The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-06-06
Congressional Proceedings.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3O.--Neither house of
congress was in session

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30.-Neither house of
congress was in session.
THURSDAY. In the senate, resolution
was reported from the committee on for
eign relations and was agreed to unani-
mously, declaring that it of right belongs
wholly to people of the Hawaiian islands to
establish and maintain their own form of
government and domestic policy; that the
United States ought not in any way to in
terfere Herewith, and that any interven-
ton in the political affairs of those islands
by any other government would be re-
garded as an act unfriendly to the United
States. A resolution offered by Senator
PETER Of Kansas, looking to the acquisition
OF all coal properties by the government,
went over. The tariff bill was taken up at
10: 30 o'clock and an amendment offered by
Senator Hale of Maine last Tuesday, to
make the duty on sawed boards two cents
per Thousand feet, was defeated, yeas %,
nays 81. A vote was then taken on an
amendment offered by Senator Allen of Ne
braska to place on the free list all logs, lum-
Der, laths, shingles and building materials
commonly used in the construction OF dwell
ing houses, barns or fences, and it was de-
feated. - In the house, Mr. Sickles OF
New York offered a joint resolution, which
was adopted, giving the secretary of war
authority to acquire lands on the Gettys-
burg battlefield needed to complete the
tract to be preserved and described in the
act OF March 3, 1898. Mr.. Black of Georgia
then made long argument against the
constitutionality of the ten per cent state
bank tax law, and Mr.. Walker of Massa-
chusetts argued in favor of his currency bill.
Fridays Senator Henderson of Nebraska
occupied much of the time of the senate in
speaking on the sugar schedule of the tariff
bill. A resolution was offered by Mr.. Call
of Florida, for the appointment of a select
committee OF five senators to investigate
the subject of the organized efforts of cor
porations to control elections of state legis-
lators and members of congress, and
whether corrupt m cans, such as bribery by
free transportation and the substituting Of
newspapers, have been resorted to, and
whether such acts are consistent with the
preservation of the republic of the United
States and the rights and liberty of the peo-
pie. - The house passed the senate
bill to extend to nations with which the
United States may have treaties respecting
the care and protection of the fur seal the
provisions of the law of last March to give
effect to the findings Of the Paris tribunal
of arbitration. Mr. Strauss of New York
offered joint resolution to abolish the ex-
tradition treaty with Russia. Referred to
committee on foreign affairs The discus
sion of the bank tax bill was then resumed.
SATURDAY.-In the senate, the joint reso-
luton for the purchase or condemnation of
land in the vicinity of the battlefield of
Gettysburg was taken up and passed. Mr..
Hill of New York spoke in favor of open
sessions of the select committee on the
sugar trust investigation He said that the
investigation should be open to the public
and to the press. That course would sat
isfy an honest and just public sentiment,
and would not do injustice to anybody.
The committee was not "drum-head court
martial" organized to convict or to aceuit.
1t was simply for the purpose of Investigate
ing the truth of certain newspaper asser-
tons. The senate itself was not club
although sometimes called so; and there
was no reason why the public should be ex-
cluded from its proceedings. There was no
reason why the public should be excluded
from the sessions of investigating commit
tees. He thought that the investigation
should be held with open doors, and that
the reporters of the press should be present.
Mr.. Gray of Delaware opposed the views of
Mr.. Hill. He said that the personal incli-
nation of the committee and their personal
comfort would have suggested the throwing
open of the doors of the committee room
while conducting the investigation; but
after deliberation and discussion, and a
careful consideration of the nature of the
duty imposed upon them, they had come to
the conclusion that, for the present at any
rate, the end in view could be better pro-
NOTED by proceeding as they had done.
g. The time of the house was consumed
in speech by Mr.. Bramley of South Carolina
in favor of the repeal of the state bank tax.
MoNDAY.-The senate passed the Joint
resolution appropriating $4,000 for the ex-
penses Of the senate investigation. The
discussion of the tariff bill was resumed,
and Mr.. Allison of Iowa spoke at length
against the repeal of the sugar bounty.
- The consideration of the repeal of
the state bank tax was resumed in the
house,