The San Francisco call., 1895-12-19
HARRISON MENTIONED.
May Be a Member of the Investi.
eating Commission.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 18.-There
was considerable speculation among mem
bers of the House to-day as to the person
mel of the commission which the Presi-
dent, if the bill passed by the House be-
comes law, will appoint to investigate
the divisional line between Venezuela and
British Guiana. Had not the House ad-
journed at so early an hour ii was the pur
pose of McCreary of Kentucky. who has
been three times the chairman of the Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs, to offer reso-
luton that the number of commissioners
shall be five; that they shall report to the
President as soon as practicable, and that
they be authorized to take whatever action
may be necessary and proper to perform
the duties assigned to them.
Already gossip is busy connecting the
name of Chief Justice Fuller of the Su-
preme Court, ex-President Harrison, ex-
Senator Edmunds of Vermont and other
well-known men with the proposed COM
mission. But m Meantime the resolution has
to run the gauntlet OF the Senate Commit
tee on Foreign Relations, some of whose
members have manifested disposition to
load it down with important amendments.
for the expenses of a commission to inves-
tigate the Venezuelan boundary question,
as suggested by the President, caused a
renewal of the debate of the day before on
our foreign relations.
The Republicans agreed that it would be
the part of wisdom for this measure to be
referred to the Committee on Foreign Re-
lations for revision and amendment, and
the debate showed that there was una
nimity Of sentiment in favor of amending
the measure by incorporating in it the text
of the Monroe doctrine, that doctrine
never having been given the full force of
legislative enactment by Congress. The
time within which the commission shall
report was also taken into con sderation
and the time when their report must be
made fixed.
The statement was made by one of the
speakers that all the data needed by this
commission was now on file in the State
Department, and that full and thorough
report could be made within sixty days.
It was agreed that it would not do to let
the idea go abroad that the commission
was intended as a time-consuming affair,
during the deliberations of which the mat
ter at issue between this country and
Great Britain would be permitted to pass
out of sight. Its report was to be made at
as early a moment as possible and when
that was done Congress would be called
upon to act.
The war feeling was just as apparent as
it was during the caucus of yesterday, and
all those who spoke took strong grounds
in favor of upholding the President and
backing him in the enforcement of the
Monroe doctrine
Press dispatches to the effect that Great
Britain was to secure the island of Cuba,
either by purchase or by exchanging Glib
raltar, cansed the discussion to take turn
in that direction. The prevailing senti-
ment on this matter was that if England
sought to take possession of Cuba or Spain
sought to dispose of the island, such act
would be accepted as declaration of war.
The island must remain as the property of
Spain or it must oe given its independence.
In the hands of any other power it
would be menace to the United States,
and if such an affront to the Government
was attempted, the Republicans asserted,
this Government must fight.
The temper of the Republicans who took
part in the debate and of those who did
not speak but who indorsed what was said,
shows that the President will receive the
hearty cooperation of the majority party
in the Senate, and that his foreign policy
in this matter is thoroughly and man.
fully supported.