Morning journal and courier., 1889-01-30
Fiftieth Congressional Session
WAsH1Nsror. Jan. %.

WASHINGTON Jhu. ~.
 SKNATE.-A long discussion relative to MT.
 Gloson's amendment of yesterday was closed
 by MT. Morrill,, who expressed the opinion
 that whether the title of ministers were
 changed or not the appropriations for several
 or them ought to be increased by an amount sufficient to pay the rental of the houses they occupied. He knew instances in which the American minister to London had paid $10, OOO for house which in Washington would not cost more than three or four or five thou sand dollars. The English government, he said, paid it's minister to the United States $25, ,OO0 year and furnished him in addition with magnificent house.
 After further discussion MT. Gibsons amendment was voted on and it WAS agreed to, yeas 26, nays 24.
 The amendment in relation to Samoa hay ing been reached Mir. Hale said: As these amendments involve the construction of a treaty and will necessarily give rise to dis cusslon of what may be very delicate rela- t1ons between the United States and for elgn power I move that the galleries be cleared and that the Senate proceed to the conslderatlon ot these amendments with closed doors. The motion was seconded, whereupon at 2:50 the presiding officer di- rected the galleries to be cleared and the doors closed.
 When the doors were reopened at o'clock MT. Sherman said he would like to state pub licly the position which he took in regard to the Samoan question, so that it might appear in the Record. The Samoan Islands, former y called the Navigators' Islands, were almost midway between San Francisco and AusJra- lia and were in the direct line of commercial intercourse. These islands (eight or ten) comprise in extent one thousand square miles, and contain population of 324 ,000 innocent, tractable, good humored people of the Polynesian race, and about 300 foreign- (4aYIoan iIah and ruit various commercial establishments.
 Those islands had been first explored and surveyed by Admiral Wilkes in his famous expedition and the best maps of them were those made by that expedition. The atten- tion of the United States had been early cali ed to those islands and special agent was sent there who afterwards became minister to the king of Samoa, and who made a treaty between the United States and Samoa That treaty was made in 1878, and was signed by MT. Evarts and the king. It's second ar ticle gave to the United States the privilege of entering and using the hal bor of Pagopa- go and establishing there coaling and naval supply station, and it's fifth section, provided that in case of differences with other nations the government of the United States would employ it's good offices in adjusting such diff fculty. This, Mir. Sherman said, was the basis of the right of the United States to oc- cupy and hold, and to establish in the harbor O1 IoBopagO SLat1On TOT coal ana other ua- val supplies.
 A lengthy dissertation was then entered into toHcaing upon the treaties made by the several governments interested.
 MT. Morgan spoke of the action of the Ger man government as being in the nature of 
 MT. Sherman said he thought so, but he did not care to discuss the conduct of the German government.
 After further discussion the Senate at 5:45 pm. adjourned till tomorrow.
 HoUsE.-A somewhat long discussion arose over the paragraph appropriating $5Oo,OOO for the new library building, but nc change was made.
 Nr. Farquhar of New York offered an increasing from $2,013, 900 to $2, 362, ,000, the appropriation for public printing and binding. In speaking in SUD- port of the amendment he pointed out as one reason why the appropriation should be in- creased, the strong probability of an extra session of Congress. The amendment was lost.
 The Hause at 4:40 adjourned.