The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-02-04
A SPIRITED DEBATE IN THE SEN
ATE UPON THE CONFER
ENCE REPORT.
v|LAS CONTINUES AGAINST CANAL
The End of His Speech Has Not Come
Yet-Quiet Day in the House.
Diplomatic and Consular
Bill Passed

Washington, Feb. 2.-The feature of
the senate today was very spirited de-
bate on the conference report of the i'm
migration bill. Mr.. Gibson of Maryland
opposed the report and Mr.. Lodge de-
Tended it.
After two hours strlgglc the report
went over and the Nicarfguan canal bill
was taken up, Mr.. Villas continuing his
remarks.
Mr.. Teller of Colorado also entered
into the debate in opposition to the
measure.
Early in the day Mr.. Chandler intro
duced the following resolution:
''That it is the sense of the senate that
the United States should not perma-
nently acquiesce in the single gold stan
dard and that the efforts of the govern
ment in all its branches should be
steadily directed to secure and maintain
the use of silver, as we'll as gold as
standard money, with the free coinage of
both under a system of bimetallism to
be esta blished through international
agreement, with such safeguards of legis-
lation as will insure the parity uf the
metals at q fixed ratio, furnish q suf-
ficient volume of metallic money and give
immunity to the world of trade from
violent fluctuations of exchange
Mr. Chandler said he would call up
the resolution in day or So.
The bill was passed penSioning the
surviving members of Gray's battalion of
Arkansas volunteers.
Mr.. Lodge then called up the confer
ence report on the immigration bill and
sought to secure its adoption. To this,
however, objection was made by Mr..
Gibson (dem.) of Maryland, who made
1, point of order against the report as a
whole. He declared that the conference
committee had far exceeded its powers
and had injected new legislation into
the measure, thus violating the rules of
the senate.
Mr. Gibson said the bill had been so
changed that wives would be separated
from their husbands, repeating the cruel
ties of slavery days.
Mr. Lodge, in charge of the bill, de-
blended the conference report and in
vigorous terms arraigned che steamship
lines opposing this measure, particularly
the North German Lloyd company. This
company, subsidized by foreign govern
ment, not only had its agents at the
capitol, but had caused its agents to
telegraph representatives md senator's.
Through the press comes report today
that the president would veto The bill.
No president would make such state
ment before receiving the bill. 1t came
from the same source as that which was
sending kilograms to congressman. The
same company will carry its raid from
the capitol to the White House. When
Il great foreign corporation sought to take
7 senators by the throat it was time to
tp,tt tncp Of IN
Mr.. Lodge resented the statement that
the bill would separate man and wife
and renew the cruelties of slavery days.
The bill sought to make a broad limita-
ton against illiteracy, and if an eXccp-
tion would be made as to wives it would
have to be made as to brothers, sisters,
etc. There would be none of the heart
rending results depicted by Mr.. Gibson.
AT the close of Mr.. Lodges remarks
Mr.. Morgan called up the Nicaraguan
canal bill.
Mr.. Teller (rep.) of Colorado proposed
amendments to the bill as follows:
"The bonds hereinbefOre mentioned
shall not be guaranteed and no money
shall be expended in the construction of
the canal until survey has been made
by a competent board of engineers. to be
appointed by the president of the United
States, and complete plan prepared for
the entire work. and such plan shall be
approved by the president of the United
States. Should it be shown by the board
of engineers that the cost will be more
than $100,000,000 the president shall re-
iect the plan, and the bonds herembefore
provided shall not be guaranteed, and
the United States shall not assume any
liability in the construction of such
canal"
Mr. Teller said he would debate the