The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-03-07
Congressional Proceedings.

had Just been written that was alike dis
credtable to the administration and in
tensly humiliating to the people of this
country Mr.. Frye sketched the condition
of the islands and their history down to the
point of the revolution which overthrow
the queen and established the provisional
government. His criticism of the late queen
for her lottery bill, her opium bill and her
attempts to annul the constitution, was very
severe. Where, Mr.. Frye asked, had the
president of the United States obtained
authority to interfere with the established
government for its overthrow Admittedly,
| the president had been contriving to over
throw the existing government and to re-
store the queen. lie had sent james Ii.
| Blount to Honolulu with powers more ex-
| traordinary than were ever given to any
| ambassador, minister, conSul-general or
commissioners from the United States He
then quoted the reply of President Dole to
Minister Willis, declining to entertain the
| proposition that the provisional government
should surrender its authority to the queen,
and commented at length upon it, The sem
ate then went into executive session. -
Mr.. Kilgore of Texas asked the house, as
question of privilege, leave to introduce
resolution asking the sergeant-at-arms II he
| had, according to law, withheld the salary
| of members for the time they were absent
without leave; if not, why not; and
| whether, in his opinion, the law could be
| enforced. The speaker sustained point of
| order raised against the resolution. Mr..
Bland again repeated his famous, or infa-
nous, silver bill feat; but no quorum APP
peared and the house adjourned.
THURsDAY.-Mr. Frye resumed his speech
in the senate on the Hawaiian question He
did not wish to retract or modify state
ment he had made that in his belief, there
was not one plain, unprejudiced, unvar-
nished particle of truth in Mr.. Blounts re-
port. He could not account for Mr.. Blounts
| report or for his methods of investigation
| ootu IN ha found nv Mr. RlOunt. but
| Mr.. Blount did not seek them where they
were to be found. He did not seek them
from President Dole or from the members
of the provisional government who were
familiar with all the facts, but Mr. Blount
went for his facts to the men who had eaten
the crumbs from the queens table. He went
to British sympathizers on the islands. Mr..
Blount also had taken six pages of testi-
mony of Mrs. Dominis, the late queen of the
Hawaiian Islands. But Mr.. Blount had not
gone for facts to the officers of the United
States ship Boston, which which was lying
there. AT the conclusion OF Mr.. Frye's
| speech, the senate went into executive ses-
sion, and later adjourned until Monday.
- In the house, Mr.. Cummings of New
| York asked unanimous consent for immedi-
ate consideration and passage of the bill
authorizing the secretary of the navy to ex-
| pend S45 600 for raising the wreck of the
Kearsarge. Mr.. Kilgore of Texas objected,
but later in the day the bill was passed by
finally passed the house, after slight modi-
tications, by vote of 1858 yeas and 1919 nays.
| FRIDAY.-Mr. Grout of Vermont deliv-
cred his expected speech ON the pension APP
preparation bill. He said that, in his opin-
ion, the amount carried in the bill would
be amply sufficient for the needs of the bu-
reau during the coming year, under its pres
ent administration and policy. He gave
statistics to show that Commissioner Loeb
rem admitted pension claims at a rate only
one-fourth as fast as Commissioners Raum,
who rejected but one claim out of four,
while Lochren rejected two claims to every
one allowed. Mr.. Meredith of Virginia and
Mr.. Funk of Illinois got into an animated
| discussion over General CIRCUITS speech,
which nearly resulted in a personal en-
counter. 1t was necessary to call in the
sergeant-at-arms to suppress the belligerent
members.
SATURDAY house went into COM
mittee of the whole for the further consid-
Grafton of the pension bill. The session
was very brief one, and the proceedings
contained nothing of general interest.
MoNDAy.-In the senate, the seigniorage
bill was taken from the table, but action
was deferred until Tuesday, because of OBJ
jections made to its second readiug. Sena-
tor Allen, populist, of Nebraska, offered q
resolution which makes it the duty of a
committee to which bill, resolution or
other measure is referred, to report it back
within thirty days; and in case Of its not
doing so, the senator who introduced it is to
have the right to demand its being reported
within five days from the time the demand
| is made. The senate then went into exeCu-
tive session. - Rev. Dwight l.. Moody,
the evangelist, opened the proceedings of
the house with prayer. The bill authoriz.
ing the construction of bridge over the
East river between New York and Long
Island was passed. The house refused to
concur in all the senate amendments TO the
urgent deficiency bill except one appropri-
ating 5000 for travelling expenses of furni.
ture inspectors. The pension appro priation
bill was taken up and precipitated lively
debate. Mr.. Dolliver of Iowa criticised the
present administration of the pension office
Old broken-down soldiers, he said, and
women and children in his district had com
planned to him of the bloodless ingenuity
displayed by the interior department in
putting obstacles in the way of getting what
they were entitled to- The survivors of that
struggle of the rebellion would not be al.
lowed by the youth of the country to have
their old age embittered by denial of theil
rights. These young men were laying NJ
wrath that would kindle the popular fur
mace of the United States to a white heat
Mr.. Hepburn of Iowa scored the action o.
the representatives of the eleven late con-
federate states" for their opposition to lib
eral pensions. Not one of these states he
said, contributed dollar-not even
nickel-to the pension roll. The late Con
federate States contributed but small pro
portion to the expenses of the government
In all the ports of the United States SLIT,
000,0 900 was collected, and of this vast sun
the late Confederate States contribute but
81 100000 Mr.. Hepburn attacked with bit
terness the president for his pension vetoe'
and Secretary Hoke Smith for The influences
hostile to the Union soldier which dom
mated him in his pension policy. Mr.. En-
loe of Tennessee defended the methods o
the present administration, which, he said
had changed the political character of thu
pension examining boards for the country
good. He also made the accusation tina
persons employed in the pension office, who
were in sympathy with the last administra
ton, had rejected deserving applicants TO
pensions in order to injure the present ad
ministration, which was met by storm O
protests from republicans. The discussion
was continued until the hour of adjourn
ment.