Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-02-14
JOINT RESOLUTION PASSED
By the Senate Without a Single
Objection.
SOMETHING VERY UNUSUAL
As the National Lawmakers Have Been Very
Dilatory of Late.
MORGAN WAS AGAIN THWARTED
By Sherman in an Attempt to Speak on
the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty-House In
dulges in Some Sharp Speeches
Over the Sundry Civil Bill.

Washington, Feb. 19.-The senate to-
day, without question, and without a mo-
ment's consideration, passed joint reso-
luton introduced by Mr.. Perkins, to have
a naval vessel placed at the disposal of
the San Francisco chamber of commerce
to transport wheat and corn contributed
by California, oregon and other states
for the relief of the famine-stricken poor
of India. Instead of naval vessel, the
secretary of the navy may charter a
suitable American steamship. The nee
essary appropriation is provided
A resolution was offered by Mr.. Petit
grew, and was agreed to directing an
inquiry into the issue of land patents
on what is known as the Perrine grant
in Florida. This was an old claim which,
the late secretary of the interior Mr..
Smith, refused to recognize, but which
the present secretary has recognized; and
as the Perrine in question is related by
marriage to the president of the United
States, an interest is given to the in
quiry which it might not otherwise
have
An effort was made by Mr.. Morgan to
have the business of the morning hour
continued so that he might address the
the senate ON the joint resolution intro
duced by him yesterday for the abro-
cation of the Clayton-B -Bulwer treaty.
The chairman of the committee on for
eign relations, Mr.. Sherman, however,
insisted on motion to proceed to execu-
tive business, and a majority of the
senate sided with him. And so at twenty
minutes after the noon hour the senate
resumed behind closed doors considera-
ton of the arbitration treaty and at 4:45
adjourned until Monday.
IN THE HOUSE.
General debate on the sundry civil ap-
nrOnriatjn0 hill for
eral speeches upon radically different
topics ranging from the policy of river
and harbor improvements to Cuban in
dependence. The house plunged at once
into consideration of the measure it hav-
ing been taken up for a short time Fri
day afternoon. The largest single item
in the bill is the appropriation for works
in continuation of the improvements of
rivers and harbors amounting to about
$4,000, GOO, and the river and harbor sys-
tenn naturally came in for large share
of discussion. After general speeches
on the bill by Mr.. Cannon, chairman of
the committee on appropriations, and by
Mr.. Sayers, the leader of the minority
on the committee. Messrs. Dockery and
Hepburn spoke against the contract sys-
tenn for making the improvements and
against the policy itself, and Mr.. Cach-
ings defended both MeMillin responded
to a statement by Mr.. Hopkins that un-
der republican administration of the
cient to meet the expenditures of the
government with surplus besides, criti-
cised the decision of the supreme court,
which made the income tax feature of
the Wilson law ineffective. But" he
said: tine whole country ought not to
suffer from the action of one man. Ev-
erybody knows that the man who tore
down the constitution, uprooted the de-
cisons of one hundred years and destroy
ed the power of the government to tax
49, J. af
Shiras, and his name should always be
remembered in connection with that rep
rehensible and ever-to-be- be-criticised de-
csion."
To this Mr. Grosvenor replied. He said
he should leave criticism of the supreme
court and of Mr.. Shiras, who could not
respond, to the gentleman from Tennes-
see. He desired, however, to let the gen.
tleman have the full benefit of the propo-
sition that the Mckinley law was in
adequate as a revenue measure and that
the Wilson law was a splendid produc-
ton. That would strike the country as
something remarka BILE. "The Mckinley
law" Mr.. Grosvenor asserted, produced
not only revenue for the expenditures of
the government but surplus as well,
until God for some reason which he has
not made known, menaced the future of
the country by permitting the election of
Grover Cleveland and democratic con-
gress."
MI. letTIDoHu, TtlcIIluS " MI. sITCS-
venor's reply to Mr.. McMillin's Just
criticism" of the supreme court in the
matter of the income decision said he
yielded to the decisions of the supreme
court that general respect which every
lawyer was taught was due to the law
tribunal of the nation. But" he con-
tinued, II belong to that class of people
and represent constituency who do not
believe that any institution of the coun-
try or any person or body engaged in ad-
H. cfasx ,E L..
sacred that 1t is not subject to just criti-
cism. One of the greatest menaces to the
prosperity and progress or the republic
lies in the usurpations by the judiciary in
the use of that subtle, never ceasing
power which oVerturns the decisions of
a hundred years, affects the elections of
presidents and makes strange law by
strange Methods
Speaking of the reported action of Mr..
Justice Shiras, Mr. Dearmond said: "He
changed his mind in such way as to lift
from wealth tax of from forty to sixty
millions year, and transfer 1t to poverty
and to it, Men may change their minds,
but when forty to sixty millions annually
are in the scale, and trained judge,
without argument and additional light
changes his mind. why should there not
be comment on it? His name will be kept
alive. not in honor, but because the Amer
lean people have been outraged by him.
He would go further, Mr. Dearmond
said and charge that the crime of the
hour was that the power of the judiciary
was not more strictly limited. There was
a sentiment in the house and senate both,
which tended to minimize the power of
the legislature and to secure additional
power to the executive and to the su-
preme court. There was every reason
why the legislative power should be
strengthened, that 1t might more properly
represent the people, and why that of the
executive and the courts should be re-
stricted.
Mr.. Dearmond closed with 6prvid i'm
passioned appeal for Intervention in be-
half of the Cuban revolutionists. II asked
upon what ground the intervention