The record-union., 1896-05-06
Each Have Turn During Yesterdays
Proceedings.
Resolution introduced to Request the
President to Protest Against the
Execution of United States Citizens
Captured on Board the Schooner
Competitor, and to Demand of the
Government of Spain That They be
Held Only as Prisoners of War.

Held Only as Prisoners of War.
WASHINGTON, May 5.-The session
OF the Senate to-day was divided up ir
this way: The first hour was gwen up
TO the routine business and to reSolu-
ton offered by Mccall OF Georgia to re-
quire from the Spanish Government
fair treatment for American citizens
captured on the schooner Competitor:
the next hour to a consideration of the
river and harbor appropriation BILL the
next three hours to speeches by Hill OF
New York against the PETER bond res
clution and by Pettigrew of South Da
kota in favor of it, ard the last hour
TO pensions and other bills.
After the routine morning business
had been disposed of in the Senate to
day Call Dem) of Florida offered and
asked immediate consideration for
resolution requesting the President to
protest against the execution of United
States citizens captured on board the
schooner Competitor by a Spanish
cruiser, and to require and demand Of
the Government of Spain that they
shall not be subjected to cruel treat
ment, but be held only as prisoners OF
war
The Senate then proceeded to the con-
sideration of the House bills "unob-
jected to- on the calendar, and the bill
to amend the statute to improve the
merchant marine engineer service, and
thereby also to increase the efficiency of
the Naval Reserve with an amend
menD, was passed.
AT this point Frye CRep) of Maine
interposed and insisted on proceeding
with the river and harbor bill up to =
O'Clock, when the PETER resolution was
10 have the right of way.
The various amendments reported by
the Committee on Commerce Were
agreed to-
The PETER bond resolution was then
taken UP and Hill Oem.) of New York
continued his argument begun yester-
day in opposition to it.
PETER gave notice before Hill COM
menced his remarks that he would ask
the Senate to remain in session to-day
until the resolution had been disp sse5
Of
Hill said he had been asked yesterday
why he opposed the resolution. His
answer was that he opposed it because
it was wholly unnecessary and un-
called for, and would establish a most
pernicious and unwise precedent. He
wanted TO protect the Senate from max
ing itself ridiculous-it did that often
enough without the adoption of the
resolution. He would not therefore,
vote for the resolution because such a
vote would stigmatize him as an ig-
noramus, and in his judgment every
vote for it would be an admission on the
part of the Senator giving 1t that he
was an ignoramus. 1t was foolish, a
ccntemptible, an absurd resolution. Of
course there was no law against it.
There was no law against the Senate
rraking a fool of itself if it had a mind
to
He analyzed the various points of the
proposed inquiry, including the author
ity for the issue of bonds On that
point Hill exclaimed: Read the stat
utes and you will know If you can
not understand them resign your
seats"
There was nothing in the Graves
business; there was nothing in the
whole bond business that was not as
clear as the sunlight of Heaven. In
connection with ii he read an article
from a recent Pennsylvania candidate
for the Republican nomination FOR the
Presidency" Qaughter) as tending 10
bring into contempt the practice of pro-
posing Investigations of all subjects.
Hill read a letter which he had re-
ceived asking him to propose an inves-
tigation as to the removal from Office
of Governor Hughes of Arizona, and a
series of resolutions gotten up by the
Antitrust Legion of Amefica '--cf
Fifth avenue Brooklyn-which pre-
sented he said, "a delightful mixture
of investigation of the Brooklyn bridge,
Brooklyn streets and Brooklyn highway
robberies including a censure for my
self" 1t was that sort of feeling, he
said, which Senators were trucking TO
the Populist sentiment. II was the
clamor of capital; it was an effort to
antagonize men of wealth. Senators
were simply playing with fire
Pettigrew (Rep) of South Dakota
asked Hill If he would yield the floor to
him to make some remarks on the bond
resolution, and as Hill politely did so,
Pettigrew read what he called "a his
tory of the bond sales of The present
Administration" object being.
he said, to destroy the use Of silver as
money, and to allow certain persons
10 realize enormous profits.
Pettigrew laid much stress upon the
defaulted Graves DlC Tor Si,.DoobO, ana
on the fact that those bonds had been
turned over to the syndicate at its hid
of 110 no although the investment
corporation of New York" had made an
offer of 114ia for all the bonds of de-
faulted bids. This action on the part of
the Secretary of the Treasury, Petit
grew said, had given profit of $4,000
To Morgan & Co, and he intimated that
that profit had been divided between
the Secretary of the Treasury and that
syndicate of bankers.
Pettigrew then criticised Sherman for
his Endorsement of the President and
Secretary of the Treasury in the bond
transaction.
Hill inquired who was more compe-
tert to speak on that subject than the
Senator from Ohio
MY answer would be a matter of
opnion." Pettigrew replied. Il do not
dolbt that the Senator from New York
AMI the Morgan syndicate will forever
nr,claim that the Senator from Ohio
is the best authority that can possibly