The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-12
IN THE SENATE AND HOUSE.
Hoar Cannot Refrain From Dis
cussing Hawaiian Affairs.
A Spirited Dialogue Ensues between Him
and Gray-Bills OF Minor importance
Called Up In the House-Certain
Changes Proposed in the Postotlice
Department In Regard to Postal Notes,
Etc

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.-Five Sena-
tors, heretofore on the absentee list for
this session, were present to-day. They
were: Colquitt, Georgia; Irby, South
Carolina; Lindsay, kentucky; Morgan,
Alabama, and Perkins, California. In
the absence of the Vice President at
Augusta, Ga, the Senate was presided
over by Harris, of Tennessee.
Hoar offered a resolution land asked
for it's immediate consideration calling
upon the President for statement
touching the appointment by him, with.
out submission to the Senate, OF the
Hawaiian commissioner and the exact
functions OF that official, and for other
matters OF inform alton
He commented upon the fact that the
information communicated by the Presi-
dent to the Senate. under the seal of
confidence, had been freely given out to
the representatives of four newspapers
that were known to be jealous, thorough.
going, he had almost said INSCRIPTIONS,
supporters Of the administration
One of the allegations made was that
the President on March z, 1893 (the
Senate being then in SESSION., commits
stoned person to proceed TO the Ha
waiisn Islands, acsrediting him by
letter as com missioner from this Gov
eminent to that government. and said
In the letter of instructions that he was
to be paramount as representative OF
tho United States in those islands.
II that allegation, said Hoar, were
true it seemed to him as gross viola
ton of tho constitution of the United
States as was ever charged upon or
imputed to any public Official 1t was
not necessary to say to the Senate or to
the American people that an attempt to
usurp the power of appointing and
commissioning such an officer without
the consent Of the Senate. was an at
tempt to usurp all the diplomatic rela
tions OF the Government
Gray thought it would have been in
better taste If the Senator from Massa-
chusetts would quietly wait until the
official information which was asked for
day OR two ago, and which he QHoar)
must know there had been no oppor-
tunity yet to prepare and furnish, came
to the Senate. II ne had waited for that,
the discussion could have been gone on
in the light Of the patriotic duty of
Senators, leaving partisansbip bohind
them in the dark places to which it be-
longed in discussion Of this kind.
A dialogue then onsued between the
two Senators in connection with what
Bayard was represented as having said
as to the President's change or no
change of policy in regard to restoring
the queen to her throne. At some
points this dialogue tended to acri-
moniousness. Gray intimating that
Hoar forgot what he had said and Mr..
Hoar retorting that he did not forget,
but that the Senator from Delaware
10 isstated it.
Hill referred to the notice which he
had given last week that he would move
TO take up the bill to repeal the Federal
election laws, and said that as Hoar
complained that the bill had been re.
ported from the judiciary committee
without consideration on the part of the
Republican members Of that com mittee,
he would consent to have the bill now
referred (as Hoar suggested) to the com-
mittee on privileges and elections. The
bill was so referred, and the House bill
covering the same ground was allowed
to remain on the calendar in order to
give Cullom an opportunity to address
the Senate on that subject
The Senate then proceeded to execu.
tive business and at 2:40 adjourned I'M
til to morrow.
The Day In tho House.
Every House committee was called in
order for reports but there was but one
response, being bill for the relief of a
soldier who had lost his carbine and had
it charged to him, which came from
tho committee on war claims. The
Utah Statehood bill was made special
order for tomorrow and tho next day
Culbefson, on behalf of the committee
on judiciary, called up the House bill
to revive and amend an act to provide
for the collection of an abandoned prop.
erty and the prevention of frauds in
insurrectionary districts within the
United States and acts amendatory
and asked unanimous consent that
Tuesday OF next week be set aside for
consideration, but Reed objected.
Mallory, from the committee on com
merce, reported bill requiring steam
vessels of 1000 tons or more to have
one engineer and helper on duty while
underway and all steam vessels under
steam for moro than ten hours to
carry two liscensed engineers Some
minor amendments were made and the
BILL in it's amended form, was passed
Dockery, chairman OF the joint com
mission to investigate the government