Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-12-14
NATIONAL LAW MAKERS.
The Fifty-third Congress Convenes
and Proceeds to Work.

IcIttuS W w Oth.
Washington, Dec. 5.-Senator Dolph
presented a petition of the Oregon
Horticultural society, favoring the
maintenance of the present duty on
pruneS.
After the morning hour the senate
took up the Hawaii matter, and Dolph
spoke against the presidents pro-
posed action.
The senate passed with slight amend
mentS the house joint resolution, ap-
propriating $4,000 for the employment
of additional deputy collectors of inter-
nal revenue to aid in the execution
of the Chinese exclusion act
In the house joint resolution to con
firm bona fide entries Of lands in
Mile Lees reservation, Minnesota be-
tween 1891 and December %, 1892,
when the lands We're declared not sub
ject TO entry, was passed. Thirty thou
sand acres are involved
Senator Voorhees,, at n meeting of
the finance committee this morning,
announced his purpose to handle the
tariff bill.
Chairman Patch, of the agricultural
committee, says the anticipation bill
certainly will be presented to the house
this session.
Mr.. Martin, of Kansas, introduced
a bill prohibiting the suspension of any
penSioner until it has been conclusive
ly proven the pension was obtained
by fraud also one for an appeal
from the secl etary of the interior to
the supreme court of the District of
Columbia in pension decisions.
Washington, Dee. 6.-Senator Voor-
hees opened the pension question in
the senate by Introducing two bills,
one declaring pension vested right
regulating suspension of pensions, and
granting appeals to the supreme court
of the District of Columbia; the other
defining 'sundry crimes against the
| United States in the administration
of pension laws.
Mr.. Henderson introduced bill to
amend the internal revenue laws, Mr.
! Cullom, of Illinois, offered Il resolution
accepting from Illinois the statue of
Gen. Shields and addressed the senate
eulogizing Gen. Shields. Others also
spoke.
Senator Hoar'S resolution of yester-
day calling for information relative to
Hawaii was laid before the senate and
the author proceeded to attack vigOr-
ously the course pursued by the ad,
! minStration. Mr.. Hoar thought that
the presidents intention in the matter
of Hawaii was a thing which the sen
ate and the people were entitled to
understand without delay.
Mr.. Mills, of Texas, spoke of Sl.,
HOar's Smelling the works" before he
obtained the information which his
resolution called for He denied that
the president was meditating an act
of war, and asserted that the president
had respectfully submitted the ques,
ton to congress.
The real question was whether the
government of the United States had
interfered to overthrow the existing
government of Hawaii. If it had, il
was the duty of the president Of the
United States, representing the gov.
eminent to make prompt PREPARATION
and to reinstate the government which
it had OyerthroWn.
Mr.. Mills was followed by Senator
Villas, of Wisconsin, who defended the
administration and argued that the
senate was acting with undue haste in
discussing the subject in the absence
of facts.
Senator Villas thought there were
reasons why the resolutions should not
be adopted at this time He referred
to the remarks of Hoar, as to the re
ported action of the president being
an act of war, and asked whether the
landing of troops and the overthrow
of government by virtue of their
force was not an act of war.
Hoar replied that the troops We're
landed under the allegation that they
were to be used to protect the lives
and property of American citizens.
The queen yielded to an armed insur.
rection and not to American troops.
Hoar continued: after the president
sent a letter addressed to My great
and good brother, President Dole it
would be an act Of infamy only ex-
celled by the act of Joab when he
stabbed his neighbor under the fifth
rib and then asked, Art thou in good
health, my brother? Uaughter)
Villas protested that was not the
question. Mr.. Hoar replied that the
whole argument of the senator from
Wisconsin and the senator from Texas
was one that would require the United
States to give back Texas to Mexico
today.
eve never got Texas from Mexico -
said Mills. Texas came into the I'm
ion voluntarily"
Without going into the question Of
the character of the instructions Of
the president to the Hawaiian minis
ter, Villas declared that what the presi-
dent instructed the minister to do he
had ample and complete authority to
do.
Villas moved that the resolution be
referred to the committee on foreign
relations.
Senator Hill favored the resolution
criticising the president for not in
forming congress of the state Of affairs
in Hawaii and his instructions, and
declaring that he should not commit
congress by any act of his. He did
not understand Mr.. Mills to oppose the
passage of the resolution. To this Mr..
Mills assented.
Mr.. Hill, continuing, said he had no