Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-21
T IS QUITE SIGNIFICANT The Senate Agreed to Mr. AL
 lens Resolution BY A VERY DECISIVE VOTE To Inquire Into the Expediency of Opening the
 Mints to Silver. TIE SENATE PASSED THE HOUSE BILL Not Dissenting vote-The Blind Chaplain's Prayer for ''Peace on Earth and Good Will Towards Men'' Accorded
 an Unusual Privilego.
BY A VERY DECISIVE VOTE
TIE SENATE PASSED THE HOUSE BILL

Washington, Dec. 20.-The house was in session but twenty minutes today and transacted but little business of inn portance.
 MT. Thomas, republican,, of Michigan, presented a resolution reciting the fact of an election for congressman in the first district of Virginia on November 6, 1894, resulting in the return of w. A. Jones; that J. J. Mcdonnell, a candidate at the election, alleged fraud in the con test, which, if eliminated, would result in his (McDonnells) election, and grant ing Mcdonnell permission to contest Jones election as if it had begun in due and regular order. This, with sworn statement of the case. was referred to the committee on elections. At 1920 the house took a recess for one hour. It re- assembled at 1:20 and immediately ad- journed until tomorrow without trans acting any further business
 The Senate.
 The proceedings in the senate to- day were opened by a prayer by its. blind chaplain, invoking the Christmas influence of peace on earth and good will towards men," It was delivered with such feeling, earnest ness and eloquence that it was ordered to be printed in the Record-a very ur- usual privilege to be accorded to a chap lain's opening prayer.
 The day, however, did not respond to that peaceful opening and when the hour of adjournment came the senate had passed without amendment and without a single negative vote the house bill ap- propriating 100000 for q commission to report to the president on the true divi- sional line between the republic of Ven eZuela and British Guiana.
 Mir. Sherman'S. republican. of Ohio. amendment, fixing the number of com missioners at three and requiring their appointment with the advice of the sen ate, was reported from the committee on foreign relations, but it had very little support in the senate, and was, at the close of the debate, laid on the table without A division and with only two or three negative votes-the vote being viva voce.
 The debate took a more exciting turn than that of the preceding day. It was opened by Mir Platt. republican, of Con necticut who said there was no reason to suppose that war was to be precipi- tated, but that the American people were never more in earnest since the revolu- tion than they were now.
 MT. Sherman made a plea, declaring himself, that the matter would be settled by arrangement between Great Britain and Venezuela without drop of Amer ican blood being shed.
 
 how the revenues to carry on war were to be obtained. He suggested that before going into a war the constitution should be amended so as to enable congress to levy personal taxes, particularly the in- come tax.
 Mr. Lodge. republican, of Massachu- setts, derided the attempt of English cap italists to create panic in Wall street, and notified them that the call of loans was not the road to an honora- ble and peaceful settlement.
 MT. Stewart, populist, of Nevada, ascribed the aroused feeling of the Amer lean people to English arrogance, and declared that England could put an end to the excitement by being honest and reasonable.
 MT. White, democrat, of California, be- lieved that when the facts became known there would be an honorable solution of the difficulty.
 Mr. Caffery, democrat, of Louisiana. looked upon the appointment of the pro- posed commission as warlike step and as very oxtreme application of the Monroe doc e.
 MT. Chan gave touch of humor and sprightl ss to the debate by laud- ing the pre- nt (wth more or less sin cerity) for s owing himself to be patriot ic and American and for being inspired by the geniuses of Massachusetts in the state department.
 MT Turpie, democrat. of Indiana, spoke or the DlJl as lHe CIoSSilS ol tHS iNupi- con-" 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 commission bill the senate went into ex- ecutiye session., and there, among other things, agreed to the house concurrent resolution for holiday recess, with an amendment fixing its beginning for to- morrow and it's close for the 9th of Jan- uary
 
 sage from the president was laid before the senate urging the necessity of prompt aid for the finances of the government, and that congress should not take re- cess until the necessary financial action be provided.
 Before the Venezuelan matter came be- fore the senate, the resolution offered yesterday by MT. Allen, populist. of Ne braska directing the finance committee to inquire into the advisa bility of open ing our hints to the free coinage of silver and the issue of treasury notes to provide for the contingency of war between the British empire and the United States of America, was taken up, and MT. Allen proceeded to deliver some very caustic remarks at the expense of the president and his supporters on both sides Of the chamber. He said he could conceive of no sufficient reason for the delivery of the presidents message. There did not seem to be any demand for it. It occurred to him that the president, naVlnS iost ehe confidence of the people to some extent during the administration of he wo years years and nine months, was seeking to re- store himself and his party to their confi- dence. MT. Allen referred to the bill re- gently introduced by Mir. Hill, to enable ex-Confederate officers to be commis- stoned as officers in the army and navy of the United States, the one introduced by MT. Chan dler for an appropriation for $100,- 100000 for rifles and cannons. and two in- troduced by Mr. Hale. for increase of the navy and for reconstruction of the United States ship Constitution, as so many proofs of the war spirit in the senate.