The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-12-25
Solid Senate.
The House Venezuelan Com.
mission Bill Unanimously
Adopted.

ceedlngs IN the senate To-Day we're open
ed with prayer by its blind chaplain,
invoking the Christmas influence Of
"peace on earth aud good will to men, ;"
aud asking that the two greatest natioos
Of the earth of one language. one faith,
one baptism one Lord should DOT be en-
broiled in war 1t was delivered with
such feeling, earnestress and elcquence
that it was ordered to be printed in the
Record very unusal privilege to be
accorded to chaplaia's opening prayer.
The day, however, did not respond to
that peaceful opering, aud when the
hour Of adjournment came the senate
had passed, without amendment, and
without single negative vote, the
house bill appropriatiog 100000 for
commission to report to the Presiden: on
the true divisional lipe between the re-
public Of Venezuela and British Guiana.
Mr. Shermar's (Rep of Ohio) amend
menc fixing the number of commits
siouers at three and requiring the ap.
pcintmcnt to ''be by and with the ad
vice Of the senate was reported from
the committee on foreign relations, but
it had very little support 10 the senate,
aud was at the close Of debate laid or
the table without division. and with
only two or three negative votes, the
vote being viva voce.
The debate took more excited turn
than that Of the preceding day 1t was
opened by Mr.. Plat (Rep. } of Conoecti
cut, who said there was no reason to
suppose that war was to be precipitated,
but that the American people would not
ehun war, aud that they we're never
more 10 earnest since the Revolution
than they we're now.
Mr.. Sherman made plea against ex-
citmept aud eagerness to arouse the pa
triotism of the American people, and
declared his firm belief that the matter
would be settled by arrangement be.
tween Great britain and Venezuela
without drop of American blood being
shed.
Mr.. Mills deprecated war and in-
quired how the revenues to carry on war
we're to be obtained. He suggested
that before going into war the Con.
stitution should be amended so as to
enable congress to levy personal taxes,
particularly the income tax.
Mr.. Lodge (Rep.) of Massachusetts
derided the attempt of English capt.
talists to create panic in Wall street,
and notified them that the call of loans
and the Withdrawal of gold were not the
roads to an honorable and peaceful set
Element
MIR. Stewart (Pop) of Nevada
ascribed the aroused feeling of she
American people to English arrogance,
and declared that England could put an
end to the excitement by being honest
aod reasonable.
Mr.. White (Dem. of California be-
lieved that when the facts became
known there would be an honorable
solution of the difficulty.
Mr.. Caffery (Dem.) Of Louisiana
looked upon the appointment Of the
proposed commission as warlike step
and very extreme application of the
Monroe doctrine
Mr.. Chandler gave touch of humor
ard sprightliness to the debate by laud.
log the President with more or less
sincerity for showing himself to be
patriotic and American and for being
inspired by the genius of Massachusetts
10 the state department.
Mr. Turpie spoke of the bill as "the
crossing of the Rubicon' And so the
discussion went on to the close, when
the bill was passed just as it came from
the house. After the passage of the
Venezuelan bill, the senate went into
executive session, and there among
other things, agreed to the house con-
current resolution for holiday recess,
With an amendment 6xlug its beginning
for tomorrow aud it's close for the 9Th of
January.
Before the Venezuelan matter came
before the senate, the resolution offered
yesterday by Mr. Allen (Pop.) of Ne
braska, directing the finance committee
to inquire into the advisability of open
ing our mints to the free coinage o.
silver and the issue Of treasury notes to
provide for the contingency of war be-
tween the British empire and the
United States Of America vas taken up;
aud Mr. Allen proceeded to deliver
some very caustic ranarks at the ex-
pense of the President and his sup
porters on both sides of the chamber.
He said that be could conceive of 20
sufficient cause for the delivery of the
Presidents message. There did not
seem to be any demand for it. 1t oc.
cured to him, that the President, nav