The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-03-17
Again the Topic Of Debate in the
Senate.
HOUSE PASSES SEVERAL BILLS OF
MINOR IMPORTANCE.
Prospect of Settlement of the venezue-
Ian NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Undoubted-
1y yPendingiBetweenL Lord Salisbury and
Secretary O1ney-The Case of the
Pacific Railroads

Washington, March 16.-In the Senate
today, Mr.. Elkins, Republican of West
Virginia, offered resolution INSTRUCT
report to the Senate before a vote is
taken on the Cuban resolutions, all the
material facts and findings, setting forth
whether or not there exists state of war
in Cuba; If SO, how long it has existed
the number of men and officers engaged
on each side; whether or not the insur-
gents have a constitution and organized
government, what cities and towns in
land and on the sea coast do they occupy
and what effect the passage of the reso-
the spa nlsh government and the United
States. The resolution went over until
tom mOrrow.
Mr.. Call of Florida, offered resolution,
which was agreedsto. directing the Score
tary of the Treasury to inform the Senate
what orders have been issued from the
Treasury Department to seize United
States vessels loaded with arms and mu-
| nltions Of war, and with passengers on
board supposed to be destined OF Cuba,
and by what authority such seizures and
| arrests have been made.
Mr.. Palmer, Democrat of Illinois, off
| cred resolution, which W ent over for a
future day, declaring that the unlimited
coinage of silver by the United States
with forced legal tender quality would
snbyert the existing legal and CONNER
cial established values.
| MI. Lodge, Repu blican of Massachu-
setts, then took the floor and addressed
| the Senate on the immigration bill.
MI. Lodges speech on the immigration
bill Was received with much favor The
Lodge bill adds to the Glasses already
ruled out (paupers, diseased persons, oon-
victs and CONTRACT laDorers)- new class,
the illiterates-it excludes all who can
not read or write any language The il
| literates, as rule, are the danger classes,
| largely from central Europe and Italy.
| Mr.. Lodge said there was no question OF
| the perils of illiteraoy in this country,
and the perils of the American standard
of life from competition with such unde.
sirable immigration, are grave. But
the perils to citizenship are even greater.
| Mr.. Lodges speaoh Is largely devoted
to discussion of the Anglo Saxon races
| and the perils that would follow an ad-
| mixture of races not speaking English,
widely differing from our own, like the
Poles, Bohemians, Russians. Italians
| and Asiatics. The discussion is directed
to show the dangers incidental to these
central northern European streams.
| At the close of Mr. Lodges speech, the
1
calendar and the House tariff bill with the
| finance oommittee's free coinage amend
| ment was taken up. Mr.. Pugh of Ala
bama, advocated the restoration of silver
| to the same right of coinage that gold
| has.
The Cuban resolutions were taken up.
Mr. Morgan gave a resume of the
petitions and memorials from all parts of
| the country in favor Of the independence
of Oaba. MI. Hale said he presumed all
| these petitions were under printed
heading sent out from single source.
Mr.. Morgan sent a batch of the petitions
| to Mr.. Hale for inspection.
Mr.. Frye asked whether Mr.. Hale ever
heard of remonstranoes to Congress
against the recognition of Cuban inde,
pendence. .--'
81 have had hundreds Of letters from
business men all over the country" Mr..
Hale replied. ssThey are to me of much
more force and effect than these
CUT AND DRIED PETITIONS.
Mr.. Morgan made some depreoatory re.
marks about business and property own.
| ing men who wanted to prevent agitation
| that might cost them lutte money His
object was, he said, to show the pressure
| brought to bear on the committee on for.
eign relations. and to show how conser.
| vative that committee had been.
| Mr.. Hale inquired about paper from
| the Spanish minister to Mr. Olney, tc
which MIR. Sherman referred to the other
day.
Mr.. Morgan replied that with the con.
sent Of Secretary Olney and the Spanish
minister he would read the copy of the
paper. Mr.. Morgan read the paper by
| sentences and commented as he went
along. When he came to the end he
said that miraculous and mysterious