The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-01-28
|THE IMMIGRATION BILL
House Passes the Conference Re-
port by q Vote of l3lt o ll8.
THE CANAL BILL IN THE SENATE
Senator sherman Speaks on Friendly Re.
iations Between the United States and
Epgiand-The Dupont Case Again Dc.
foro tho Senate Today.

Epgiand-The Dupont Case Again Dc.
foro tho Senate Today.
; WASHINGTON Jan. 27--The debate on
the Nicaragua canal bill In the senate yes.
Z terday brought out an energetic statement
from Senator Sherman, inN which he fore.
shadows new treaty by which the United
States could build the canal without the
i1termediation of private concession.
The senator declared that this govern
mental execution Of the project was the
only feasible one and that all private Of.
forts In that direction had proved failures.
"The senate of the United States, said
Mr.. Sherman, docs not fear England or
any other power, and the president Of the
United States does not fear England. We
have had two wars with England, and l
hope that war with England will never
occur again The two nations ought never
to fight each other. They ought always
to be friendly. Great Britain Is more and
more following the example Of the Amer
ican people of having a government for
the people. of the people. by the people,
and believe the time Is not far distant
when Great Britain will be as free as we
are"
The committee on privileges and elec-
tions Is called to meet today to consider
che Dupont petition, 1t is Mr.. Ksnney's
intention to appear in the senate later in
the day, present his credentials and ask to
hs seated as senator from Delaware, His
friends say thatif vote is forced there
will be at least ten majority In his favor.
The military academy appropriation
bill, carrying approximately si79o0O, was
passed, after the defeat of the amend
unent for participation of the West Point
cadets in the Inauguration ceremonies.
The amendment led to sharp contro-
versy between Mr.. Allen, Of Nebraska,
and Mr.. Gray, of Delaware.
The house yesterday adopted the con-
ference report on the immigration bill by
nyote Of 1871 to llS The principal criti-
rism of the measure agreed on by the con-
eerrees in debate was based upon the ex-
tension Of the alpcational test to female
as we'll as mals siihmigrants on the ground
that it might divide families and to the
Limitation of the ability of an Immigrant
to read and write the English language
or the language Of their native country or
residence"
Mr.. Danford, of Ohio, made the open
ting argument in support Of the report As
Il passed the house. he said, thu bill applied
tho educational test only co males. This
test was now extended to females 1t was
this extension OF the educational test, he
said, which caused the principal antag-
pIism to the adoption Of the conference
report on the ground that it would separ-
ate families Husbands might be admis-
sable and wives excluded, OF vice versa.
II the bill became law, he said, its pro-
visions would be we'll understood by pros
psctive immigrants and very few families
would apply at our shores for admission
who were not eligible.
Mr.. w A. Stone, of Pennsylvania, said
the house was confronted with the altern-
alive of accepting the agreement of the
conferrees or having no immigration bill
passed at this session. He quoted some
statistics to show that last year but l48
Immigrants of the class of which we ars
proud would have been excluded by this
Bill. 1t was the importation of those from
Italy, Hungary and other countries Of
southern Europe, large percentage Of
whom would be excluded by this bill,
which was causing the glut in the com.
mon labor market Two hundred and
twenty thousand of the 260O0O immi.
grants who came In last year. he said, re-
msined in the three states of Massachu-
sets Now York and Pennsylvania
Mr.. Dollivsr, Of Iowa, said ho had voted
for the house bill, he would have sup
ported the bill as it passed the senate, but
he felt absolved from voting for the con-
4Srsnce report. He would vote for no bill
which admitted the husband and ex-
pladed the wife, because he believed ID
vastly more important that man should
snjoy the society of his vito than that Of
his grandfather.