National Republican., 1883-01-18

appointment of new commission to sit in
Washington, which shall be authorized to
consider all the evidence presented before the
former commission in respect to claims
brought before it, together with such other
and favorable evidence as tho claimants may
offer; and directs that the moneys now in the
department of State received from Venezuela
on account of tho awards made shall be dis
trlbuted pro rata in payment of those awards.
The joint resolution is accompanied by
voluminous report, which recites in detail
the proceedings of the old commission, and
the reading of which consumed an hour and
q half.
Mr.. Rice said that it was the imperative
duty of congress to consider tho subject of
these awards in order that tho honor of the
nation might be preserved and no injustice to
u sister repulio be done.
Pending discussion Mr.. Pettibone from the
committee on elections submitted the unani-
nous report of that committee in favor of the
claim Off. i. Cain to be admitted as q dele
gate from the territory of Utah; and Mr..
Cain appeared ut the bar of tho house and
took the oath of Office.
Mr.. Rice then resumed his argument, and
after giving an exhaustive history of the cir
cumstances which gave rise to the claims of
the American citizens against Venezuela, ap-
pealed to the house to consider carefully the
subject and to pass tho joint resolution.
Venezuela was ready to pay what she owed,
but she was not ready to be bound by COM
mission, the fraudulent character of which
she thought she had established. The United
States could not afford to stand before the ma
tions of the earth as enforcing awards rem
dered in such manner as these Venezuelan
awards appeared to have been rendered.
Mr.. Blount said that congress should view
with care, and even with suspicion. the claims
of American citizens against the republics of
South America, and instanced the monstrous
job, known as the Shiphcrd claim, which had
been investigated during the last session by
the foreign affairs committee.
Mr.. Williams said that the honor of the
country required that everything of which
Venezuela complained should be investigated.
1t had been investigated most thoroughly and
exhaustively by the committee on foreign af
fairs and this joint resolution had been
brought in as the result of its labor. He re-
ferred to the action of the old commission as
foul and dirty proceeding and branded with
q damnable infamy, which the men connected
with it would bear to the grave.
Messrs. Rice, Blount, and Williams were
very severe in their denunciations of the
frauds committed by David NJ. Talmage, the
commissioner ON the part of the United States.
Mr. Cox, of New York, said that these
Venezuelan claims had rested like cloud
over the United States government by reason
of tho corruption and conspiracy and fraud
government from being in o condition to call
to account other nations which had conspired
to defraud it. He referred especially to tho
fishery awards. If this Venezuelan matter
was not n fraud, there never was one. There
was fraud in the egg, fraud in the fruit,
fraud in the inception and in the termina-
tion, fraud all through and through it. There
never was case so reeking and dripping
with fraud, and it would become the Ameri-
can congress to pass this joint resolution and
vindicate the honor of the country.
Mr.. Springer supported the joint resolution
on tho ground that the awards made by the
old commission were not binding upon the
government of Venezuela, on account of the
conduct of that commission being permcated
with fraud and corruption. Congress owed it
to itself to rcpudiate the findings of that tri-
bunal.
Mr.. Wilson made constitutional argument
against the power of congress to legislato upon
this question. Tho Joint resolution was a
manifest cncroachment upon the treaty maxi
ing power, and he protested against its pas
sage.
Tho joint resolution was then passed.
1t was the intention of Mr. Butterworth, OF
Ohio, to secure tho consideration of
THE "BoNDED EXTENSION" BILL
yesterday, but he failed to secure the floor to
make motion to proceed to business on the
speakers table.
Mr.. O'Neill presented the memorial of tin
plate manufacturers of Pennsylvania, West
| Virginia, and Missouri, asking for the retcn-
| ton of high duties on tin plate. Referred.
The house then, Mt d3O. adjourned