Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-13
OUR RELATIONS WITH CANADA.
The Debate in the Senate Yesterday AT.
ternOOn.


ternoon.
There was q spirited debate in the Senate yes
terday afternoon on an interesting subject OF
all the Senators in the chamber no one seemed
less likely to raise breeze Of discussion than
Senator Payne. Mr.. Payne is usually very
quiet, and his taking the floor on any subject is
regarded as marking a new epoch in senatorial
proceedings. No one looked for any opposition
to any of the committees in the long list Of
those organizations reported yesterday by Mr.
Plat and published in The STAR. They had
been passed upon by both republican and DEM
ocratic caucuses, and were supposed to be thor
onghly satisfactory. But they did not please
MIR. Payne, and although the weakness of the
Ohioan's voice detracted somewhat from the
yigor OF his remarks, there was no room to
doubt their intent.
THE SELECT COMMITTEE on RELATIONS WITH
CANADA
was the especial object of Mr.. Payne's rhetor-
ical wrath and Mr.. Hoar was the bullseye in
the target which was being aimed at. There
was no reason, said Mr. Payne why such a COM
mittee should exist. Its functions il it had
any, were usurpations Of the executive power
and OF the duties of the interstate commerce
committee, the committee on claims, and the
committee on foreign relations In concluding
his criticism MIR. Payne said: Mr.. President,
allow me to suggest that there 10 hardly any
necessity for the executive or for the regular
committees of the Senate il such powers as
these are to be conferred upon select COM
mlttee. What is the use of an executive to
look after these interests, or for committee
ON foreign relations, il one member of the Sem
ate, associating with himself such gentlemen as
he desires, may have the whole control and alb
solute power to interfere with it and to incur
any amount of expense? / take it, this is not
merely provision for a summer iaunting tour.
1t may have a great many branches. The COM
mittee may have their clerks and stenographers,
and suppose their quartermasters. II they
go into the British North American provinces
and inquire into all our relations and send for
persons and papers they will have a pretty large
summers work on their hands to accomplish.
But notice here on our table along with it
and We may as well see to what extent of ex-
travagance and usurpation of power this may
lead-a resolution offered by the same Senator
providing: That the committee on privileges
and elections be authorized to sit during the
recess of the Senate, and to employ a clerk, to
be paid from the contingent fund of the Senate.
REFERRING TO Mr.. HoAR.
'How many clerks must the Senator from
Massachusetts have to maintain his dignity and
rights fully? He has one as chairman of the
committee on privileges and elections, one as
chairman Of the select committee to visit the
North American provinces OF Great Britain,
anu one 1Or n tulru purpose 70 employ an au-
dltlon.l clerk, making three Of them. 1t Will
take any amount of money. The whole con-
tingent fund of the Senate is at their disposal,
and the whole of the work to be performed is
absolutely unnecessary. There is no occasion
under heaven for expending one dollar in the
appointment of this committee. With a Secre-
tary of State who will not overlook the in
terests of his section of the country, with an
able and experienced committee on foreign re-
ations, and with committee on Interstate
commerce, one of the ablest in this body, I
shall be thankful to any Senator who will point
out the least necessity for retaining this select
committee? i demand the yeas and nays upon
the adop ton Of the resolution"
SENATOR HoAR DENIED
that the work of the select committee would
interfere with that of any of the standing COM
mittees or with the functions of the executive.
Senators Culfom, Stewart, Edmunds. Hale
Morrill,. Sherman Blair, Plat and Frye sup
more than one Of them declared that the COM
mittee was not scheming to annex Canada to
the United States.
Mr.. Payne withdrew his demand for the yeas
and nays, and the committee was agreed to.
TWO NEW SPECIAL COMMITTEES PROPOSED.
Mr.. Gibson submitted the following resolu-
ton for consideration:
Resolued, That a select committee of seven
Senators be appointed by the chair on rela-
tions with Mexico and Central America.
for consideration:
Resolved. That special committee of seven
Senators shall be created to investigate and re-
port on the relations of the United States with
the Island of Cuba and the other West Indies
Both resolutions went over.