Birmingham state herald., 1897-04-01
IN THE SENATE.

4 IN THE SENATE.
 After the routine morning business was disposed of in the senate today, .Mr. Mills, democrat, of Texas, offered the following resolutions:
 Resolved, That the committee on for eign. relations be instructed 10 inquire what if any, obligations the United States have assumed toward the people of Cuba by asserting and maintaining the right to prevent the acquisition of that island by any European power and compelling it's people to remain subject by bill or otherwise. MT. Hale, repub hcan, of Maine, suggested the omission Of the clause about reporting.
 MT. -M1lls-The committee may report anything 1t pleases. It may report that there is no necessity for anything.
 The Vice-President-Is there any objee- ton to the present consideration of the resolution?
 MT. Hale-Let it lie over.
 The resolution went over until tolnor- row.
 The vice-president laid before the sen ate the resolution offered yesterday by MT. Morgan, democrat, of Alabama, in quiring as to the letters alleged to have been written to the present and the late chief executives by Maximo Gomez, lcad- CT in the Cuban revolution army.
 MT. Hale inquired whether Mir Nor gan had modified his resolution in accord ance with the suggestion of MT. Hoar republican, of Massachusetts, yesterday extending the inquiry to all letters.
 MT. Morgan said that he had not be- cause he did not know exactly what Mir. Hoar meant
 MT Morgan-I know of no other let ters of Gomez to the president, but the two which were published yesterday. If there were any others he would like to have them furnished. However in the absence of MT. Hoar he would let the resolution go over until tomorrow It was so ordered.
 MT. Perkins, reintroduced an old bill to amend the naturalization laws. It provides for the usual five-year period and requires that each alien seeking to be naturalized must speak the English language, the provision that he must be able to read and write, having been stricken out. The applicant must also show himself to be acquainted with the principlts of the constitution and have an understanding of the system of the government of the United States and the states thereof. '
 MT. Pettigrew gave notice of an amend ment to the tariff bill which will remove. from the dutiable and place on the free list all articles of like character of do-s mestic production or manufacture that are made or controlled by a trust or com-. bination for the purpose of preventing. competition. Every contract combina-'
 
 the quantity of production or affect the price of any article, or conspiracy in re- straint of trade, is deemed trust within the provisions of the act. Action to de- termine the existence of such trust may be begun by any citizen and upon the decision of the federal court that such a trust exists, the court is directed to is sue an order directing the customs off, cers to thereafter admit such articles free of duty. The United States circuit court is made the court of last resort from which no appeal can be taken.
 Here duty is levied upon raw ma terial or any article that is improved by any process after being imported, the duty on the raw material or unrefined or unimproved article shall be collected as provided by this act, but the differ ential or additional duty shall not be collected If the improved or refined ar ticle is found to be the subject of a trust.
 Washington, March 31.-The senate re- maincd in secret session this afternoon for three hours and half, during which amendments to the general treaty of arbitration and failed utterly to agree as to time when the final vote shall be taken. Voting will be resumed on all amendments that may be pending to- morrow at 4 o'clock and after that hour no further amendments will be permitted.
 The most interesting feature of today's session was the notice given by MT. Hansbrough, of North Dakota, that he should tomorrow or at the first favora- ble opportunity offer as a substitute for the whole treaty declaration in the shape of a resolution that the United States is in favor of the principle of ar bitration, but that the exigencies of the times do not demand that such treaty should be now ratified. MT. Hoar of Massachusetts, objected to such a pro ceedings and said that he would make a point of order against it when the res olution was offered. r.
 The voting began promptly at 2 o'clock according to agreement, the first vote being on the amendment offered by MT. Hoar, which consisted of a combination of the Chiffon amendment and the amendment to the first article to the treaty submitted by the committee at the last session.
 This amendment provides that "any difference, which in the judgment of or it's domestic or foreign policy shall not be referred to arbitration under this treaty except by special agreement"
 There is also added to this a provi- sion similar to that of MT. Chilton's which stipulates that each question pro- posed to be submitted to arbitration un- der the treaty must first be sent to the senate for action by that body, as in the case of an original treaty. This was adopted by vote of 54 to 13.
 DeSplle the duOpllOD OI lllS MT SHll- ton pressed his amendment, but it was laid on the table by vote of 47 to 2S.
 MT. Bacon's amendment eliminating all questions relative to the bonded indebt- edness or other securities of states was also laid upon the table, but without a yea and nay vote.
 MT. Foraker, contending that the text of the treaty was ambiguous as to the tribunals to be established, offered an amendment which provides that there shall be a separate court for each case that may be submitted and this was agreed to by very good majority ss,
 Mn Rawlins, of Utah, sought to strike out all of the article g. which relates to the selection of a member of the tribunal from among the judiciary of state or territory when any question in which such state or territory is interested is subject for arbitration. This was, how even, voted down. r
 MT. Morgan moved to strike out arti-- cIe ', which relates to the methods to be pursued when objections are taken to the Jurisdiction of the tribunal, but he withdrew the motion, stating that he would renew it tomorrow ..,