The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-01-09
HAWAII IN THE SENATE.
HR. HOiR'S LATEST RESOLUTION
DISCUSSED AND REFERRED.
Mr.. German Defends the Administration.
Assisted by Messrs Gray md Vest
Mr. Turpites Resolution.


shoes. lead ores, wool. and other articles.
Mr.. Chandler offered a resolution d.
recting the Judiciary Committee to in
quire and report its opinion as to the
cases in which the President. may.
constitutionaily. send 70 foreign
countries agents. representatives. or
commissioners, without the advice and
consent OF the Senate. and
whether there was constitutional authori-
ty for the appointment. on March LIST.
without the advice and consent of the
Senate, Of MIR. Blount as commissioner to
the Hawaiian Islands.
MIR. Gorman Let that resolution lie
over" The resolution went over tiH to-
morrow
The resolution offered last week by Mr..
Hoar. calling on the Secretary of the
Treasury for n statement Of payments
made TO Mr.. Blount as commissioner TO
Hawaii, and the authority for such pay
ments, was laid before the Senate.
German Del nd. the ir dent.
Mr. German moved its reference TO the
Committee on Foreign Relations, and sub
mitted that The proposed inquiry was very
extraordinary. The disposition Of the
fund granted to the state Department
in the nature Of secret-service fund
was matter which ought not to be in
quired into with great particularly.
Does the senator from Maryland Mr.
H0ar asked. understand this money was
paid TO Mr.. Blount out Of the secret ser
vice funuY'
Il take it for granted that it has been,
sir. German replied although / know
nothing. about It. ! know that In the last
t,tl
sufficient sum OF money Is appro-
priated by Congress to conduct the pusi-
ness of the state Department. and that
It has heen always expended at the dts
erection of the President ana with
out further inquiry"
IAN that 1 ask" said Mr.. HOar. ''is 10
know whether MIR. Blount has been paid
out OF this secret fund or not"
II would consider II q great misfortune
under the peculiar circumstances. Mr..
German added. FOR the Senate TO enter on
an inquiry as 10 whether the secret ger-
vice fund has been properly expended by
the last administration. or by the present
one.
Two years ago We placed n fund at
the disposal Of Mr. Harrison 10 enable
rim 10 protect the interests Of the great
country and / have no doubt that Il has
bt'ii Nf NfIlHu illrfltULlNUalA Ioi the III
terests OF the country. but 40 inquiry has
been attempted or suggested. II it were /
should take the same position against it
that I take row.
Mr.. Hoar: 'lf the President desires not
b disclose details OF the expenditures. he
will direct the Secretary Of State to place
on record q certificate that sucl q sum mas
been expended, and that st Is not expe-
dent TO make the details known"
Mr. Gray asked Mr.. IIoar what his
object was in offering the resolution.
II want 70 Know" Mr.. H0ar replied.
'and | want the country 20 know, wheth-
er this gentleman, whose mission was con-
ferred upon him. and who exercised his
authority and reported his action without
the advice and cOnsen, OF the Senate,
was treated in all respects as a public
minister u the United States. | want to
have light thrown on the question whether
Mr. BlOunt was, in fact, a private agent
OF the President or whether he was treat
ed as a public agent. And the question
Of the method in which his compensation
was paid 10 him bears very strongly on
that question. That is what ] want the
information for"
os. = sinrp -arca"n.
Mr. Gray characterized the resolution as
unusual, out of the ordinary course and
$50 far as he knew without precedent.
Its adoption would be a direct reflection
on the estmable and honorable gentleman
who has filed, conscientiOusly and TO the
best OF his ability (whatever might be
the Judgment OF senator's az TO his con-
clusions). the trust which had been re-
posed in him by the President Of the
United States lie had no doubt that
there lad not been a cert Of public money
expended by Mr.. BlOunt that was not rea-
sonably necessary and reasonably Just
and pertinent to the matter In hand.
But he did not care 10 have the
Sei ate add up the items Of Mr.. Blounts
board bill and hack hire, and inquire
whether he stopped at fir5t-class hotel
cr a cheap bOarding-house.
Mr. Hoar disclaimed any such purpose
but said that II senator's on the other
side were afrad TO have any llght thrown
On the public character OF Mr.. Blount,
or were afraid that the public should un-
derstand that while he was performing
the duties OF a foreigr minister he was
not paid as a foreign minister, but was
paid out Of the secret-service fund, ne
(Hoarl would not further resist the at
tampt to have the resolution referred 10
the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Mr. German restated some points al
ready made by him, and w0s asked by
Mr. Hoar whether he had reason 70 De
neve that the payments 10 DIT. BiouhN
were q secret expenditure. His reply was
that he had no more knowledge on the
subject than every other senator had
from the public documents and from the
statements in the public press
But does the senator believe Mr..
Foar persisted, "ihat this was secret
transactionV
There is no other way that | know
Of or that is Known 10 the law, MT.
German replied, "f0r paying services OF
thai kind than from the secret-serWce
fund. III such an inquiry had been sug-
ees,ad of the last administration II would
b.yo been wrong, and / would have
resisted IT, | voted 20 place secret
service fund in the hands OF President
Harrison. and knew, when l did 30, that
n were 70 inquire afterwards into the
details OF the expenditure, ! would have
been dlscrediting him and impairing the
best interests OF the country"
Mr.. Morgan s'mpiiiies NJ tiers.
Mr. Morgan. chairman OF the Committee
on Foreign Relations, spoke OF the great
feeling and friction which the Hawaiian
question produced whenever II was touch
ed. The inquiry that had been referred
10 the Committee on Foreign Relations,
and I'm which IL was now engaged, was
Of a very broad character, and necessar-
ily included the points suggested in the
pending resolution. rhe resolution rais-
ed the question OF Irregularities In ex-
pendltures. and that question. OF course
dependcd upon two facts; first, wnetner
the President OF the United States had
the right TO appoint Mr.. blount as an
aren't. or as a Democratic authority 10
Hawaii. and second. whether Dir. Biount
had been paid out OF the contingent
,,,nd voted 10 the State Department. or
out OF some other appropriation. fhs
Committee on Foreign Relations would
necessarily ascertain and report whether
he president lad authority TO send Mr.
Rlount 10 Hawaii; whether he had sa-
,hor.tv to commission TO the extent mat