The Butler weekly times., 1895-12-26
THE SENATE.
The House Bill for a Venezuelan
Commission Debated
SENATOR SIBERIAN AGAINST 4 WAR.
He Relieves That Great Britain Has Toe
Much al stake to Invite n Hostile
Encounter with This
Country.

WASHINGTON bee 9tL-N hen the
house Venezuelan bill was laid before
the senate, Mr.. Morgan immediately
moved 10 refer il TO the committee on
foreign relations. and took the floor in
support OF his motion The senate
should not be hasty. he said. The bill
should be, in his opinion. deliberated
upon as long as necessary TO secure an
absolutely correct Judgment and he
believed that it should first have
its consideration in the commit
tee, but-and here he paused-he
wanted it distinctly understood that he
would oppose such a reference unless
it was made with the distinct under
standing that congress should not
take tie holiday recess until it was re-
ported oack- The question presented
was whether congress should at this
time blaze the policy of the United
States or leave it in the presidents
hands as still in the field of diplomacy.
So far as the Monroe doctrine was con-
cerned, that had been definitely settled
by the action OF the president
Mr. Cleveland's message, and more
particularly Mr., Olney's note to the
British prime minister placed the Mon
roe doctrine in a clear. substantial and
unequivocal light before the world, and
any action congress took in affirming
it, whether by the passage of the
house bill, amended or unamended,
could not be mistaken. Mr. Morgan
congratulated the country that the
consummation had been reached.
Mr.. sherman followed Senator Nor
gan. saying that he heartily applauded
what had been said by Mr. Morgan
He thought the resolution should be
amended and that it should go to the
committee for this purpose There
is no hurry" he said. The contro-
versy will not be settled in day or a
month, and l do not believe that
war between Great Britain and the
United States will form feature of
the settlement. | do not contemplate
or wish to contemplate hostile result.
have seen enough of war to dread it's
consequences and believe that Great
Britain will soon realize that she has
too much at stake to invite a hostile
encounter with this country"
But while he held this view he be-
lieved the president to be right in taxi
ing the position that the United States
as the strongest nation on this hemi-
sphere should not permit weaker ma
tions on this side of the Atlantic to
be trampled upon by European powers.
Nor did he believe that the English
people would support their officials in
refusing to submit the question to
arbitration.
Mr.. Lodge. of Massachusetts, fol-
lowed IN a vigorous speech. He said
that he was not in haste, but he
thought the time for the committee to
report should be limited, and gave no
tice of an amendment providing that
the committee should report hv April
l. He did not think that the Monroe
doctrine could be upheld as PROPOSE
ton of international law, but he be-
lieved that it should be supported as
the declaration of independence was
supported, because it was an American
doctrine.
Mr.. Voorhees, spoke in favor of inn
mediate action. Great Britain took
months to say that she would not arbi-
trate. He thought this country should
not make any further delay, but ap-
point commission to see what be-
longed to Great Britain, and give her
that and no more. He did not believe
there was any danger of war, but
thought the dignity of the United
States demanded that congress should
act without any further delay
Mr.. Chandler sent to the desk and
had read petition dated February 10,
1895, to the president and congress of
the United States, signed by several
hundred members of the British house
Of commons, praying that the United
States would enter into a treaty for
the arbitration of all international
questions Mr.. Chandler made no COM
ment on the petition. Mr. Teller fol-
lowed with speech and said should
we go to war we would not be without
allies and he sketched the conflicting
interests with European powers. On
Mr.. Allss's objection the bill went over
till to-day.
After a short executive session the
senate adjourned.