The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-02-18

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17.-lSpecial +
The credentials of VIM. A. PETER,
Senator-elect from Kansas, were pre-
sented to-day and referred. Mr.. Nor
rill, from tho finance committee, re-
ported back adversely Senator Stan
ford's bill to provide the Government
with means sufficient to supply the ma
tional want of sound circulating
medium. This is his famous 2 per cent.
land loan scheme.
The diplomatic and consular bill was
next taken up The question, of the
Hawaiian cable came up, Mr.. Carlisle
taking the ground that under the treaty
with King Domo, of Hawaii, the United
States had the right to the occupation
of the harbor of Pearl river, and could
land a cable there without any conces-
sions. That treaty, however, had been
violated by the United States in the
passage of the tariff act in 1890, though
he was not aware that the Hawaiian
government regarding the treaty as
abrogated.
In connection with that point the
action of the conference committee and
of the two Houses in connection with the
tariff bill came under discussion. Mr..
Carlisle argued that the Hawaiian cable
amendment had no proper place on the
diplomatic and consular appropriation
bill. 1t related to subject that ought
to stand by itself and on its own merits.
BY placing sugar on the free list under
the tariff bill OF 1890, the act of 1876
admitting sugar and rice from the
Hawaiian islands free of duty had been
repealed, expressly and absolutely re-
pealed, by the Congress of the United
States without notice to tho Hawaiian
government.
Senator Morgan criticised Mr. Car
isles position and denied the right of
the Government to land cable at Pearl
river. The situation with the Hawai-
ian Islands, at the present moment, was
somewhat confused, somewhat doubtful,
somewhat dangerous to the interests of
the United States. He believed that an
! active movement on the part of the
United States Government to define it's
policy in relation of Hawaii would save
the United States great trouble in the
| future. He believed that the question
was now about to be presented whether
the United States would abandon it's
interests in Hawaii or whether it would
maintain them.
Senator Daniel also declared his an
tagonism to the Hawaiian cable amend
ment as one of q serious of subsidies;
and he criticized tho proposition to pay
to the holder of the concession as much
as was asked without any estimate on
the part of the Government officers of
the cost of the undertaking. If the pro-
posed cable was to be part of the
national defense, 4 military telegraph
line, it was improper that it should be
owned by private individuals. The Gov
ernment should construct it, should
own it, should control it, and should be
able TO keep all other communication
from passing over it. But the whole
scheme and the plan of amendment was
in derogation of the idea that the cable
was designed as part of the national
military defence. 1t was speculation
on the part of some enterprising COM
mercial man who wanted to make money
out OF the United States Government.
The diplomatic and consular appro-
priation bill was passed, yeas 80, nays
16-Gorman, Hampton and Morgan yot-
ing aye with the Republicans, and Pet
tigrew nay with the Democrats. The
copyright bill was then taken up, but
the Senate adjourned without action.