The record-union., 1896-03-19


WASHINGTON, March 1S.-The an
nouncement that the resolutions re-
ported from the Committee on Foreign
Affairs censuring ambassador Bayard
would be the special order for to-day s
session of the House failed to attract to
the hall any unusual attendance, and
thereby the absentees deprived them
selves Of the pleasure of listening to the
most oratorical effort of the session
the speech by Cousins (Rep) of Iowa in
support of the resolutions.
The hour fixed for the consideration
of the resolutions was 80 o'clock and
the miscellaneous business of the morn
ing was not sufficient in volume to oc-
cppy all the time after assembling un-
til that time, so that a recess of fif-
teen minutes preceded the beginning
of the debate.
A number of private bills were passed
in the House. but only one of particu-
lar Importance joint Senate resolu-
tion instructing the Secretary of War
to transmit an estimate of the cost of
deepening the channel from Hampton
Roads to the Norfolk Navy Yard. The
report of the Elections Committee No.
,. confirming Rusk Dem) in his seat
as Representative from the Third Ma
ryland District, was received and
adopted.
When Hit called up the Bayard reso-
lutions about half of the members of the
House We're in their seats, while the
public galleries were only comfortably
filled In the diplomatic gallery were
Baron Won Kettler, Secretary of the
German Embassy; Senior DomingueZ,
Charge d'Affaires of the Argentine Re
public, and Mrs. Dominguez; Nine Ro-
nero, wife of the Mexican Minister;
Mrs. J. w. Foster and others
Hit was not in good condition phys
ieally, and after a few minutes his
voice gave out, and he was compelled
to close. In conclusion, he expressed the
hope that the resolutions would be
adopted, saying that such speeches as
those made by Mr.. Bayard destroyed
the respect which an ambassador ought
to command, diminished his useful
ness and was a wrong to the people he
represented.
MeCreary Dem) of Kentucky and
Dinsmore Dem.) of Arkansas. in
soeeches of more than an hours length,
each defended Mr.. Bayard, and opposed
the passage of the resolutions.
Draper (Rep) of Massachusetts, a
member of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, deplored the severity of the
language in the resolutions of censure,
and in accordance with his views of the
duty of the House gave notice that he
would ask separate votes upon the two
resolutions.
Cousins speech advocating the adop-
tion of the committees report was the
feature of the occasion. 1t was by
turns sarcastic and eloquent, filled
with criticisms of Bayard and glowing
with pictures of the greatness and glory
of the country and of the individual
under the system of protection which
the ambassador had denounced. He
spoke for nearly an hour, commanding
throughout the attention of his hearers
to a marked degree, and at the close
was given an ovation that lasted sew
eral minutes.
PROCEEDINGS
When the House met Speaker Reed
announced conferrees on the Indian
approximation bill-Messrs. Sherman
Rep) of New York, Meikeljohn Rep)
of Nebraska and Little Dem.) of Ar
kansas.
A call of the committees produced no
reports for business, and the House, at
1:15, took a recess until 1:30, the hour
fixed for taking up the Bayard resolu-
tions.
After the recess Hit, Chairman of
the Committee on Foreign Affairs,
called up the report on the Call and
Barrett resolutions.
TIvT.. 1a7lH lar
committee recites extracts from them;
declare that they are an offense against
diplomatic propriety and an abuse of
the privilege of his exalted position,
for which the House of Representatives
condemn and censure him, and further
declare that partisan speeches by Con-
sular and diplomatic officers impair
their usefulness as such officers and
diminish the confidence which they
should possess at home and abroad
The democratic minority dissented
from the views of the majority. and rec
commended that the resolutions do not
pass.
Hit called attention to the circum-
stances under which the Edinburgh
speech was delivered two days after the
elections in November, 1895, in the
United States. resulting in the victory
of Republicans, the advocates of the
policy of protection which he had de-
nounced. The people of that city had
that day read the result of the election
in the papers. a result that was disap-
poInting and unsatisfactory to them.
1t was in such circumstances that the
representative had made the speech
quoted upon a foreign platform
1t was hoped, said Hit, that an ex-
animation of the speeches would re-
veal some mitigating features of the
case; that they had merely an aca-
demic Importance But investigation
had shown that Bayard had spoken
with deliberation and bitterness, ma
ligning more than half of his country
men. We We're all wounded by the ut
terances, and yet when Bayard was
called upon to explain. and his reply
had been sent to the House in response
to its request, it was found that he
justified them, claiming that no rule OF
the department had been violated by
him.
Think of it" passionately exclaimed
Hitt. "Of an ambassador to England
quoting the bare letter of a rule of the
department TO regulate the actions and
attitude of all its employees, even to the
lowest Consular Office. and pleading
that it had not been violated"
Hit was followed by McCreary