The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-10
SESSION OF THE SENATORS.
GALLINGER ALARMED At THE PEN
SION EXTRAVAGANCE.

Native Hawaiians Protesting
Against Annexation Presented.
Washington, Dec. Ex-senator Hoar to-
day presented a monster protest In the
Senate from native Hawaiians against the
annexation of the Hawaiian Islands to
The United States. The protest filed sew
eral hundred pages of foolscap paper. OF
the 21,269 signers, 1919 were women, and
1850 were foreigners. The petition was
very brief, merely protesting against an
nexation to the United States in any shape
or form"
The presentation of the petition was wit
messed by the native Hawaiians compris-
ing the delegation now here to oppose an
nexation. who made their first visit to the
capitol to-day.
The Senate adjourned to-day until Mon
day next
Mr. Davis secured the adoption of res
olution requesting the Secretary of the
Treasury to inform the Senate what
changes, if any. had been made in the plans
of the st. Paul postoffce building
Mr.. Mcbride of Oregon presented and
asked for immediate consideration of a
joint resolution for the relief of American
miners and other suffers in the valley of
the Yukon and its tributaries The reso-
luton authorizes the Secretary of War to
transport supplies to the suffering miners
and provides that no more than $4,000 be
appropriated to carry out the purposes of
the resolution. 1t went over on objection.
A resolution was offered by Mr.. Chandler
Of Mo-
committee on naval affairs, providing for
an investigation of the question of dry
docks and naval stations
Inc resolution reported by the Pacific
railroad committee, asking the Attorney
General for information concerning the
Kansas Pacific, and requesting the Pres
ldeht 10 obtain postponement of such
sale TO such time as will give to congress
reasonable time to consider and act upon
ms recommendation, was adopted.
Mr.. GaHinger of New Hampshire, chair
man OF the committee on pensions, re-
quested that at the conclusion of the
morning business to-day, an hour be set
aside for the consideration of private PEN
sion bills, of which he said there were
over 200 on the calendar Endorsed by the
committee
Il want to say" said he, that there is
laXity among senators about sending
quiry is made by them as to the merit of
the measure, and the result is that our
committee is flooded with correspondence
concerning the details of bills that ought
to have been determined before the meas
ures were laid before congress. Senators
should be absolutely satisfied of the merit
of measures before introducing them
am and have always been friendly to the
soldiers, but l am constrained to feel we
are going too far, and that we ought in
the future to exercise the greatest con-
servatism in the consideration of all pen
sion matters"
Mr.. Gallinger thought the practice of
pensioning remarked widows and several
other similar classes of claimants ought
to be stopped. He thought, too, the rec
concentration of the commissioner of pen
sions that law should be enacted speed
lily, providing that no pension should be
granted to a widow if her marriage to the
soldier had been subsequent TO the pas
sage of the law under which he was draw
ing pension, ought to be enacted into
law
In response to a question by Mr.. Allen
of Nebraska, Mr.. Gallinger said he was
opposed to the granting of large pensions
to widows of distinguished officers. 1--WE
have lost the limit in that regard said
he, land it is time that we should STOP"
The order requested by Mr.. Gallinger
was then made.
Forty-five private pension bills were
passed.
Mr.. Mcbride of Oregon secured the pas
sage OF resolution asking the Secretary
of War for such information concering the
needs of the Alaskan miners in the Yukon
valley as he might have in his possession.
The Senate then began the consideration
of private pension bills, under the special
order. During the hour allowed fortylS
five bills were passed, the majority of
tn
received.
Mr.. Gear of Iowa. chairman of the Pa
cific railroad committee, said too much
credit could not be given the present adj
ministration for the admirable manner in
which it had handled and disposed of the
Pacific railroad matters.
Mr.. Harris facetiously congratulated his
friend from Iowa, Mr.. Gear. and his friend
from Nebraska Mr. Thurston, upon the
change which had come over them since
the consideration of the Pacific railroad
question last session.
Mr.. Gear responded that so far as he was
concerned, no change had been expert
enced and that he was just as much OPP
posed to government ownership of rail-
roads as ever
Mr.. Thurston congratulated the country
upon the result of the Administrations eff
fort regarding the matter. He said If the
plan proposed by Mr.. Harris had been
received anything approXima ting the mag
nifcent sum which had been paid for the
main line of the Union Pacific railroad
Mr.. Thurston expressed the opinion that
the prosperous business conditions by the
advent of the present administration had
so improved the main line of the Union
Pacific that it would probably now earn
dividends upon the full amount of the
large purchase price paid for it.
Mr. Harris inquired whether Mr.. Thurs
ton thought the same conditions would
correspondingiy improve the Kansas City
branch.
Mr.. Thurston said it was hardly to DC
expected that branch line would be ar
fected in the same manner as a great
trans-continental road. He noticed i'm the
Presidents message, he said that the adj
ministration is committed to the policy of
purchasing the Kansas Pacific branch I'M
less a better bid was offered. He did not
believe in government ownership of rail-
roads, and he was of the opinion that the |
experiment of such ownership, if it was to
be tried might better. be tried with some |
other than the Kansas Pacific railroad
Upon motion of Mr.. Lodge, the immi- |
grafton bill was made the unfinished bust, |
ness on the Senate calendar.
Mr.. Carter, chairman of the census com |