mr.. Barnhart of Indiana de-
nounced machine politics in general and
the republican party in particular. Mr..
Sisson spoke in favor of legislation
abolishing gambling in cotton futures.