Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-29
From the Chairs Decision on the
Investigation Report.
SAYS IT is NOT A PRIVILEGED QUESTION
He Has a Lively Tilt With Mr..
Harris of Tennessee.
THE STATE BANK TAX BILL

| refuse to give Senator Gray's bribery and
sugar investigating committee the sources
of their information was brought before the
| Senate today in the shape of a report from
| that committee.
In the morning hour Mr.. Kyle of South
Dakota, in order to avoid further conflict
over the passage of a resolution declaring
the sense of the Senate to be against nom
interference with the affairs of the Ha-
wallan Islands, agreed to waive a vote on
his resolution if vote could be secured on
the Turpie resolution reported from the
committee on foreign relations.
Mr. Vest of Missouri offered as a substi-
tute Tor the Turpie resolution, one declaring
that from the facts and papers before the
senate, IL would be unwise and inexpedient
10 consider the project of annexation that
tne highest International interests require
that the people of the Sandwich Islands
should choose their own form of government
ana line OF policy, and that foreign inter-
| ference with the affairs of these islands
would be regarded as an act unfriendly to
the United States.
Mr.. Hoar moved to lay Mr.. Vests substi-
tute on the table. The motion was carried
56-lS, Mr.. Hill voting in the affirmative
The morning hour expired while the vote
was being taken, and upon the announce
ment or the result, Mr.. Harris demanded
Inc regular order, and the tariff bill was
laid before the Senate
Mr.. PETER, stating that he believed the
Hawaiian resolutions could be disposed Of
without further debate. moved to tenn
porarily lay aside The tariff bill until they
could be passed on.
1t was defeated, yeas %: nays, 2S Mr..
Hill again voted in the affirmative
The Tariff Bill.
The tariff bill was then proceeded with,
Mr.. Proctor VtD taking the floor to de-
liver prepared speech.
The major portion of his speech was de-
voted to the effect of the pending bill on
the trade relations of the United States
sphere.
Mr.. Proctor finished at IL As, and Mr..
Pettigrew IS. d. took the floor and de-
livered prepared speech in opposition to
the bill
The investigation Report Presented
When Senator Gray presented the report
of the investigation committee Senator Hill
objected to its presentation. Senator Gray
called for its reading, saying it was privi-
legged. Senator Aldrich did not want the re-
port read and claimed the rules did not al
low 1t. Senator Hill con tended that the re-
port should be read, and then the matter
OF It's presentation and privilege could be
determined.
Senator Henderson claimed that Senator
Gray had said he rose to a privileged uues-
ton and the matter must be so considered
Senator Hoar argued that report from
the committee took precedence over every
thing else.
Senator Faulkner, in the chair. decided
that II was question of the highest privi-
lege, and decided that the report should be
read: and the clerk proceeded with the
reading.
AT the conclusion of the reading of the
Gray report Mr.. Hill arose, and Mr. AL
drich wanted to know what was before the
senate Mr.. Hill said he would state what
he believed was before the Senate. He said
the question was now whether the pending
Dill could be set aside, and involved the
question Was this a privileged report?"
Tilt Between Hill and Harris.
Mr.. Hill said the matter of the specula ton
in sugar stock would involve only a matter
of propriety and not of privilege
During Mr.. HIS remarks Mr. Harris rose
to question of order, and said the chair
must hold the report a question of privilege
and debate was not In order
During Mr.. Harris remarks Mr. Hill grew
impatient and said he objected to the
Senator making a speech.
The matter of contributions to the cam
paign also did not involve a question of
privilege. The only question Of privilege
involved was in that relating to attempted
bribery.
try and make the report upon the two other
branches of the resolution privileged mat
ter.
Mr.. Harris rose to a question of order and
Mr.. Hill declined to yield. saying this is
matter for the chair to decide, and he did
not need any suggestion from Mr.. Harris
And it was matter in which the Senator
from Tennessee had not business to in
terfere. He also said that the Senator from
Tennessee knew he was about to conclude
or he would not have interfered
Mr.. Aldrich and Mr.. Gray then took I'D
the discussion. Senator Davis asked Mr.
Aldrich If 1T was not a question of privil-
ege. When a committee of the Senate re-
ported that certain witnesses before that
committee were in contempt of the Senate
Mr.. Al1rich thought it was not
Senator Lodge said this was a question OF
general parliamentary law. The report of
the contumacy of n witness was a question
of highest privilege. the only thing before
the Senate was for the chair to decide
whether the matter was a privileged report
The Chairs Decision Appealed From
Vice President Stevenson ruled that it was
a privileged report.
Hill appealed from the decision of the
chair and asked to be heard
He made vigorous speech against the
decision. He asserted that as soon as the
report was decided privileged certain duties
devolved on the chair-the certifcation of
the facts to district attorney for proceed
ing under the statutes. He claimed the SEN
ate had the right to direct the Vice Presi-
dent not to make any such certification or
refer the report back to the Senate The
whole matter was within the power of the
Senate.
Hill went on to argue the question of the
right of witness to refuse to testify and
the lack of right to compel a witness to
testify in injury to himself
Under the ruling of the chair two-thirds
in fact, three-fourths, or almost unant-
nous Senate would have no power over the
committee. 1t was proper to investigate the
charges of bribery. He doubted the wisdom
of the proceedings 1t was not the duty of
the Senate to investigate the truthfuness Of
newspaper men. If it did it would have it's
hands full all the time
Senator Allen Reminded him of the terms
of the resolution, and claimed that the
charges were sufficiently explicit to investi-
gate, and referred to the speculation in
sugar stock.
The Right to Speculate.
Mr.. Hill declared that the committee
would have no power to compel a Senator
to say whether he had specialized in sugar
| stock or not. "A Senator might speculate on
any kind of stock and violate no law 1t
was a matter of proprety.
Mr.. Allen claimed that such speculation
in matters which might be affected by his
vote would shake the foundations of the
government.
Mr.. Hill again insisted that a Senator
had a legal right to speculate
Mr.. Allen-But no moral right.
Mr.. Hill-That is another thing.
Go for the Men Themselves.
Senator Hill went on to say that he did
not approve of Senators specializing in
sugar stock He had no ohiectiop 70 tb;e