The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-24
CALL STILL HARPING ON CUBA.
THE SENATOR NOW WANTS WAR
SHIPS SENT TO THE ISLAND.

The Matter Temporarily Laid Aside
in the Interest of the Indian APP
preparation BiII-Mr. Vest Criti-
cises the Congressional Juggling
with General LegisIatiOn-The In
dams Alluded TO as a National
Nuisance.
Washington, April 23.-In the Senate to-
day, unanimous consent was asked by
Mr. Call to have the joint resolution.
heretofore offered by him requesting the
President to send ships of war to Cuba
for the protection of American citizens,
taken up for consideration and action;
but on the appeal Of Mr.. Plat. rep. of
Connecticut, not to press the request
at this time, and not to interfere with
Indian appropriation bills, Mr.. Call sad
he would withhold his request for the
present; but he gave notice that as soon
as the Indian bill shall be disposed of
he will move to have his joint resolution
taken up and acted upon.
The Indian appropriation bill was ia
ken up. The question was on an amend
ment of yesterday by Mr.. Platt, rep, of
Connecticut, appropriating $4,000 for the
Cherokee (the Dawes commission and in
structing the commission with reference
to the breaking up of the tribal relations
of the Indians, and to the distribution
of their lands in severalty. A point of
order against the amendment (as being
general legislation on an appropriation
| bilD was made and argued by Mr.. George
After Mr.. George had spoken for an hour
| on his point of order, his argument was
| criticised by Mr. Vest, who SAID that our
| ing his twenty years service IN the sen
| ate he must have heard 500 definitions OF
general legislation" but he had only
! known one of those definitions to be
! crystalized in the practice of the Senate,
and that one was that the Senate always
| finds what it does not want 10 do. Passing
on the main question, Mr.. Vest spoke or
the Indians being allowed to constitute
| themselves a national nuisance" and he
/ described the Indian territory as "a pest
house, legally and morally, within the
public DOMAINE" as being "harbor OF
refuge for criminals and as having caus-
ed a depreciation of property in the az
| joining states by one-thrd.
The debate was continued at much
| length; Mr.. Jones of Arkansas denounc-
| ing the rule of crime and outrage in the
| Indian territory; Mr. Bate of Tennessee
placing all the responsibility for that state
| of things on the 'bummers, land-grab-
| dams; and Mr.. Plat declaring that more
| brutal and savage conditions existed in
| the Indian territory than in Russia, Arme-
MIA or Cuba.
Finally the whole question was dispos-
| ed of by the Vice President sustaining the
point of order and ruling Mr.. Platts
amendment to be out of order
The bill was then passed and a confer
| ence with the House was ordered
The bill, as passed by the House, carried
appropriations amounting to $S,420,445 As
| reported by the Senate committee on ap-
| preparations this amount was reduced to
| S,4l3, $685. the great item in this reduction
| being one of 81. 900 for payment on the
| Cherokee outlet purchase" This item
however, was restored by the Senate. The
three principal increases were appropria-
| tions of 100000 for surveying lands in the
| Indian Territory, 100000 for the support
| of the day and Industrial schools, and
100000 for school buildings and school
sites.
The appropriations for the current ifs
cal year were SS,762, 512. The bill for the
next year, as II passed the Senate to-
day, appropriates over 100000.
The sundry civil appropriation bill was
taken up and went over till Tomorrow
Senate bills were passed as follows: Ap-
propriatirfg 100000 for a public building
at Nashua, N. H.; appropriating $500 900
for a public building at Salt Lake City,
and $1SS, 900 for one at Ogden, Utah; and
appropriating $4,000 for public building
at Portsmouth, Va.
After a short executive session, the Sen
ate, at 6 o'clock, adjourned until to-mor-
row.
There are five other general appropria-
ton bills to be acted on by the Senate-the
naval, the river and harbor, the District
of Columbia, the fortifications and the de-
ficiency.