The San Francisco call., 1897-04-22
The New Illinois Sena-
tor Would Amend
the Rules.
How the Country'S Business
Is at the Mercy Of
MinoritieS.
He Believes In Scraping the Bar
naCles From the Ship OF
State.

WASHINGTON. d. c., April 21.-The
monotony of the Senate was interrupted
to-day by an attack upon the rnles by one
OF the new Senators, Mason (R) of Hi.
nois. He had offered a resolution yester-
day for an amendment to the rules pro-
viding for the limitation of debate and
the ordering OF the previous question.
When the resolution was taken up to-day
he made his maiden speech, treating the
subject with levity. Instead of the Sem
ate being the great asse mbly Senators i'm
agined It to be. it was practically, he said.
orly legislative body in the country
where minority transacted pubic busi-
ness. Alluding to the tariff bill as a
measure in which the majority would
have TO yield to the minority. he remarked
that the business interests Of the country
were on the verge of dependency. He
gave the arbitration treaty as another il
lustration of the minority decidi ing
whether or not it should be ratified. The
Cuban natter was another instance.
'Action upon it," he said, "is delayed
while murder Is committed at our very
doorsteps. and we look each other in the
face and say, Am l my brothers keeper?'
The Senator from Alabama knows there is
ajority in this body committed to rec
ogniZe belligerent rights IN Cuba, but
whatever our desire the minority controls
our action. l would not scuttle the ship,
but would like to put her in the drydock
long enough to have her bottom scraped
so that we can sail and transact public
business. Senators say they are in favor
of change individually. Let them show
that they are collectively" Z"
Hoar remarked that there was very little
lik elihood of the Committee on Rules act
ing soon on the resolution, as Chairman
Adrich was engaged day and mig hit in the
pre- pa ration of the tariff bill. He spoke
with some bitterness of the methods OF
another parliamen tary body (alluding to
the House) that adjourned every three
days in order to gain time for attacks
upon The Senate for not attending TO busi-
ness. Laughter.
German moved to refer the resolution to
the Committee on Rules
Mason said he preferred TO have the
resolution acted upon directly and de-
manded the ayes and noes.
Germans motion was adopted-ages 80,
noes "a.
A petition of merchants and CONNER
cial bodies of San Francisco against the
abrcga.ion of the Hawaiian treaty was
prese nted by Perkins, and one in favor OF
its adoption by Morrill, of Vermont.
The amendment approprlating $50, 600
for the improvement of Pearl Harbor was
reported from the Committee on For-i n
Relations.
An invitation to the Senate to be pres
ent at the Grant ceremonies in New York
and to lake part in the exercises was ac-
cepted, on motion of Hawley, and a COM
mittee of fifteen 10 represent the Senate
on that occasion wa. ordered appointed
by the Vice President.
A concu-ren resolution TO adjourn over
from, Monday, April 26. to Monday, May
3. offered by Chandler, went over without
action.
The bankruptcy bill was then taken up.
Various verbal amendments were made
to Nelson's substitute. Turpie opposed
the bill because it would allow a Joint
stock corporation TO 60 into voluntary or
involuntary bankruptcy.
Hoar, who assists Lindsay in the man.
agement of the BILL modified the bill so
that it would not include corporations. 1t
was agreed to begin voting on the pend
ing amendments and on the substitute
offered by Nelson at o'clock to. morrow.
The Senate then adjourned.