The Portland daily press., 1896-03-19
HOUSE DISCUSSES BAYARD.
Resolutions Of Censure Called Up
Yesterday.
DEBATE ASSUMES A MOST PARTI-
SAN TURN.

the Opportunity to Make Personal At
tack On the acknowledgements
| Draper Thinks Resolutions Go Too Far
| Commission Thinks Well of British
/ Blne Books
| Washington, March IS. Neither in the
| galleries nor on the floor, when the
House was called to order today, was
there any Indication of unusual or gen.
eral interest in the announced debate up-
on the resolution censuring Ambassador
Bayard for his Boston and Edinburg
speeches, that have been on the calendar
for nearly a month. Only about one
hundred representatives were in their
seats, and the galleries were only sparsely
filed.
| Mr.. Prince, Republican of Illinois. re-
ported from the elections committee No.
2, its unanimous finding that Harry
Wolles Rusk, Democrat, was elected rep
resentative to the 54th Congress from
the third Maryland district, and is en-
titled to retain his seat, and that William
$. Booze was not elected. Resolutions to
that effect were agreed to.
| Several private pension bills were
passed. Speaker Reed announced the
House conferees on the Indian appropria.
no reports for usiness, and the House at
!. 10 took recess till /. 30, the hour fixed
for taking up the Bayard resolutions.
DISCUSSION ON BAYARD RESOLU-
TIONS.
| Mr.. Hit, chairman of the committee
on foreign affairs, called up the report OF
the committee upon the Mccall an Bar
rett resolutions in relations to the Bayard
speeches. The substitute recommended
| by the committee recited extracts from
them and declare that they are an offense
against diplomatic propriety and An
abuse of the privileges Of his exal ted
position for which the House of Rep re-
| sentatives condemn and oensure Am bas-
sador Bayard, and further declare that
partisan speech by consular and diplo-
matio 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 view of the majority and recon-
mended that the resolutions do not pass.
| Mr. Hit said Mr.. Bayard had spoken
with deliberation and bitterness, malign-
ing msTs than half of his countrymen.
Mr.. McCreary opposed the pending reso-
lutlons because they were unprecedented
in Congressional history. No diplomat ic
officer had every in the past been censured
or condemned in the House of Represen-
tatives for freedom Of speech. Under the
Constitution the III House was given no au-
| diplomatic representatives The position
of an American ambassador at London,
he said, was unique and different from
| that OF any other American ambassador
or minister accredited to another country
in the world. He was an English speak
ing ambassador and represented a country
whose laws and institutions were in
many respects similar to those of the
country to which he was accredited.
The people of the United States, Mr..
MoCreary declared, were behind Mr.
| Bayard in his opposition to pro lection
and trusts. The people knew that Mr.
Bayard had proved himself patriot, a
statesman, and faithful public servant
| that he had done much to promote good
will and friendship between the people of
Great Britain and the United States, that
he had added to the reputation and i'm
portance of ou1 great country abroad,
and had by long life of usefulness at
home and faithful service abroad, earned
not the censure, but the thanks of the
American people. To censure Mr.. Bayard
at this time, Mr.. MoCreary said, would
be detrimental to the cordial relatio MS
between this country and Great Britain,
and would detract from the prestige and
confidence that he should have when he
as diplomatic officer represents our
country in negotiations concerning i'm
portant questions now pending.
| The attack made upon Ambassador
Bayard was not because he made a brief
extemporaneous speech at Boston, Eng
land, when invited to address the gram
mar school and present the awards, but
1t was because of his reference in his
Edlnburg speech to protection and trusts.
The high priests of protection were not
willing to be criticised and they were
opposed to freedom of speech even in An
academic address on the subject of pro-
lection and trusts.
Mr.. Cousins, Republican of Iowa, a
member of the committee on foreign
affairs, said that the censure Of a high
official casts a reflection on the govern
ment that is obliged to make it. 10 be
obliged to make public record of an ex
oeptional performance, so out Of color
and keeping with the high character and
dignity that had heretofore been main
tanned in our representation at the court
OF Great Britain was to him matter of
profound regret. But this deliberate
and unexampled breach of dip
| loludbio eUlQueGCe, GQlS uDRrdUe-
full, unprovoked and unbecoming
insult to majority of the people OF
America, to her distinguished living and
to her honored dead, by one who bore
their confidence, their mission and Gre
dentials, must not be left unohalleDged
since it has entered the annals of our
diplomatic history.
Mr.. Cousins reviewed the report of Mr.
| Bayard's speeches made to the House by
President Cleveland and sarcastically
com mented on the Boston utteranoes.
Referring to the statement that the
President was a strong man, Mr.. Cousins
proceeded to make somewhat personal
attack on the President, as follows:
| "Of 90 urse the President is strong
man. But then, Mr.. Speaker, are there
not others? Look, for example, in the
Senate of the United States. Have your
memories lost the name of that Senatorial
Hercules, who, less than year ago. COM
PEELED our real and powerful and honest
President to acquiesoe in a bill OF
legislation which he had designated as
'perf1dy and dishonor?' Aye, Mr..
Speaker, 1t would seem that strong men
are found beyond official circles, for has
it not been averred by gentlemen upon
this floor and those too who will oppose
this resolution, that once upon time a