The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-01-30
THE armenian RESOLUTION.
ADOPTED BY BOTH BRANCHES
OF NGRESS-LIVELY DE-
BATE IN THE HOUSE.
THE Senators FROM UTAH SEATED
Speeches on the Bond Bill-An Amend
ment Providing for $100,000,000
Issue to Be Used for Coast
Defense Purposes.


Defense Purposes.
Washington, Jan. 27.-Senators Frank
J. Cannon and Arthur Brown of the new
State of Utah took the oath of Office in
the senate today, the former drawing
the long term, ending March 3, 1899, and
the latter the short term, ending March
3, 1897.
With the exception of the contested
Delaware case, this establishes the poit-
ical division of the upper branch of con-
gress until March 4, 1897, as follows:
Republicans, A; Democrats, 80; Popu-
lists 6; total, 80; necessary for a major
ity, 45. Should Mr.. Dupont be seated
from Delaware, the Republican vote
would be increased to 45, but at the same
time the number necessary for majority
would be increased to 49,
Aside from this event the session was
given to further speeches on the silver
bond bill, two of the new members of
the body, Mr.. Nelson (Rep.) of Minnesota
and Mr. Bacon Dem) of Georgia, making
speeches, the former against the free coin
age of silver and Mr.. Bacon urging the
evils of Il gold standard.
Mr.. Hansbrough (Rep) of North Da-
kota severely criticised the secretary of
agriculture for the alleged refusal to dis
tribute seeds in accordance with the law.
Mr.. George Dem) of Mississippi de-
Tended Mr.. Morton's action. The debate
| will proceed tomorrow.
Mr.. Lodge offered an amendment to the
bond silver bill, providing for a bond is
sue of S100,O0O,000, the proceeds to be
used for coast defences.
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
Washington, Jan. 27.-The induction
| of the Utah senators occurred imme-
diately after the chaplain's invocation.
Mr.. Baker Rep) of Kansas presented
a petition from Mrs. Waller. wife of
| United States Consul Waller, in NADIA
gascar reciting her husbands arrest, his
trial by courtmartial and his transfer in
chains to French prison.
Mrs. Walters petition recites "By
these acts France has held N.Y. husband
an American citizen, as an imprisoned
felon, for the past 10 months, and | be-
been a subject of Great Britain he would
| long since have been released.
AS an American woman, Mrs. Waller
| asks the congress to take suitable action.
Mr. PETER (Pop) of Kansas offered a
! resolution calling on the interstate COM
merce commission for information as to
| discrimination on passenger and freight
rates TO and from Missouri river points.
The resolution went over.
| The Utah senators then drew lots and
Mr.. Cannon won the long term, expiring
March 3, 1899 and Mr. Brown the short
term until March 3, 1897.
AT O'Clock Mr.. HansbrOugh Rep.) of
North Dakota addressed the senate on the
resolution instructing the secretary of
agriculture to execute the law concerning
the distribution of seeds, etc.
| He said.
ut is an unpleasant duty to be obliged
to criticise the acts of cabinet minister,
but in this case it seems to me that there
| is great principle involved. The essence
of the controversy lies in the proposition
whether an executive officer of the gov
ernment has the right to wilfully, deliber-
ately, designedly, and in this case pre-
meditatedly, ignore solemn statute of
congress. ! believe it can be shown that
the honorable secretary of agriculture
has disobeyed the mandate of the legisla-
tive government. 1t is part of his de-
partmental functions to carry into effect
any law appertaining to the affairs of his
department which congress sees fit to
enact. The last congress made an appro-
priation of S13O,000 to be used in pur-
chasing and distributing seeds. trees cut
tings, bulbs, ETC., as required by law.
The secretary first showed his deliber-
ate purpose to evade this law when he
asked the attorney general for an inter-
pretation of the. statute with reference to
the purchase of seeds. There is nothing
at all in the opinion of the attorney gen
eral which is inconsistent with the prior
work of the department.
Mr.. HansbrOugh proceeded to show
that the secretary advertised for seeds in
n techinal way and receiving no bids re-
fused TO readvertise.
The senator continued that it was the
plain duty of the secretary if he were
faithful to the performance of that duty
and desired to execute the laws of con-
gress, to have readvertised and to have
earnestly endeavored to aid bidders in
Offering seeds of the kind and character
that the law demanded and the secretary
required. Instead of this he rejected all
of the bids upon technical grounds and
forthwith abolished the seed division of
his department and announced that there
would be no seeds purchased and dis
tribpted under the. appropriation bill for
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1896.
Altogether the position of the secre-
tary in this matter is exceedingly lame.
That he is personally opposed to the pur-
chase and distribution of seeds of any
character, whether they be rare or un-
common or otherwise, there is no ques-
ton. And so we have here case in
which high executive officer deliberate
ly sets aside the law of congress, and
| say that it is not 80 much the value
of seeds or the good results that come
from their distribution as it is the set
tlement of the question as to whether
a departmental official shall obey the
legislative authority. He was opposed to
this proposition at the outset, and al
though it was his clear duty to do every
thing in his power to carry out the law
he has placed every obstacle in the way
of its execution and has finally refused
to execute it, The proper time to discuss
the propriety of the government distri-
button of seeds is when the act for the
appropriation of money comes up before
the proper committee of congress. The
great question above all others is the con-
tumacious conduct of the secretary. Can
an officer of the executive branch of the
government, who is in effect high sal
aried clerk, defiantly and stubbornly re-
fuse to carry into effect the acts of the
congress of the United States
Mr.. Allen Pop) Of Nebraska spoke of