Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-18
Mr.. Hits Bill for a Commission
Promptly Acted On.
SOME HESITATION BY SENATORS
It Will PsSRab1y Pass Before the
Ho!dEay adjournment.
W H AT MR.. HIT SAY s;


Hit. and adopted by reclamation, was
identical with that offered by Mr. Crisp last
| evening, but was cut off by adjournment,
the hour being late. The course of Mr..
Boutelle this morning indicates that prob
ably the adjournment which cut Mr.. Crisp
off prevented prolonged debate on the
question, and made 1t possible this morning
to pass the bill, offered by a republican,
without an antagonistic vote. There is
evidently no division of party on the ques-
ton, and no display of party feeling. Mr..
| Boutelle's proposition to send the bill to a
committee did not have the support of a
! voice in either party. and he did not himself
press it, The republicans, more than the
democrats, possibly, manifested their disap-
| prevail of his suggestion.
The Houses Prompt Action.
AS far as the House IS concerned the
| matter is disposed of until such time as
| the commission is ready to report, and
every requisite aid has been given to the
President to ascertain the essential facts
| as to the controversy. and a determination
| to sustain the administration in a position
| of firmness predicated upon the facts when
| verified has been indicated. All this has
| been done promptly that there may be no
| misrepresentation on the part of Great
! Britain as to the attitude of the American
Congress. In the Senate there is some
difference of opinion TO the exact method
| of dealing with the proposition for a COM
mission, but there is apparently no danger
OF controversy as to the general PROPOSE
| ton. Some Senators want to go through
the form of consideration of the measure
| by committee with the view of making
some provisions not included in the meas
| ure as passed by the House.
Time for the Report.
| The thing they particularly want is to
! provide a limit Of time within which the
| commission must report. The objection
| made by good many Senators to this is
| that the time taken for these rormalitics
| will delay the appointment of the commits
| sion and cause the delay which all profess
to be anxious to avoid. Persons who have
talked with Mr.. Cleveland on the subject
are convinced that he desired a very early
report frCm the commission. and will SO
| Indicate to them on their appointment.
Sixty days is ramed as the greatest length
of time it would probably take for the
| commission to complete the Investigation
| if they are satuhprized at once. The Sena-
| tors who suggest deiiberation would have
| the committee on foreign relations com
pleted at once, and the matter referred to
| them Tor a>report. This contemplates a
| possible delay of action by the Senate
proper untiihftet the holidays, and, there
| fore, it is not popular.
4 considerable rUmber OF Senators on
| both sides of the chamber say that there can
be no holiday adjournment until after the
| House bill has been acted on by the SEN
| ate. and that If the matter goes to the COM
| mittee it must t1 with the understanding
| that the report will be made in time for &C
ton before the holidays. Every suggestion
| of delay or hesitation on the part of any
| one appears to meet with general diSfavor.
MI Hit explains that his failure to pro-
| vide time ,wlthin which the report of the
| commission shall be made was because he
| deemed IL UNNECESSARY. He was satisfied
| hat hA IL DO
| possible. r.H - ~.
Standing by Nr. OIney's Propositions.
The sentiment is as strong as possible il
favor of standing by the propositions sci
| down in Oney's letter. If there is any con
| trary sentiment it is smothered in the gen.
| eral reclamation of enthusiasm for tn.
| Monroe doctrine. The possibility of the
| United States yielding is not considered
| The universal expression in both houses o,
| Congress is that England alone can pre-
Vent the situation developing to the worst
| results. In just one direction do they see ar
| escape which England may avail herself o,
| to avoid hostilites. That is through {
| speedy settlement with Venezuela on 9
| basis satisfactory to the latter country
| This is vagl ely suggested in one part OF
| Lord SaliSbury's dispatch. yet the genera
| tone of the Dispatch is regarded as ironica
| and sometimes almost contemptuouS Of the
| american claim. This peculiar tone leads
| many to believe that Great Brltain is deter
| mined to join the issue and to hold out t.
| the last extreme against the recognition OF
| the principles contended for by this country
| At all events, it is indicated that steps
| will be taken. unostentatiously, by the eX
| ecutive and by Congress to prepare fol
whatever. manner of enforcement of oui
| position may he necessary.
Names Suggested.
| There Is, of course, question about the
| authority being given for the commission
1t may not be given by the Senate today
or even tomorrow. but there will surely be
| no considerable delay. The belief is that a
very strong commission Will be appointed
The names of Chief Justice Fuller, eN-
| President Harrison. ex-senator EdmundS
| eX-Minister Phelps and Mr. Coudert of New
| York mentioned.
| VIII Not Leave This City.
1t is the impression of the republican
end democratic leaders In the House that
the Venezl elan commission will perform
| its work in this city and will make its re-
| port to Congress at a comparatively early
| day. Mr.. Hit Of Illinois. who Is looked
| upon as the probable chairman of the
| House committee on foreign affairs, and
| who is probably we'll posted upon the
Venezuelan que stton as any man living.
| through his service on the foreign affairs
| committee in the past and his incumbency
| CT the office of assistant secretary of state
| in 1881, has stated that he thinks this will
| be the case.
Evidence at Hand.
| Mr. Hit said that the purpose of this
commission is to sit in a judicial capacity
| to weigh evidence presented to 1t. and tc
| determine a question of fact based upon
| such evidence The evidence in the case
| in behalf of Venezuela Is already at hand
There are on file In the archives of the
government and also conveniently at hand
| in other places all of the data upon the
| Venezuelan side OF the question. 1t is true
| he said, that all of the British claims and
contentious in the case at issue have moi
been presented, and there is no likelihood
of them bong submitted Inasmuch as
| Great Britain has steadily refused hereto
! fore to substantiate the claims which she
has put forWardy by presenting document
| airy evidence and has declined to leave the
matter to arbitration. it is not likely thai
! she will lay before the commission any
evidence Ing her sown behalf. Under these
considerations Mr.. Hit thinks that it i:
not at all likely; that Great Britains cas-,
| will be beard or. her pretensions weighed
| to a greater extent than has already beer
done in the investigations which Mr.. Olney
has evidently made up to this time.
| Not Enthusiastic.