Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-19

privileges ana elecllOnS lildl nlOtlOh 0oS agreed to-yeas 29, nays 24
 The resolution as thus amended was then agreed to. It reads:
 Resolved, That the committee on priv ileges and elections shall be charged with the duty of Investigating the subject or organized efforts of corporations, or of the president and directors thereof, to control the election of members of con gress or to influence the legislation of congress; also to investigte and report to the senate whether corrupt means. bribery or free transportation have been or are being used to influence such cleo tions; also to inquire and report to the senate whether the use of such influence or means is consistent with the preserVa- tion of the republic of the United States and the rights and liberties of the peo- pie, and to report a bill for the punish ment or suppression of such practices.
 A motion to reconsider the vote by which the resolution was agreed to was made by Mr. Call on account of his oppo- stion to the Hale amendment referring the inquiry to the committee on priVi- leges and elections. The motion was entered
 The senate then at 2:25 p. m. proceeded to the consideration of executive ousi- ness. At 2:50 the doors were reopened and the senate adjourned until tomor- row.
 The House.
 lmmeQldUeIY dIIeT Ine TedulllS Ol thV journal in the house this morning MT. Hitt republican, of Illinois, asked unan- imous consent for the present conSidera- tion of a bill which he sent to the desk and had read. It appropriated Sl00,oOO for the payment of the expenses or the commission suggested by President Cleve- land in his message yesterday for the purpose of determining the true dlVl- sional line between Venezuela and-Brit- ish Guiana. The reading of the bill was followed by applause.
 MT. Boutelle, republican, Of Maine, asked if it were the intention to pass the bill without debate.
 MT. Hit stated that that was his de- sire.
 MT Boutele said he hoped that in view of the vast importance and serious gsaV- ity of the consequences that might grow out of the passage of the bill the house would proceed in a decorous and dehb- crate maner in the consideration or thls matter. The message Of the president upon the subject was read to the house yesterday, and he did not believe that the members of the house were so fully ad- vised of the matter as they should be when called upon to act definitely upon the proposition.
 Numerous voices-We are ready
 Gentlemen around him. MT. Boutelle said declared their readiness to proceed, but" he continued, q do no i'll service to the honor and dignity of my country when I asked the gentlemen of the house to proceed with the decorum due mat ter of such great responsibility, affecting the welfare, probably, of the two great Englsh-speaking nations of the world.
 MT. Boutelle said he had been charged with being a jingo whatever that might be, and he did not think it was necessary for him to state, wherever he was known, that should congress and the president find themselves in a position where they felt it necessary to call the country to arms that he would not be found tagging behind The press this morning, he said, brought to the public notice that in the consideration of this affair the members of the house should take coun- se1 of their calmness and deliberation. The eyes of all the people, he said, were upon the house and senate this day, and to this matter the members ought to give as much consideration as would be devoted to an appropriation of few thousand dollars He hoped that the bill would be sent to a committee in the reg ular way, to be thoroughly digested there and then reported to the house.
 Sneaker Reed-DoeS the gentleman oh~ ject?
 MT. Boutele-I have not objected. simply suggested the hope that the bill might be sent to committee.
 The speaker-Is there objection to the immediate consideration of the bill? GA pause.) The chair hears none.
 MT. Hitt-Mr. Speaker, appreciating all that was said by the gentleman who has just taken his seat and the patriotic i'm pulse that led him to make his remarks, I desire to say only word in explana- ton of the bill and its purposes, which I trust will satisfy every one in this house. and I say it without mentioning this side of the house or that side hope we have not two sides of the house when 1t comes to a question of this kind. (Ap- plause) The president on yesterday sent message to this house. at the con- ciusion of the reading of which the house adjourned and there was no time for ac- ton, and it might have been deemed precipitate to have taken any at that time, but we have examined 1t after haN- ing heard it read from the desk. After a general discussion in that message of doctrines, policies and national interests there was a request made directly by the executive of this house for action to aid in the exercise of his executive functions. 1t is purely an executive function to as- certain all the facts relating to any ques- ton of negotiation with foreign coun- try. The gravity of the case is such that the president suggests a mode of deter mining a cardinal question in the con- troversy, and he asks us to cooperate with him by enabling him to appoint three men to examine the records and evidence of the facts involved. In this contention between the two great gov ernments the first fact for us to remem- Der as patriotic Americans is that the success of our country in its contention depends above all upon our presenting a united front, so that all Americans shall appear to be one, and that our govern ment shall speak for all the people of the United States (applause). and the prompt response of the peoples represen- tatives here in according this small sum of money to pay the expenses of an in- vestigation, which the president says shall be carefully and judiciously made, and with the least delay possible-a sug- gestion which I am sure was made in good faith and will be so carried out by an American presdent-we answering in that spirit which becomes Americans and promptly granting the appropriation the spectacle will be presented of re- public that is one man. (Applause.) In negotiations of this character any off, cer charged with the duty of represent ing this government is hampered and his opponent is encouraged by every word of dissent that comes to his home. Every criticism behind the officers back puts him at disadvantage, and hesitation by this congress, the proposing of this sim Dle ouestiOn of an appropriation to aid