THE WEEKS BILL IN CONGRESS 47 



with the report of the committee on bill as unfinished business. Having s( 

 forest reservations and the protection cured this result, Senator Brandege 

 of game, and the report by the Secre- made the following statement : 

 tary of Agriculture of 1907 on the ex- 

 amination of the Appalachian and White This being the unfinished business, I, a fe 



Mountain watersheds. This made these nu , t , es a e' made a . re q u r e st that the Sena 



r ,1 i j should vote upon it before adjournmen 



documents a part of the record and put There was objection . The sen j ator fro , 



them in printed form before the Sena- Ohio stated that there were other senatoi 



tors on the following day. wno desired to be heard, and he had no idc 



At two o'clock on Thursday, the 23 d, 'jj ^ e ^ ; d p ^ t ,< 



the unfinished business was taken up dent to everybody from what has been g< 



and the bill read. Senator Burton of ing on here ever since we have had this bi 



Ohio at once entered upon obstructive under discussion that it could not be passe 



tactics Senator Brandep-ee nresented at thls sesslon - l am satisfied, and I thir 



' P r every senator on this floor is satisfied, th; 



the bill with a speech m its favor, but it is hopeless, in view of the present situ; 



was subjected to frequent interruptions tion, to press the measure further upon tl 



by Senator Burton, assisted by Senator attention of the Senate at this time. 



Newlands. It became evident very , , In , vl f, w * that fact ' f. nd "<* desiring i 



,.,,.. r block other business on this, the last day < 



early in the discussion that a few sena- the session, I ask unanimous consent th; 



tors were playing for time. upon February 15, 1911, the Senate shall vo 



Following Senator Brandegee's speech, upon all amendments pending or to be offere 



Senator Newlands secured the floor and ^Jfa^stSe 'StLgS?^ 



proposed an amendment to strike out other state or states, or with the Unite 



all after the enacting clause and to sub- States, for the protection of the watershe< 



stitute a bill of his' own providing for of navigable streams, and to appoint a con 



,. T mission for the acquisition of lands for t 



a conservation commission. In support purpose of C0nser 4 ving the naviga biiit y , 



of this, Mr. Newlands made a long navigable rivers," and upon the bill itsel 



argument, some parts of which were before adjournment on that day. 

 more or less pertinent to the question 



which he was supposed to discuss. The During the discussion on the agre< 



discussion of the bill was also inter- men t asked for by Senator Brandegei 



rupted by conference reports at inter- Senator Newlands frankly stated th; 



vals and some of these occupied con- he desired to have matters so arrange 



siderable time. Senator Stone of Mis- that every man who was a friend of th 



souri offered an amendment providing Appalachian proposition would be con 



for the survey of certain swamp lands pelled to vote for the general watei 



in the states of Missouri, Arkansas, and wa y s scheme, which he is interested i 



Louisiana, and his argument on this having embodied in legislation. Sem 



amendment was made somewhat at tors Brandegee and Gallinger bot 



length. stated that they were in favor of er 



Finally, atfer a long-drawn-out ses- larging the commission provided forb 



sion, a quorum failing, the Senate ad- the bill and extending its functions t 



journed at a little after seven o'clock, include at least some of the things de 



On the following day, when the hour sired by Senator Newlands. Finalh 



for unfinished business arrived, the a f ter a long discussion, the request c 



consideration of the bill was resumed Senator Brandegee was agreed to an 



and a desultory discussion followed in the matter was di d f for his 



the intervals of other business. On Sat- , -^ ^ 



i i .. , , ,, sion bv the Senate with that undej 



urdav, when it became evident that the ,. ,.,,., 



filibustering senators would hold their standing that the bill with all amen, 



ground, negotiations were entered into ments that ma > r be proposed in th 



for an agreement to secure a vote at the meantime, shall be voted on before ar 



next session. The House bill, having journment on the i$th of Februar 



passed that body and been sent to the next. This introduces an uncertai 



Senate, was substituted for the Senate element in the form of possible amend 



