Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-07
HE SENATE.


placed on the calendar was the
Senate bill granting the Ore
gon Navigation Company a certain tract
of land on the Umatila reservation for
station purposes.
Hoar offered resolution calling the
attention of the President respectfully to
the resolution of the Senate, OF the 29th
of August, requesting him to communi-
cate to the Senate copies of all communi
cations addressed by MS direction to the
Government of Great Britain, remon
strating against certain unfair treatment
of American citizens, and requesting him
to furnish such information as soon as
possible, in order that it may be con-
sidered in acting on the pending legisla-
ton Laid over.
The Senate bill for the admission OF
the State of Washington was laid aside.
The Chinese Exclusion bill was taken
up. Pugh sent to the Clerks desk and
had read in the absence of Hearst, to
whom it was telegraphed, the resolutions
adopted last evening in mass meeting
at San Francisco, urging the immediate
passage of the Chinese Exclusion bill.
Sheridan said he thought the Senate
should be willing to wait two or three
days SO as to ascertain whether the facts
on which the bill rested, really existed.
He did HOE wish the Senate to act in the
dark, on information which was probably
groundless. and then depart from the
usual orderly mode of proceeding on its
apprehension of facts. No answer
had been received to the resolution
yesterday calling on the President for a
statement, but an answer would undoubt-
edly come to-day, in order, of course. II
it should appear, as he believed it would
appear, that no information had been
received; that in point OF fact the Chi
nese Minister was now on his way from
Peru, probably with the ratification of
the treaty. at any rate with some expla-
nation about it, and if the Senate should
hurriedly pass the bill, it would be a
to the whole country and to the
whole civilized world. He had informa-
ton now from Indoubted sources
not from the President or the Secretary
of State-that the probability was that
no such action had been taken by the
Chinese Government. He was informed
that the Chinese Legation had no infor-
nation on the subject and the President
had none. When the bill came over
the House he had assumed as a matter of
course that the House had based it on
information tnat came from the Presi-
dent. The Senate had no information
about it. He thought the Senate was
bound by the common courtesy due be-
tween nations as between individuals, to
await the action of the Chinese Govern.
ment on this subject. Ifthe bill were passed
and the treaty were ratified, the Senate
would have placed itself in the ridiculous
attitude of assuming fact which did not
exist. If on the contrary the treaty were
rejected, there would be ample time to
pass the bill. He asked that by unani-
nous consent the bill might be informal
ly laid aside.
Stewart objected.
Platt said he should vote for the bill,
but under protest. He did not like the
way it came before Congress. Why such
hot haste to override without waiting for
the Presidents signature, and pass bill
which under the circumstances would be
a direct Insult to nation with which
the United States desired to continue
friendly commercial relations? Was it
vote-catching performance? Had it
come to this, that high pnblic
office had been prostituted for
Democratic electioneering purposes? If
not, what other reason existed for thrust
ing the bill on the attention of Congress
in such an untimely way? If the vote
was forced upon the Senate now he
would vote for the bill, because he was
not going to act on the assumption that
the pending bill was an electioneering
dodge.
Morgan questioned the sincerity of the
Pacific Slope Senators as to the exclusion
of Cinnamon, and remarked that the
sentiment for their exclusion was far
from universal.
The statement was challenged by
Mitchell, who said somewhat excitedly
that there was not one word of truth in it
from beginning to end.
Morgan repeated that the plutocracy of
the Pacific Slope was inI favor of retain
ing Chinese laborers.
Mitchell remarked that the question
had been submitted to vote by the
people of California few years ago, and
he asked whether the Senator from Ala
bama would have the candor and honor
to state to the Senate the result of the
vote.
Morgan retorted in an indignant man
ner that the word "honesty" was word
which the Senator from Oregon ought
not to use with SO much fippancy. On
the point of honesty he (Morgan) had as
good a record as the Senator from
Oregon.
Mitchell explained that he meant
political honesty"
Morgan-A political dishonest man
cannot by trusted with my pocketbook.
l do not make such distinction, and
never have made it.
Mitchell-The Senator may make his
own application.
The debate being closed the Senate
proceeded to vote on the passage of the
bill. The bill was unanimous, yeas 81,
nays none. There being no quorum
voting, there was call of the Senate,
when thirty mine Senators, exactly
quorum answered. Hoar said he had
been present when the vote was taken
yesterday and to-day, but had refrained
from voting for the reasons stated by the
Senator from Ohio, Sherman Sher-
man had also withheld his vote on both
occasions.
1t was agreed by unanimous consent
that a vote be taken tomorrow at l
O'Clock, and then the Senate adjourned.
THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, September 6. = The
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