St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-30
Uncle Sam Expressly Agreed
to Aid in Adjusting Posi-
BILE Differences.
There Is Trouble Now, and
1t Is High Time to
-'li Act.
Pago-Pago Harbop Reserved
as an American Coaling
Station. |
Special TO the Globe.

the consular and diplomatic appropria
ton bill. The Samoan question was in
F.. cidentally discussed. Consideration of
close of the morning hour. the question
being Oh Mr.. Gibsons amendment to
make the titles of ministers to France,
Germany, Great Britain and Russia
ambassadors" In answer to ques-
ton of Mr.. Stewart. Mr.. Hale said that
the amendment did not involve an in
crease in the salaries of these
ministers. Mr.. Spooner said that
he was inclined to vote against
the amendment. He thought, however,
that the compensation of our representa-
tives abroad was too small. No man
could afford to accept the position of
ambassador who did not possess a pri-
vate fortune sufficient to enable him to
maintain himself decently. Mr.. Dawes
opposed the amendment. He said there
was something repugnant to linn in the
idea of Americans going abroad and
losing their individual character. The
|. thing would grow. and by and by when
I the pope said that nobody should be
admitted to his presence without
conforming to certain ceremonies
tproper enough for him or those who
believed in HIM Americans would be
required to do that, and would have, in
Turkey, to array themselves in the cos
tunes of that country. Mr.. Morrill,
spoke in favor of an increase in salaries
to American ministers. He was fol-
lowed by MI. George, who upheld the
views expressed by Mr.. Dawes, Mr..
Plumb had read at the clerks desk
Of xyartar6ay dicnuccirn
this subject published in the New York
Tribune as a dispatch from Washing
ton. He said that the authority of
the story could not be ques-
toned because it was the re-
snIt of eavesdropping in the
senate chamber by a person who
claimed right to be on the floor of the
senate as the private secretary of
senator After further discussion the
amendment was voted on and agreed to
yeas 26, nays "a. The division was
not on party lines. Mr.. Plumb moved
to strike out the whole paragraph and
to insert in lieu thereof the words: For
the purpose of enabling the president
to promote friendly and commercial in
tercourse with Great Britain SOC, 000."
It.Was rejected without division. Mr..
German moved t0'insert paragraph
iOthiuS W q CCiODiotioii " eiiO AOuA VI
centenary OF
THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA,
but il was ruled out on point of order.
The amendments relating to Samoa
having been reached, Mr.. Hale moved
to go into secret session, and at $50 the
galleries were cleared and and the doors
closed. The secret legislative session
was wholly occupied in discussing and
voting upon motion made by Mr..
Sherman to consider the Samoan amend
.ments with open doors. 1t was sup
ported in speeches by Messrs. Sherman,
Evarts and voorhees,. and opposed by
Messrs. Edmunds and Morgan. The vote
upon the motion was yeas 26 to nays "a.
The merits of the amendments were not
discussed, and the division was wholly
number of Republicans and Democrats
being recorded ON each side of the
question of opening the doors. When
the doors were reopened. Mr.. Sherman
said: 1.-THE question involved was eX-
citing attention, not only in this coun-
try. but in other countries; and it was
due to the senate and the people of the
United States that he Gas he had re-
ported the amendment from the commit
tee on foreign relations) should state
in rather skeleton manner, the facts
in regard to the matter. He would do
so without any feeling whatever, be-
cause he hoped that the senate would
be unanimous in the adoption of the
amendments. The Samoan islands
formerly called the Navigators' islands)
were, he said, almost midway between
San Francisco and Australia, and were
in the direct
LINE OF COMMERCIAL INTERCOURSE.
These islands (eight or ten comprised
in extent some 1000 square miles and
contained population Of $4,000 inno-
cent. harmless, tractable. good-humored
people of the Polynesian race. and
about 500 foreigners, German, English
and American, with various commercial
establishments. Those islands had
been first explored and surveyed by
Admiral Wilkes in his famous eXpedi-
ton, and the best maps of them were
those made by that expedition. The
attention. of the United States had
been early called to those ISL
ands, and a special agent
was sent there. who afterWard
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
Mr.. Evarts and the king. Its second
article gave to the United States the
privilege of entering and using the har-
Dor of Page Pago and establishing: there
coaling and naval supply station, and
its fifth section provided that in case of
differences with other nations the
government of the United States would
employ Its good offices in adjusting such
differences. This was the basis of
the right of the United States to
occupy and hold. and to establish i'll
the harbor of Pago- Page station for
coal and other naval supplies. Within
year or two afterward SOmewha at SINH
lar treaties had been made with Ger
many and with Great Britain. by which
those governments obtained like priv
ileges in other portions of the islands,
$othat each of these three great COM
mertial nations secured by treaties
privileges somewhat similar in charac-
ter but in different localities
each securing. coaling station
and harbor. Mr.. Sherman went on
to speak of further arrangement
made shortly afterwards, and which
was. he said, very important. 1t had
been entered into between Great Britain
and the government of Samoa (but the
German and American governments
were also included in it,, by which the
town and district of Apia were conSti-
tuted into a municipality, and were re-
garded to be neutral territory, where
each of the three nations might estab-
/ lisEf their storehouseS, their workshops.
! and;Rll other buildings necessary for
| Carrying Oh their
TRAFFIC IN THOSE ISLANDS.
This territory of Apia was now known
as the capital of the Samoan islands,
and was set aside for commercial pur-
pcses-the government OF Samoa being
practically excluded from it. The mu-
nicipal board consisted of the German,
treaty OF agreement had not been sub
mitted to the senate, but had been
signed by the English consul and by the
captain of the American ship OF war