The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-20
willing TO see that their rights shall not
be trampled upon by European powers
A SERIOUS CONTROVERSY.

SERIOUS CONTROVERSY. +
AS matter OF course. we cannot In
terfere In any agreement made between
Venezuela and Great Britain as TO the
| boundary between Venezuela and British
| Guiana: but | have map here tpointing
| to ~, which shows repeated encroach-
| ments made by Great Britain. This Is
a serious controversy. and Great Britain
has taken the ground that she Will not
even submit IL to arbitration.
| Now. | think that the British people,
| when they understand this matter. when
they see that II has attracted the at
tention Of the civilized world, viii not
| insis upon that refusal. and especially
when II is recolfected that the Monroe
doctrine was not, perhaps. as much inc
doctrine OF Monroe as 1T was the doc
| trine OF Mr.. Canning, the English Prime
| Minister While we are In no hurry, !
do not wish this matter to pend beyond
the present session.
But | do think that the bill ought 10
! be referred 10 the Committee on for-
cign Relations. and that IT should be
acted upon promptly. Let that commit
tee hear suggestions OF amendment TO the
House bill II all amendments be voted
down by the con mittee and the senate
and II they choose TO take the House
| bill. well and good.
I'VE viii pass H.
But | demand the right of the Senate
| TO consider so grave proposition as
! this. and not 10 be hurried in its con-
sidcration
a ST Ow-MOvING BODY.
1T Is supposed that we are a slow
moving body Well we ought to he:
This bill ought TO be referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations. and the
committee should be instructed TO re-
port II back: say. tomorrow or at any
other time necessary. and let 1T then
be discussed in the. Senate. If the com
mittoe reports that amendments are ne
cessary. and If the Senate adopts those
amendments l have no doubt that the
House will also agree 10 them: and II
the committee does not report any
amendments the Senate will pass the biz;
as IL came from the House. This Will
show no haste or excitement"
Mr.. Lodge said that IT would be difficult
10 eXagerate the gravity of the question
involved in the bill. II seemed 20 him
that the proper course for the Senate to
take with such an important matter was
the usual course-to send the bill 10 the
Committee on Foreign Relations. and TO
instruct that committee TO report at once.
tomorrow If the Senate so pleased. He
did not think that Congress ought to ad-
journ for the holidays until the bill was
disposed of. He had not the least desire
to delay action.
on the contrary. he wished 10 expedite
it i'm every possible way. But he thought
that action by the Senate in its ordinary
and usual way. after the report of COM
mittce, would have far more weight. and
would meet much more certainty with the
appreciation of the whole American people
than If the bill was passed now without
having consideration from the appropri-
ate committee.
If 1t were referred to-day, it would be
reported back tomorrow and passed by
the Senate.
THE HOLIDAY QUESTION.
Let Congress-" Mr. Lodge exclaimed
remain in session until the bin is dis
posed Of" Surely at this time senator's
are not going 10 set the question Of hol-
iday against dealing with a matter which
involves a priciple on which are staked
the interests and safety Of the United
States, and which may bring hostilities
between the great English speaking ma
tons Of the world. 1t IS of the most i'm
portance that we shah show to the world
that we are united without distinction Of
party or Of section in support of the policy
which the Presidents message outlines.
We shall be able to say. as Webster
said. that our politics stops at the waters
eige. and that when we come 10 deal with
"A foreign question, we are all simply
Americans.
1T has been freely charged I'm the Eng
lish Press published in London and that
smaller edition Of it. published in the
city of New York, that this whole thing
is matter of politics, and that 1t is
being used by the President for election
eering purposes. This is the most mis-
taken view ever uttered. believe that
American people. without the distinction
of PARTY believe in the Monroe doctrine"
Mr. Voorhees, said that he could see no
reason why action on the House bill could
not be taken at once. lie was not con-
tempating war or peace. He was con-
templatng what was right i'm the case.
He was not in haste, and the English
Government had not been in haste, when
il took five months TO make up its mind
what answer 10 give to Mr.. Olney's dis
patch or whether it would answer II at
all.
He had no fear of war. He looked upon
war as a horror. and hoped that every
Christian man did so. But there would
be no war over this matter.
CANADA A HOSTAGE.
There is a hostage" Mr.. VOORHEES, ex-
claimed. vehemently. ION this continent
north of us, and England will not fight
on an issue of this kind She does not
dare TO do so. The commerce of the
world is in English bottoms Now, there
would be an adjustment and a settle
ment. Let us have that understood and
we will 80 along peaceably. Let us now
so forward and settle the question for
ourselves so far as our responsibilities
are involved
Let England have what belongs TO her.
and no more. i trust that we will waste
no further time on this great question.
but dispose of IT, pass the bill and let
the President appoint his commission"
Mr.. Allen objected TO the second read
ing Of the bill to-day, so that the motion
to refer could not be entertained
There was no doubt. he said, that there
was unanimous agreement in the Senate
on the subject Of the Monroe doctrine
Nobody Inexperienced the force of
that doctrine or what II was. But there
might be a grave question as TO its APP
plcation TO this particular case He
looked upon IL not as a rule Of interna-
tional law except so far as il was a rule
of national self-defence.
AN UNWISE ASSUMPTION.
Mr.. Hawley said II was not wise TO as
sumo that Great Britain will not fight.
and he regretted the exceedingly warlike
tone of the speech of the Senator from
Indiana. What the Senate of the United
States wanted was the facts, and they
could be had only through commission.
The bill should 20 TO the committee for
careful consideration II the Senate should
act upon the bill without having received
the mature consideration of the Commit
tee on Foreign Relations II would be re-