The record-union., 1896-04-03
THE HOUSE INDULGES IN
RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION,
Relating to Appropriatins Honey for
Charitable Institutions.
The Howard University of Washington
Given $4,000.
In Effect Reversing It's Action When
the District of Columbia Bill Was
Under Consideration-The House
Agrees to a Resolution Asking the
President to Transmit to Congress
All Correspondence Relating to the
Intervention of the United states in
Venezuelan Affairs.

Venezuelan Affairs.
WASHINGTON, April 2.-For three
hours and half to-day the House in
dulged in a repetition of the religious
discussion which ragged when the Dis
rrict of Columbia appropriation bill was
under discussion, and as a result the
policy of the House as expressed at that
time by a decided refusal to appropriate
money for the charitable and benevo-
lent institutions of the district was in
effect reversed. The melting cause OF
the debate was the amendment to the
sundry civil bill which was adopted in
Committee of the Whole yesterday, on
motion of Evants (Rep) of Kentucky,
giving Howard University in Washing
ton So, ,6O0, the appropriation having
been omitted from the bill by the COM
mittee reporting it.
The amendment was advocated by
Bartlett Oem) of New York, Sayers
Oem) of Texas, Cannon tRepD OF I'LL
1iois and Evans Rep.) of Kentucky. 1t
was opposed by Hainer CRepo of Ne
braska, Johnson Rep) of California
and Andrews (Rep) and Livingston
Oem) of Georgia
III the I1OuSe tO-udS llilN NIsNP-( "
Illinois reported .favorably from the
Committee on Foreign Affairs the res
olution asking the President to trans
nit to Congress all the correspondence
in the Department of State relating to
mediation or intervention by the United
States in the affairs of Venezuela since
December l, 1895, to date, and the reso-
luton was agreed to.
basipU resumed consider
alton of the sundry civil bill, Hainer
(Repo of Nebraska opposed the appro-
priation of $321,00 for the support of
Howard University. He asked members
4vhat excuse they could make TO their
constituents for voting an appropria-
ton for giving higher education to the
colored girls and boys which they de-
MED to those of their own race and
their own children. Howard Univer-
s;ity received as much money from other
sources as it did from the United states
One of its chief contributors was the
American Missionary Society OF the
Congregational Church. He had op-
posed appropriations in another bill
which would have gone to Catholic IN
stftutfons, and he asked how the
House could refuse to vote money TO
Catholic institution and then vote an
appropriation to an institution con-
trolled by the Congregational Church.
The only safe principle was TO apso-
lutely dissolve church and State
Hainer, as a conclusion of his re-
marks. sent to the Clerks desk ana
had read General Grants remarks at
the reunion of the Society of the Army
of Tennessee in 1876, in which the Cen
eral said that no money intended for
educational purposes should ever be
voted to sectarian institutions.
Bartlett Dem) of New York replied
to Hainer's speech. Bartlett charged
that Hainer was himself the author OF
bills to devote public money to prl-
yate purposes or persons Bartlett pro-
ceeded to read the titles of several bills
introduced by Hainer. He denied that
the negroes in the South are unjustly
treated, and explained that in Texas
that for every dollar appropriated Tor
the education of a white child another
dollar is set aside for the education OF
the colored children
Hepburn of Iowa said that in Texas
and in other States the negroes are re-
fused admission to the universities and
AGRICULTURAL colleges, these advantages
being reserved for the whites He as
serted that the negroes of the South
were robbed of their civil rights and
refused the right of suffrage, and that
the whites in that region used the
stolen power it has given them in the
House of Representative to vote pen
sions for their benefit.
The amendment was opposed by
Johnson (Rep) of California and Nc
Rae (Dem.) of Arkansas.
Livingstone (Dem) of Georgia pre-
sented a petition signed, he said, by
every colored pastor Presiding Elder,
and Bishop of the District of Columbia,
asking Congress to investigate the ex-
penditure of funds of Howard Uni
versity, and making serious charges
against the management
Andrews (Rep) of Nebraska opposed
the amendment because he could not
in good conscience vote pubic money
for a sectarian or private institution
The Government had no control over
Howard University, he said. and.
therefore. however much he might
favor the objects of the institution, he
found no ground upon which to support
the amendment
Closing the debate for the amend
ment. Evans (Rep) of Kentucky said
was not in terms as he would prefer
and he gave notice that if the House
would permit he would ask that it be
amended so as to provide for supervi-
sion of the institution by the Secretary
of the Interior. and to strengthen the
prohibition against the use of money
for any sectarian or religious institu-
tions.
The debate. which had from time to
time been extended by unanimous con-
sent, and which had occupied three
and a half hours, was closed by
Hainer in review of the reasons mar
shaled by him in the beginning against
the amendment.
On motion of Cannon, in lieu of the
amendment proposed yesterday by
Hyde (Rep) of Washington, an item
was inserted into the bill appropriating
$50, 900 for the new post at Spokane.
Wash. and $4,000 for the post at
Riley, Kan.
The committee then rose and reported
the bill and amendments to the House
with a favorable recommendation.
Evans (Rep) of Kentucky proposed
the substitute for the proyiso to- his
Howard University amendment, of