The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-03-26

for the Correspondence in the Ruiz Case.
Two Hundred Bills Introduced In the
Senate and Many Reported From Com
mittee.
SENATE.
Washington, March 22.-The legisla-
tive session Of the senate today lasted
but forty minutes, the arbitration trea-
ty between the United States and
Great Britain being taken UP thereaf-
ter ehind closed doors. In the short
open session nearly 200 bills were in
PRODUCED and many others were report
ed back from committees. Included IN
the latter We're the free homestead bill
and the immigration bill, with the pro-
vision as to Canadian laborers elimina-
ted-both of which were under cOnsid-
Grafton in the last congress-, the latter
failing to become a law owing to Pres
ident C~leveland's veto. The four great
appropriation bills-the agricultural,
the Indian, the sundry civil and the
general deficiency-which also failed
for lack of Mr.. Cleveland's signature.
which were r~e-intrOduced and passed
las week by the house., were referred
to the committee on appropriations.
The house joint resolution was passed
extending until December next the
investigation as to the use OF alcOhOl
in the arts by a joint commission OF
congress-.
"A resolution was agreed to calling
upon the president for the correspond
ence between this government and
Spain and tive the state depart
ment and Consul General Lee, in re-
gard to the arrest, imprisonment and
Crbn ~ Tr
Ruiz, and inquiring wha steps have
been taken in the matter.
AT $40 o'clock the senate adjourned
until tomorrow.
The resolution regarding the Ruiz
case was introduced by Senator AL
len of Nebraska. 1t grows out Of tho
belief that Secretary Sherman will
furnish the senate with the CORE
spondence in this case which was re-
fused by Secretary Olney when tina
senate on the 23rd of February last
passed a similar resolution on the mo-
ton of senator Mills, of Texas. At THAI
time, Secretary Olney sent to the sen
ate a statement of alleged facts mado
up from the correspondence, but de-
clined to send the correspondence on
the ground that it would tend to injure
the persons referred to therein and
would be incompatible with the public
interests.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
The tariff bill b was fairly and
regularly started in the house today
and will be kept up for the next thred
days, after which time the discussion
will be on amendments that may be
Offered. The reading of the bill to-
day occupied nearly two hours and d
half, although there was no pretense on
the part of the clerk that he was fol-
lowing the text in full.
The chair was occupied by Mr.. Sher-
man, republican, of New York, as
chairman of the committee of the
whole.
The opening speech was made by
Mr.. Dingley, republican, Of Maine,
chairman of the committee on ways
and means, and was an
explanation and in defense of the
measure.
The first speech in antagonism to it
was made by MI. Wheeler, democrat,
of Alabama, a OF the com
mittee on ways and means. He asserted
that the prosperity which the people
of the United States had enjoyed had
been the result of their W industry
and energy; not of the protective sys-
tenn. In fact, it had been accomplished
he said, in spite of the prospective
system. Even the wonderful success OF
the iron industry in Alabama oWeo
nothing to the aid OF protection:
BY unanimous consent, MI. Wheeler's
time was extended until he had fin
ished his remarks, which met Wlth
frequent outbursts Of applause. Mr.
Wheeler's speech was followed by one
in favor of the bill, made by Mr.. Hop
kins, republican, of Illinois, another
member of the committee on ways and
means, and by one against 1t, by Mr.,
Bell, pOpulist. Of Colorado.
AT 5 o'clock, under the order govern
ing the consideration of the tariff bill
the house took a recess until 3 O'CLOCK
49, -,oD;~r orc;n m no daVnfn6 tn q
continuance OF the b Mr.. Hop
kins, republican, OF Illinois, was desig
nated to act aschairman at the even
ing session.
The views of the minority Of the COM
mittee on ways and means upon the
tariff bill were presented to the house
by Representative Bailey, democrat, OF
Texas, the leader Of the democracy.
The report devotes 1000 words to a
general arraignment Of the protective
principle and concludes with the state
ment that the minority ARE unable to
offer a substitute for the pending bill,
because we have not been allowed q
reasonable time to prepare one. Con-
gresS convened in extraordinary session
on Monday, the 18th day of March, and
this bill was introduced the same day
and referred to the committee on ways
and means, which met the next morn
ing, and on Thursday it was ordered to
be reported to the house. The majority
of the committee had spent three
months of the last session of the last
congress in the preparation of their
bill, and yet they refused to allow the
minority three weeks in which to pre-
pare a substitute. We are unwilling to
propose a Measure that has not been
carefully matured, and we must there
fore content ourselves with protesting
against the passage of the committees
bill"
AT the evening session of the house
about 100 members were in their seats,
while the galleries., as at all night SEES
sions, were filled to overlooking.
Mr.. Taylor, republican, of Indiana,
was the first speaker in opposition to
the bill. He devoted some time to a
criticism of the majority for rushing
, through the house the four a%ppropria-
ton bills last week, and turning his at
htentiOn to the tariff bill, ridiculed the
free list.
\ Mr.. Greene, populist, of Nebraska
3