The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-06
CLEYELAND'S LION HUNT.
PHELPS PROCESSES TO DOUBT
THE PRESIDENTS COURAGa.

He Declares in Favor of Granting Him
the Increased Power Asked, but Pre-
tends to Relieve there is no Intention
of Using It-Belmont Replies.
WASHINGTON, Sept 5.-The House
to-day resumed consideration Of the
retaliation bill, and was addressed by
Mr.. Phelps of New Jersey. Mr.. Phelps
cheerfully conceded the President the addi-
tional power he askei for, but regretted
that there was no more likelihood that he
would use this power than that he would
use the power given him eighteen months
ago. Nobody had SUI posed that the powers
granted then were not all that were necss-
sary until Aug. %, when the President went
out alone and shot the rocket of his presiGen-
tiai message into the clear and peaceful air
1t was so clear that the Senate chamher was
still echoing with TIE voices of the presi
Dental senator's urging their fellows to
come and buy the rights which Caned1
had refused to give. lie charged
the President with heaping favora on
Canadian shippers by land and sea in ord
that they might compete with their a 'ueri-
can rivals The Pres dent was n W the
President of the MESA ge-not the Preside t
of he treaty. lie was no longer Governor
General Of Canada-he was Pre- ideDt OF the
given.
BELMONT's REPLY.
Mr. Belmont of New York followed Mr..
Pbel $, saying in his opening remarks:
Ordinarily, | should consider it ost
serious and difficult undet king to reply TO
the arguments of my colleagues upon the
committee upon foreign affairS-the gentle
man from Illinois (Mr. HitD and the gentle
man f. ON New Jersey (Mr Phelps)-for |
have had long experience of the ski aud
Ingenuity of both of these gentlemen upon
such questio S and greatly respect u4eir
oplni ms; but, in this instance, after Gearing
their arguments on this measure a d re
menbering tnat not in one single sentence
has either of tnem declared his iutentIp to
vote against the bill, and after hearing
such remarks as they have made up II il.
my only difficulty is t. believe that even
those who may be politically opposed "a the
Pre- idcnt of the United States should in
SUCH grave crisis as t.'is cnarge
upon him motives inconsistent with
his duty-So brlvely and veil performed
to guard and prot. ct the lights Of Am III
can citizens a d to MAINTAIN the digniU,
and honor of the nation. We a e not demo
Gratis, aud We are not repu licanS, wien
confronted with the uLtriendly acts OF Il
foreign power. In the last COM ress con-
trOversy arose between the two houses over
a similar measure
WANTED IT A YEAR AGO.
81 do not deem it improper for me to say
that at the time Of the preparation of the
bill alop>ed b q, the House in 1857 the Pre,i-
dent was consulted in regard To the power
to he vested IL MIN, and | now state to the
House that at that time he desired to have
the same measure of authority placed in
his hands for which ne now asks in in
message before u.s. The Senate, however, was
unwilling to grant what the President and
House considered sufficient power to car
out The policy wblch we are now endeavoi-
irg to establish. / DO II. thluk it. zee 4sSary
for inc To recall the points Of difference
which then existed. There is reason, how
ever, to believe that the obstacles Which
were then placed in the way OF such
measures, have, in part at least, been e.
moved. Closer mve- tgation has shown the
wisdom and necessity of the policy iu-
augurated and adopted by the
House and many minds hitherto In doubt
as to the power under the tire ty of 1871 to
withdraw certain privileges from tie cana
dians, have now come clear in the opinion
that article - of That treaty is no longer in
force, and that such privileges can and
should he withdrawn.
NO DOUBT OF THE POWER OF CONGRESS.
There can be no doubt that congress has
the power to pass thii bill. Whether it
ought 70 pass 1t is question which we
must decide. The President in the matter
OF the fisheries proceeded with n patriotic
pu, pose to reach a set. lement by treaty
The Senate has not only interpo ed its
objections to the treaty by a party vote,
but the majority of the committee on
foreign relations OF the Senate has
announced that the questions now
pending hetwee the United States and
Graat Britain with regard to the fisheries
r.,S cub
The Senate having thus abdicated its share
in the settlement of this grave question, it
rests with the House to give direction and
force to the position of our government"
Messrs. Davis and Cogswell of Massa-
chuSetts, and Scott of Pennsylvania, also
discussed the questions involved in the
pending bill. Mr.. Scott still held the fDor
when the House ut O'clock ad innrned