Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-27
In the Stnlte Cause Considerable
Discussion Today.
A QUESTION OF EXPEDIENCY ASTO THEM.
Mr.. Chandler Uncertain How He
Will Vote.
NO QUORUM IN THE HOUSE.
THE SENATE,

SENATE
Mr.. Aldrich Or. - introduced a Joint
resolution (which was referred) similar to
the one introduced in the House by Mr..
Cummings. authorizing the President to
make with other governments an interna-
uonal agreement for the reporting, mark
ing and removing Of dangerous wrecks
derelicts and other menaces to navigation
In the North Atlantic ocean,
Mr.. Teller Col) offered a resolution,
which went over until tomorrow. calling
upon the Secretary Of the Treasury for in
formation as to when, in what amounts
and under what circumstances the Treas
ury Department has anticipated the pay
ment OF the annual interest in government
bonds since July ]. 1880.
To Postpone Action.
Tie resolution Offer ed by Mr. Dubois
Qdaho) yesterday to postpone action on
financial. tariff and federal election meas
ures until next January, when the states
of Washington. Montana and Wyoming
may be fully represented in the Senate, was
taken up. and Mr.. Dubois made an argu-
pent In Its support He described the i'm
portance Of the question involved Three
states were now. he said. deprived Of their
vote and Importance in measures that were
vitality important to them. 1t was no fault
Of the people Of those three states that
they were not fully represented in the
Senate. 1t was their misfortune which the
Senate could cure.
Mr.. Dubois then went at some length into
the history Of the case, and quoted largely
from Mr.. Hoars majority report from the
committee on privileges and elections in
favor Of seating the then claimants. He
had no reasonable doubt that II his resolu-
ton were adopted the governors and legis-
latures OF the three states would see to 1t
that their full quota of Senators would be
In the Senate before the time fixed by him.
He imagined the case Of a force bill' being
brought before the Senate while three Of
the southern states were only partially rep
resented. or the case of a tariff bill pending
when three New England states were in
the like position. and he asked whether in
the one case, the constitutional right of
every state to have two Senators at all
times would not be perfectly plain to Sem
ators from the south. and, in the other case,
equally plain to Senators from New Eng
land. 1t was dangerous. he said. to pro-
coed with the pending legislation until those
states which were so seriously affected by
1t had proper representation in the Sem
ate.
A Remarkable Proposition.
Mr.. Mitchell (Oreg) said that he agreed,
in the main. with the position Of the Sena-
tor from Idaho as to the inadvisabiiity of
rushing through a repeal Of the silver pur-
chasing act without substituting some other
legislation. While regretting. as much as
the Senator from Idaho could regret, the
Adct tndt tnOSe three states were, unfOr-
tunately. deprived for the time being Of one
Senator each. he regarded the proposition
of the Senator from Idaho as one Of the
most remarkable that had ever been pre-
sented to the Senate. For that reason, not
withstanding his great sympathy for those
states, he should oppose the resolution to
the bitter end. He put the case Of Sena-
tor dying or being expelled. and asked
whether the Senate should then call a
halt until the vacancy was filled. Such
proposition could not be maintained for
solitary moment either now or at any other
time. What steps. he asked had those
states taken during the last month looking
to a full representation in the Senate?
Had the governor Of any one Of them con-
vened the legislature for the purpose Of
filling them?
Mr.. Chandler's Position.
Mr.. Chandler On. H. suggested to Mr.
Dubois not to press the resolution for ac-
ton. but to let 1t go over for the present.
because the course Of events might in a
few days. show it's adoption to be unneces-
sary. He was willing to vote at any time
to postpone action on the federal law and
on the tariff. But inasmuch as he prcpos-
ed. now, to vote for the passage of the re-
peal bill, he was not prepared to decide now
whether he would or would not vote to post
pone action on that bill until after those
three vacant seats were filed. He suggest
ed the consideration OF the resolution be
postponed until debate on the pending ques-
tion be exhausted. 1t was conceded he
said. that there were many days yet Of de-
bate before the repeal bill could be voted
on. and the situation at that time might
be such that he should be un willing to vote
for the resolution. On the other hand the
situation might be such that he should be
willing to vote for the resolution. II there
should appear to be large majority in IA
vor Of the repeal bill. so that three addi-
tional votes against 1t wouil not affect the
result. then he should emphatcally vote
he hcr
hand, II 1t should appear probable that the
vote would be so close that the bill could
not be passed with the three vacant seats
filled, he should hesitate a long time be-
fore he insisted upon 1t that such a great
question should be decided differently from
the way in which 1t would be decided IL the
Senate were full.
Mr.. Platt asked Mr.. Chandler how he
proposed to ascertain the probabilities of
the vote on the repeal bill.
Mr.. Chandler replied that he proposed to
use his own Judgment on that point.
A Change of Votes.
In the course Of further remarks Mr..
Chandler alluded to the change Of votes on
the admission of the three appointed Sena-
tors, and quoted Mr.. Mitchell as saying
last session that their admission would
have a majority Of from IL to Is.
Mr.. Mitchell denied that he made that
statement, but admitted that he had said
they would have a majority.
And 10 and behold" said Mr.. Chandler,
after the Senate met in this extraordi-
nary session. that majority Of IL to Is had
vanished. / make no accusation against
Senators who changed their opinion. their
attitude and their vote on that question. I
make no tmputation on their motives I am
bound to presume that they were not in
nuenced by their desire for the passage Of
the repeal bill or by their desire to increase
the democratic majority in the Senate"