The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-12-22
LIVELY TIMES AT the CAPITAL.
The San Domingo Dcbatc---Amncsty
in the House.
Extraordinary Talk by the President
and his Attaches about Mr.. Sum.
ners.Sumner Threatened with
Personal Violence.
FOrney Declines to be a Dog.
SAN DOMINGO IN THE SENATE.


WASHINGTON, D. G., Dec. 90.
The contest in the Senate to-day over
San Domingo was exceedingly earnest in
character. What was said in debate waS
but part Of the matter. The side confer.
CnCCs among Senators, and the activity
displayed among the desks by friends Of
MOrtOn's resolution, and the care with
which they watched the temporary ab.
sencc Of Senators Oh their side, so us to
summon them by pages ut every vote,
showed deeper interest in the subject
than is often seen on the floor OF the Sem
ate. There was quito u struggle over the
motion to tukG up the resolution, Morton.
Thaycr, Howard, Chandler, C0nkling,
Carpenter and Kellogg beng active sup.
pOrters Of the motion. On the first test
vote Carpenter, COnliling and Chandler
showedtheir anxiety by going to the desk
and overlooking the Clerk rs lie called the
roll. When the list was finished, these
Senators procured copy, and going to
MOrtOnS desk, Ind m earnest ConSulta'
ton and compared notes. Chandler fur
thCr made himself conspicuous by going
around the Senate 10 several members, rs
Howard, Nyc and Thaycr, and exhibiting
his list witllG considerable degree Of salts
faction.
Mr.. Sumner, ut the outset OF the dis.
CuSsiOn, showed himself to be IL more for
midNblc opponent to the new scheme than
its friends had counted upon. Before he
had spoken five minutes he was inter
rupted by several OF the unnGXNtiOnists on
1NNi1Niu nc which
were sustained by the Chair. Beginning
by stating what his resolutions Of inquiry
called for, and in answer to IN absurd
statement Of Howard that the report OF
his special committee last session con.
tanned all the information Sumner now
asked for, he said that he wanted the two
conventions upon the basis Of which the
President had negotiated the treaty; also,
copy Of the Dominican Constitution, by
which it would appear that the public
domain Of that Island could not be trans.
lcrrcl. Hc wanted copy of the treaty
with France, which would show that
Dominica was bound in IL largG sum to
Hayti lie wanted also mass Of Official
documents, part of which he had read in
the Navy Department and the character
of the rest Of which he knew, and knew
10 be such that the country End Senate
should know their contents. He init
mated in plain and pointed terms that
what he desired to have furnished was OF
great Significance, and such us the Senate
could not afford to act on without en-
amining.
Morton and all acting with him were
very uneasy under Summers explanation,
and tried during his speech Intellectually
to get vote without further debate.
Sumner closed his remarks by stating
that while his resolution simply called for
that documentary information which
would enable the Senate to act intelli-
gently, Morton's proposition, If adopted,
would commit Congress to the policy "l
annexation. ... ..
The vote to take up M0rtOn's rcs0lu-
ton, which Immediately followed MIR.
Summers speech, was successful, the vote
standing yeas SO, nays II. Immediately
upon the announcement OF this result,
Senator buckingham moved to refer the
resolutions to the Committee on Foreign
Relations. On this motion Senator Sum-
ncr demanded the yeas and nays, and
here the discussion again brOnclcd ont.
Mr.. SchurZ proceeded to show the utter
impractibility OF the resolutions sub
mitIcd. lie stated it to he IN utter impOs-
sibility to attain the objects called Tor in
the resolutions, IL they were sincere, in 50
short time. He was Of the opinion
that the whole thing was humbug, aud
he proceeded to ridiCulC the report which
would be forthcoming in sixty days nc
COrling to Senator MOrON's assertions, in
n very effective manner. .
Senator Thurman struck the SAME
vein, and rung the changes on what might
be expected in the theological, geological,
physical, moral, and intellectual report Of
the condition It the people after Two
months observation, He stated that
Congress cNnnotby joint resolution an
mex territory except as State. II was
only in this doctrine that Texas was ad.
miIIcd, and it was not his opinion that
the people Oftho United States were ready
to erect San Domingo into IL sovereign
State. InNslnuch rs tho Senate had once
refused to ratiiy the treaty Of annexation,
he believed it to be qualification on its
part to take any further steps in the mat
Ter. lie could sec no use Tor the commits
sion unless annexation was to follow. lie
considered the worst feature OrthC rcsOlu.
ton TO be that the commissioners therein
mentioned were to receive no compensa-
ton. la I'D
Mr.. Morton Immediately suggested that
they were to he officers Of tho Govern
ment already in its service and pay--per.
haps members Of Congress- This slug,
gesliun had most unfortunate elect, and
was ridicucd from one end Of the Senate
to tho other-even by those who were
friendly to MOrton's measure. This fca.
turc was discussed the balance OF the ait.
ernOOn, greatly to tho discontinue 0l the
friends Of tho measure. In spite Of all Ct.
forts to the Contrarya motion to adjourn
was carried, and the vote on the reference
of the resolutions to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs was postponed until to-
morrow. 1t Is tic intention Of the friends
Of Morton's resolution tomorrow to do.
feat the proposition 10 refer to tho Com.
mittcc, and force it toR vote, and to ac-
complish this they assert that they will