The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-05-06
Bitterly Denounced By Senator Petit
grew and Others.
SENATOR HILL CHAMPIONS THE
ADMINISTRATION.
Peffer Resolution Discussed In the Senate
VIII Probably Be Voted on To-day
House Refuses to Concur In Senate
Resolution Reducing Number of Battle
Shius

House Refuses to Concur In Senate
Resolution Reducing Number Of Battle
Ships.
Washington, May 5.-After the routine
OF morning business had been disposed of
Mr.. Call, Democrat of Florida, offered
and asked immediate consideration of a
resolution requesting sthe President to
protest against the execution of United
States citizens captured on board the
schooner Competitor by a.Spanish cruiser,
and to request and demand of the govern
ment of Spain that they shall not be sub
jeoted to cruel treatment, but be held on
ly as prisoners of war.
Mr. Wolcott, Republican of Colorado,
remarked that If the facts were as stated
by Mr.. Call that the vessel was merely
carrying war material it was the man
ifest duty of the President Ito interfere,
and it was rather unusual to request the
President to do his duty. He should like
to see how it looked in print. He there
fore objected and the resolution went over
until tomorrow.
The Senate proceeded to the oonsidera-
tion of the House bills unobjected to on
she calendar. Several were passed, in
Guiding the bill to amend the statute to
improve merchant marine engineer SER
vice. and thereby increase the efficiency
OF the naval reserve with amenament).
Mr.. Frye, Republican of Maine, in
sisted on proceeding with the river and
harbor, up to two, when the PETER reso.
LUTON would have the right of way.
Various amendments reported by the
com mittee on commerce were agreed to
without question. After disposing of
thirty pages of the bill, the hour of two
arrived and Mr.. Frye said he would not
press the consideration Of the bill further
today. Tho Peffer bond resolution was
taken up and Mr.. Hill, Democrat Of New
York, continued hie argument in opposi-
tion to it. Mr.. Hill said he was opposed
to the resolution, because it was wholly
uncalled for, and would establish most
pernicious precedent. He wanted to pro-
tect tho Senate from making itself
ridiculous-it did that often enough. The
resolution asked foz informe tion on eight
distinct points on every one of which full
information was given in the treasury re-
ports and in other papers on file in the
Senate. Every vote for the resolution
would be an admission on the part of the
S.- 1tor giving it, that be was an igno-
ranus. 1t was contemplate and abb
surd resolution.
Regarding the authority for the issue
of the bonds, Mr.. Hill exclaimed, "read
the statutes and you will know. If you
understand them. resign your
seats"
Mr.. Hill discussedsthe Graves case He
denounced the whole thing as "Persecu
tion, getting up scandal and throwing
mud" He had the clerk read Secretary
Carlisle's affidavit and said that no Sena-
torcould complain that he had not given in
that paper sufficient details of the Graves
bid and of the litigation that followed.
There was nothing in the Graves busi-
ness; there was nothing in the whole
bond issue that was not as clear rs the
sunlight of heaven.
Mr.. Hill had the clerk read the agree
ment between Secretary of the Treasury
Lot Morrill, and the Rothsohilds syndi-
cate In 1876. 1t was followed by the read
ing of several similar contracts in 1877
and 1873
Mr. Hill's object was to show that these
financial syndieates where not a modern
invention, and, although the government
loan might be called popular loan," it
was the capitalists who got the bonds.
Fl said that in the coming campaign ne
wanted these Republican syndicate con-
tracts to stand side by side with the
Carlisle syndicate's contract.
Mr.. Hill yielded the floor to Mr.. Petit
grew, Republican of South Dakota, who
read the history of the bond sales Of the
present administration, "their object be-
ing" he said. ''to destroy the use of sill
yer as money and allow certain persons
to realize enormous profits. MIR. Pettigrew
leid much stress upon the defaulted
Graves bid, for four and half million
dollars, and on the fact that those bonds
were turned over to syndicate at
40 ITO, although "the investment corpora
tion of New York" " offered ia 1-2 for all
bonds of the defaulted bids.
This action of the Secretary of the
Treasury, Mr.. Pettigrew said, had given
profit Of $3.50. 900 to Morgan & Co. He
intimated that that profit was divided
between the Secretary of the Treasury
andsthat syndicate Of bankers. i
The whole transaction, he said, was
rotten, dishonest and corrupt to the
CORE" 1t was proper for the Senate to
investigate it. Mr.. Pettigrsw criticized
Mr.. Sherman for his endorsement of the
President and Secretary of the Treasury
In the bond transaction. The matter
went over with Mr.. Hill still occupying
the floor. Mr.. Pettigrew stated that the
vote on his resolution would surely be
reached tomorrow.
The Senate passed twenty y-seven private
pension bills, Including one increasing to
$40 month the pension Of the widows of
Brig. General Samuel D. Sturgis, and
Brigadier General Thomas l.. Casey,
chief of engineers to $50 a month, the
Tension Of the widows of General
Thomas W. Sweeney and General Horitio
P. Van Cleve.
The Senate at 6 p. m. adjourned.
IN THE HOUSE.
In the House today, the resolution In