The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1895-12-26
CONGRESSIONAL

ton Of the Senate during its brief session.
/ Secretary Cox read the document amid inn
prcssive silence, the Senators following
: every word with intense interest The con-
! Guiding sentence of tho message was
no sooner read than a demonstration oc-
Cured almost unparalleled in the his
tory of the upper branch of Congress. sem
! ators on both sides of the chamber joining in
! their expressions of approval by long-continued
! hand clapping. The message and accompany
| ing documents were at once referred to the
committee on foreign relations, and beyond the
reading of the document no debate or reference
to it occurred during the session.
While the time of the House was mainly alb
sorbed in a debate ON the Republican plan to
create three committees of nine members each
to deal with the election contests, its interest
was centered upon the Presidents message.
The debate upon tho election committee plan
was fruitful of partisan discussion of election
methods in the House, and the Republican oil
icy of de iling with contests in the Fifty-6rst
Congress The principal speakers were:
Cannon of Illinois, Dalzell of Pennsylvania,
johnson of Indiana and Powers of Vermont,
Repub licans and Crisp of Georgia, Bartlett of
New York, Wheeler of Alabama. and Bailey Of
! Texas. Democrats. The plan was adopted by a
party vote. The presidents message laid On the
speakers table until late in the afternoon,
when it was read and received with much en-
thusiasm by members of both parties.
Dec. 1s.-Tho session of the House did not
last an hour but it sufficed for the passage of a
bill authorizing the president to appoint q
commission to investigate the Venezuela
boundary and appropriating 100000 for the
expenses of the commission. The bill, which
carries into effect the recommendations of the
Presidents message, was prepared by Mr..
HIT, Republican,, Illinois Although sever
al Republican leaders expressed them
selves in conversation as favoring the
reference of the bill to the COM
mittee on foreign affairs for a report. Mr..
Boutelle of Maine was the only one who voiced
that view on tn floor. Speeches for the bill
were made by Mr.. Hit and MIR. Crisp, and at
tempted by ether me nbers, who could not Sc
cure recognition There was no vote against it,
and considerable applause was given to the
patriotic references in the speeches. The house
decided to have its holiday recess extend from
Friday, December 0, to Friday, January 3, a va
cation of two weeks
belligerency prevalent. and from the outset of
the session the measures proposed breathed q
spirit of patriot SIN and of preparation for any
emergency that might arise concerning Vene-
zuela. The first bill introduced was that of Mr..
Chandler of New Hampshire, providing an ap.
preparation of $10O. 900 for heavy increase
in the national armament. This was quickly
followed by propositions authorizing the secre-
tary Of war to purchase late device for heavy
battery, and for a report on the feasibility of
equipping for service tho old ship Constitution
Mr. Hill of New York asked immediate cOnsid-
Grafton for bill making ex-C0nfederates
eligible to service in tho army and navy
Aside from these steps inaugurating legislation
the day was passed without decisive action on
the Venezuelan question. The first investiga-
ton of the session was started by tho passage
OF Mr. Calls long pending resolution for an in.
quiry into alleged corporate influences operat-
ing in the election of United States Senators
on the subject OF British encroachments, the
Senate agreed to a resolution introduced by
Mr.. Davis calling on the President for inform
alton as to British or Canadian occupation mil
itary or civil. Of any part of tho United States
territory of Alaska. Throughout the day the
CALLER les were crowded beyond their capacity,
showing the keen public interest in anticipated
developments ON the British Venezuela ques-
ton.
Dec. 1.-The spirit of Americanism still
broOded over the senate today, but although
every senator who spoke upon the subject in
dorsed the position of the president, all ex-
pressed the opinion that war would not result.
Still the gravity of the situation was not UNDER
estimated The immediate question before tho
senate was the house bill APP ropriating $1,000
to detray the expenses of the commission recon-
mended by the president. There was some
difference OF opinion as to what disposition
should be made of it, the general
opinion being that it should go to the commit
tee on foreign relations The debate, however,
had no practical result. as Mr.. Allen, Populist,
Nebraska, objected to the 'cond reading of the
bill. Before the Venezuela discus sion occurred,
Mr.. Cockren present ted with a favorable report
the house resolution for holiday recess be-
ginning Tomorrow: but Mr.. Chandler, Repub-
iican, New Hampshire. asked that it lie on the
table. Mr.. Allea, POpulist. Nebraska, 9 aused
broad smile to go around the chamber when
he Sknd for fhQ iuYnodiafo nf
lengthy resolution reciting that in view
OF the possible contingency of war with
Great Britain, as result of the conflict over the
Venezuelan boundary dispute, and that tho
first essential in time of war was money, that
the comm ittee on finance be instructed to in
quire into the advisability of opening the mints
to the free coinage of silver. After some good
natured spa rring, Mr.. German objected to its
consideration.
Dec O.-The Senate, by unanimous vote and
without the formality of a roll call passed. the
bill already adopted by the House of Represen-
tatives empowering the president to appoint a
commission to determine the Vene. uela- Brit.
ish Guiana boundary. This action was tn, cul.
mination of debate adding a memor able page
to Congressional history. 1t was day of nota-
BILE speeches by notable men. Tho subject
of war between the United States and
Great Britain was the prevailing theme,
which found expression in lofty, patriotic sem
tiiHcuts, Ia SIAIII1S dppod1S IOr prepdr8Cl ana
defense, in graohic portrayals of the horrors of
war, and, at times. in defiant warnings to the
people across the water. The most notable
utterances a the day were those of Senators
Sherman. Teller, Mills, Lodge Plat, Turpie,
Chandler. White, Gallery, Call and Stewart,
representing the three shades Of political GEN.
timent and yet in tho main uniform in urging
the support of the president, vigorous. as
sertion of the Monroe doctrine, and, il
need be. any action essential +, maintain
the national dignity. There were strong ex-
pressions, also. against the panic in American
stocks and securities, which it was said the
London commercial houses were seekin: to
bring about Throughout the debate there was
an undercurrent Of feeling that while the coun.
try would not shrink from war. il it must coma.
yet such a calamity was not imminent
Dec. H.-Speaker Reed announced his selec-
tions for the House committees. The Presi-
dents financial message was referred to tho
committee on ways and meanA Adjourned till
Monday.
In the Senate resolutions were introduced
providing for the coinage Of silver bullion Dur.
chased under the Sherman act into silver dol.