Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-12-16
PETT|GREW'S NEWS.
States That the British Lion Il
Holding the American Eagle
of Cuba.
NEW FEATURE In THE DIFFICULTY.

Senator Would Kill All the Seals and Thus
Service Reform Comes Up in Both souses
-Rcpresentativcs Mako . Cycionic Cut
OF Clerks In the Pension Omce-New
Danger Scented I'm Pensions.
Washington. Dec. 1s.-Proceedings Of
the senate were enlivened yesterday by
an interesting debate upon the bill pre-
scented by the foreign relations commit
tee providing for the prohibition Of
pelagic sealing by Americans. The pro-
visions Of the measure were explained
by Davis. chairman of the foreign rela-
tons committee, who said that 1t was
In aid Of negotiations now pending
among the representatives Of the gov
ernments of the United States, Great
Britain. Russia and Japan. Pettigrew
sharply antagonized the measure, say
Ing that this country had already suf-
fered more than enough humiliation on
account o: the seal business, and that
he favored the settlement OF the Ques-
ton by killing all of the seals as they
appeared at the rockeries of the Pri-
bylof islands. If by the LIST of June next
Great Britain also had not agreed to
the prohibition of pelagic sealing He
offered an amendment to that effect, but
II was defeated. The bill was passed
by vote OF 81 to AL
Drops Into Some Other Questions.
During the debate Pettigrew said the
United States had been trying for four
years to secure an agreement with Eng
land for the protection of the seals and
had failed, England refusing to even
enter upon the negotiations. For one"
he continued. Il am tired of waiting
upon England in this as In other mat
tiers. II is humiliating that We should
be compelled TO do SO not only in the
fur seal. but in Cuban and financial
questions. hesitating to declare our in
dependence because OF England's posi-
BILE opposition. The only interest Eng
land has in protecting the Spanish in
terest In Cuba is that implied in the
fact that Lombard street holds the
Spanish bonds. This being the case We
can do nothing for suffering Cuba unless
Great Britain is willing. So it is in
financial matters. and thus II happens
that we must send a commission to
fawn at the feet of the hook nosed Jews
Of London to ascertain whether they are
willing that we should do thus and so
In the matter Of our own finances"
Money saved by Civil Service Reform.
When the bill to provide for taking
the national census came up Lodge said
he was aware that at the present
time IL was not fashionable to say any
thing in support of the civil service law,
hut that II was considered rather better
form To- attack the administration of the
law. He said that he had always been
and was now n friend of the civil SER
vice law. Pre-. Dent Cleveland had at
the close Of his administration made an
enormous extension of the classified
service. placing about 10000 persons
without examination under its pro-
lection. II was satisfactory to note that
President Mckinley had bravely and
courageously dealt with the question
at the beginning of his administration.
Lodge read extracts from letter from
the Hon. Carroll II. Wright, chief Of the
labor bureau. in which the expenses of
conducting the census office were dis
cussed at length. and in brief. IT was shown
that taking the last census cost, twice
as much as 1t would have done under
the merit system.