Congressional News

Senate.- lth day.- Mr. Allen's resolution calling upon the secretary of the treasury for Information as to the number of persons dlrectly afieoted by protectlve duties and by competition wi',h furelgn laborers in the United States was discussed until 12 o'clock. when the tariff bilí ivas taken up. Mr. CJiillinger aro=e with a formidable appearing array of msnuscripts and announced that he was about to glve a history of American legislation on the tariff since the landing of the pilgrlm athers. From this he reail until 2 p. m.,when, aying he had brought the story down to 1840. he gave way to Mr. Dubois, who delivered a arefully prepared speech. Amendments were hen passed lixing the rates on linseed. flaxeed. poppyseed and olive oils. and opium exracte. Then the rate on crude opium created onsiderable discussion. The "compromise" rder was to place it on the free list: Mr. Palmer, of Illinois, said he would like to see the damnable drug excluded altogether; Mr. herman, of Ohio. and Mr. Mitchell, of Oregon, greed withhim. The "compromise" wasagreed o. Opium for smoking reduced from $12 to $6. Ioüse.- The bill passed foi validation of affldavits made before United States commissionrs in all land entries. The joint resolution authorizing an lnvestlgation of the industrial depression was reponed from the committee on labor. Mr. Springer gave notice that he will soon cali up the bill to remit the 10 per ent tax on state bank circulation. Then the íouse went into committee of the whole on he agricultural appropriation bill. An amendment was adopted lncluding the "sheepscab" vith pleuro pneumonía, tuberculosis and other diseases of animáis which the secretary Is authorized to investígate. Anamendment was greed to directlng the president to enter into orrespondence with the authorities of Great Britain for the abrogation or modlflcatlon of he law which requires cattle impurted into Great Britain from this country to be slaughtered at the port of entry and prevents them rom being carried to other parts of the kingdom. An amendment increaslng the approprlaion for the purchase. propagation and dlsribution of seed fiom S130.Ü0Ü to 1160,000 was agreed to. Senate. - 120th day - Mr. Morgan opened the proceedings by oíferíng for reference a resoluion which after rccitlng the existence of the Sherman anti-trusl iuw of June 2. 1892. and the alleged existence of a sugar trust, callea upon hr attorncy-fient-ral for inforniation as to whether any proceedings were pending agalnst such Corporation: if so. what stajie tney had reached: if not. whether in hls opinión, there ras any defect in the anti-tru-t law. The 'jOÓge t&rlff bribery and susar investigation ■esolutloB was presentad and discussed, and ifter being amended was adopted as foliows: Wny.ii t:.. Il haa been stated in the Sun. a newsjaper publisned in New York City. that bribes ïave beun ofiered to certaln Senators tq induce hem to vote ligainst the pending tariff bill: umi, Whereas. It h:-ts also been stated in a signed article in the i'ress, a newspaper published in PhUadelphia. tliat the sugar schedule has een made ip as it now stands ín the proposed amendment in consideration of a large sum of money paid for campiiijn purposes of the Democratie party in ÏKJJ: therefore. be it Ibsolvsd. That a committee of Bve Senators be appointed to Investígate diese onarges and to inquire further whether any contrlbütlons have been made by the sugar trust or any person connected therewith to any political' party for campaign or electlon purposes or to secure or flefeat leftislation or whether any Senator has been or w epeculating in what are known as sugar stocks, during the consideration of the tariff bill now before the Senate. and with power to send for persons and papers and to administer oii'lis. RbsOLTED, further. that said committee ne authorized to Investígate and report upon an.', charge or charges which may be flled before it alleglng that the actlou of any Senator has been corruptly or improperly infiuenced in the consideration of said bill or that any attempt has bf-en made to infiuence legislation. The committee appointed was: Messrs. Gray, Linclsay. Louge, Allen and Davls. The tariff bill was taken up and a íew amendments to the ''h 'ical schedule agreed to. Mr. Harria moved lo Uke a recese lnstead of adjourning in order to continue the legislativo day until action was taken on the bill. This brought on a hot battle which lasted until 10: 30 p. m,. when a compromise was agreed upon to begin dany Besslons at m a.m. eaeh day. house - Among the bilis iavorably reported was one to inquire inlo the feaslblllty of constructie a ship canal from the Great lakes to the Hudson river. In committee of the whole the agricultura! appropriation bill was taken up. Aracmlments vere adopted authorizing the secretar; of agrioulture to investígate the nutritive value of food product; providine for the Inlroductlon of ramie. a Chinese plant resembling silk: providing that per.-ons who should knowingly publirih any false weather forecast or arning should be tined in a surn nnt exceeding ?500 or imprisonment not exceeding 90 days or both; aufhorizlny Ihe seoreniry of agricullure tu inquire as to the feaslbilitv of displaying weather signáis from postal cars. The bill was then passe'J. SENATE.-130th day.-The tariff bill was considered for ive straight hours. The "ohemlcal" schedule was completad and "earth, earthenware und lass wure partlally eompleted wiii.ii "metáis and manufacturera of iron and steel" was nest in order, altlm not touched. Mr. Morgan's resolution calling on the attorney-general for Information as to the existence of a suKar trust in violation of lfiw was adopted. KoUBB.- The legislativo, executive and judicial approprlatlon bill taken up, but the day was tiearly spent in lili- bustering. Senate.- 131st day- But little progress was made on the tariff bill. That portion of the "glass. etc," schedule which was left fiom the day before was agreed to. Mr. Ualiinsur gave an installment of his lengthy speech, and after an executive session the Senate adiourned. House- No session. Sesate.- 13M day- Dull describes It best. The "metal" schedule was taken up halfheartedly. The first amendment was that reported from the tlnance committee plaolng a duty of 40 cents per ton on iron ore. mcludlog manganlferous Iron ore. also the gross or dum from burnt pyrites. Debate followed, partlcipated In by Messrs. Aldrlch. Mills, Chandler. Sherman, Lode. 'est. Butler, JIc ;r. Galllnger and Dolph, of Kansas. Mr. 1 of Kansas, offered an amendment to tri iron ore to the free list. Mr unendment was lost, i to W, Hodbi Tl i appropriation bin in conunittee of the whole. Mr. Hi i i;i.i offered an amend which declared tliat the section whic-h allowed the dooking of members' salarles had heretofore repealed. Mr. Dearmond, ol souri, made a point of order agali st i b.e amendment. The chairman sustained the pnint of order. Mr. i caled from the decisión of the chair, and the decisión of th" cha ■ iled by a vote of 89 to 113. The question tien put un Mr. Haves' amendment deelarinK the statutea repealed which authorized the sergeant-at-arms to deduct froai salaries of member.s for absence. It wafl agreed t ■ . in; to83. Mr. Dookery gave notice thi nay vote would be demanded on the amendment wlK-n the bil] was reponed to the I