The record-union., 1895-02-26
WORKING NIGHT AND DAY ON
APPROPRIATION BILLS
The Behring Sea Award Bill for Money
Proposed to be Paid by Secretary
Gresham to the British Government
on Account of the Seizure of Ves-
sels Defeated In the House by q De-
cided Majority.
Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.


them before the session closes. The sun
dry civil appropriation bill was consid-
cred with little interruption or delay
from IL a. NJ. to 5:30 P. NJ, and again at a
night session. The itGn of Sl50,000 for
purchasing the historic property of the
late James q. Blaine, in order to prevent
It's use for other purposes, occasioned q
sharp debate, but was finally agreed to.
Other Senate amendments agreed to dur
ing the day include temporary Federal
building at Chicago, 100000; beginning
new Government building at Chicago,
100000.
The belated appropriation bills were
before the Senate when it met to-day,
with the prospect of work being doue
early and late to complete them. Cock
rell, Chairman of the Appropriation
Committee, asked that recess be taken
at o'clock tonight until s., the session
| then to be continued until 10 or IL. The
request went over until later in the day.
The sundry civil bill was taken up.
The item for the examination of the sub
soil of the lot for the new public building
! at San francisco was changed to make it
mandatory on the Secretary of War to
have two or more army engineers con-
duct the investigation.
Perkins OF California spoke incident
ally OF the needleSsness of the investiga-
ton by those more versed in politics
than IN scientific engineering and desir-
Gus of taking pleasure trip to the coast.
| The appropriation OF $4,000 for a pub
lie building at Annapolis, Nd, was struck
out. There had been some indirect criti-
| cisms as to including Annapolis with
Cheyenne, Boise City and Helena, and
German created surprise by personal
request to omit Annapolis. Wilson Of
| Washington secured $4,000 for public
building at Olympia.
Vest, Chairman of the Committee on
Public Builings and Grounds, warned
the Senators of the Northwest that by
loading amendments on the bill all ap-
preparations for Cheyenne, Boise City,
Olympia, etc, would iail.
The arrangement for dispensing with
the reading Of the Senate journal and the
crowding of all usual morning business
aside for the appropriation bills to-day
| was surprise to all but few Senators
who were in their seats when the order
was made.
The programme was arranged on the
Democratic side by Senator Cockrell and
on the Republican side by Senator Platt.
There were not over twenty Senators
present.
The Senate plunged Immediately into
the appropriation bills, and was well un-
der way when Senators arrived who
might have other business to present in
| the morning hour.
White proposed substitute providing
for the condemnation of the Blaine nron
erty instead of purchasing.
hale urged the in ustice of such action
against Mrs Blaine. The substitute was
defeaLed-23 to Y.
The committee amendment for the pur-
chase OF the Blaine property was then
! agreed to-3l to %.
! with.
Al 5:25 P. NJ. the Senate held an execu-
tive session, and then took recess until
s o'clock.
IN THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.-The House
non-concurred in the Senate amendments
to the Indian appropriation bill. and il
was sent TO conference. The House. in
Committee of the Whole, then resumed
consideration of the general deficiency
| bill.
The Behring Sea award proposed to be
paid by Secretary Gresham to the British
| Government was taken up.
The amendment to pay Great Britain
S425, 900, the amount of the awards made
by the Paris Behrlng Sea tribunal against
the United States, precipitated quite
long debate
Breckenridge (Dem.l of Kentucky, in
charge OF the bill, explained the details of
against the justice and the legality of the
seizures the United States had made in
| the Behrlng Sea. Great Britain, through
Sir Julian ,Pauncetote, had demanded
S5OO,00O and Secretary Gresham has
agreed to pay $4,000. The Government
IN fairness should accept the judgment
and pay the damages.
Cannon (RepJ of Illinois said the fatal
defect in the Judgment of the Paris tri-
buual was the fact that the citizenship of
the claimants had never been passed
upon. de called attention, moreover, to
| the fact that under the modus yiyendi
agreed to in 1892 by Sir Charles Russell.
representing the British Government,
and E. j. Phelps, representing the United
| States, all claims Tor speculative damages
had been soiemnly waived. In the
! Geneva award all claims tor speculative
or constructive damages. amounting to
hundreds OF millions, had been ruled out
on the ground that they depend OH contin-
gencles too uncertain. What made sauce
for the goose made sauce for the gander,
| ~ ny should we now pay these claims
Some sos, 900 OF the present award was
purely speculative damages. Besides, he
had reason TO believe that several of the
owners of vessels were American citi-
| Zens and not British subjects. At most
but $4,000 could be claimed. When Sec
retary Gresham offered Sir J ulian S425. 900
the British Government, he said Jumped
at it like a bass at fly. He would never
vote TO carry out the agreement made by
Secretary Gresham.
Henderson (Rep.) of Iowa analyzed the
statement of eX-Secretary Foster to the
effect that SSl 900 represented the maxi
mum damages that could justly be as
sessed against the United States, and ten
OF the vessels seized were owned in
whole or III part by Americans, and
| therefore were excluded.
Hit attacked the amendment yigor-
ously. OF the S542, 900 claimed, positive
testimony showed that S36O,O0O was
owned by citizens of the United States
BoskawiZ, he claimed, owned almost all
the fleet, and had sent il out to Behring
Sea to lay the foundation of scouue
drely and fraudulent claim. 1t looked
to him, Hit said, as if the State Depart
ment were making desperate struggle
to maintain the parity between claims
and payments.
Breckenridge closed with declaration
that the Paris arbitration was an unfortu-
nate chapter in our diplomacy, and its
result complete fasco. Yet we must
keep our faith and pay the award.
Cannon demanded roll-call on the
amendment to pay the Behring Sea
award, and it was lost-122 to 143
Inc amendment to pay the employees of
the House and Senate and the individual
clerks to members an extra months sal
ary carried-143 to 10S.