The San Francisco call., 1897-01-22
Morgan Failed to Get the Senate
to Fix a Time for the
Vote.
A Bill Making tn. Terms of Post
masters Four Years Put Aside
Without Action.

Privileges aud Elections To-Day ceftlA-
cate of election was presented by the same
Senator. and was similarly referred, to the
effect that John Edward Add icks has been
legally elected to the vacant seat IN the
Senate from the State OF Delaware.
An unsuccessful attempt was made by
HinfDl of New York, backed by Chand-
Ter. to have a bill considered and passed
fixing the term of Office of all Postmas-
ters at four years. Hale (R.l of Maine OBJ
iected. however, on the ground that the
bill would only intensity the scramble for
postoffiee appointments and the bill was
not taken up.
Most of the morning hour which is
really two hours, was taken up to-day, as
1t has been for the past Jew days. in a
wrangle over the bill as to electric con-
dults in the city of Washington, Hill
making an additional argument in oppo-
sition to tie bill. 1t went over without
action.
Then Turpie (D.) of Indiana began his
third days argument against the Mic
aragua canal bill, illumining the subject
with scintilahons of hitter sarcasm.
There was no parallel, he saiG, between
the Suez canal and the Nicaragua canal.
ernment the control of the Suez canal be-
cause that was "a bird in the hand" but
If MIR. Olney were to do the same for the
Nicaragua canal it would be buying "a
bird in a bush"
He characterized the Maritime Canal
Company of Nicaragua as an incorporated
myth"
Referring to Morgan's statement that
there was a race between Great Britain
and the United States as to who should
build the Nicaragua canal. Turpie said
that ii there was such a.race it was very
languid and indolent one. 1t was race
in which the books had been open 15O
years and there were no entries yet
If this offer was made to the British
Parliament the answer to the company.
would be: You have no right to make
the transfer That right is forbidden by
the terms of your own contract. You took
this concession for ten years from the 21st
of April, 1887, and your life expires on the
21st of A priI, 1897. Do you think that we
are going to give you 500, 100000 for
corpse and then have to bury it at our
own charge?" [Laughter.]
Turpie closed his speech at 3 P. NJ, hav-
ing thus occupied exactly five hours in
the three days through which his speech
has extended.
Morgan asked Turpie whether he had
any amendments to offer to the canal bill.
Turpie said that he had substitute to
offer for it, but he was not prepared to
Offer it.
Morgan remarked that the bill was one
on which action one way or the other
ehn ha 4aIr ruif TIY1 do.
lay He wanted action one way or tie
ether ana he asked unanimous consent to
have the vote taken on the bill and amend
ments at o'clock tomorrow.
Turpie objected, saying he was not pre-
pared to offer the proposed amendment
and he knew of two or three Senators not
now present who desired to speak on the
bill.
Morgan suggested taking the vote on
Tuesday next at o'clock, but Turpie
would not agree 10 having any time
fixed.
Very we'll, said Morgan, then 1 have
no other alternative but to ask the Sem
ate to sit out the bill"
PETER (Pop) of Kansas made a brief
argument against the bill, saying he was
utterly opposed to the guaranteeing or the
issuing of bonds by the Government.
Villas CD of Wisconsin expressed hope
that the Senator from Alabama (Morgan)
would not insist on an unusual course on
q bill which appropriated $500 00O 600 of
public money. Morgan suggested to Villas
to fix his own time for taking the vote.
81 do not think" Villas replied, that
we have reached point where the oppo-
nents of the measure should be called
upon to name an hour and day for taking
a vote"
Hoar (R.) of Massachusetts reminded
Villas that the custom which prevailed in
ha ta " ho fret f0 Con
was not to lay an important measure
aside after two or three hours discussion
each day, but to continue the debate until
3 or o'clock in the morning, and so
bring the measure to vote. He thought
that should be the rule now.
Villas remarked that during his service
in the Senate one bill had been debated
for months.
What bill was thatY' Hoar asked.
"The tariff bill" was the reply.
"Oh, said Hoar, 1.-The tariff bill is not
only Thousand bills in one, but it is also
thousand ills in one" Iaughter.)
Hill put in the remark that the Sher-
man silver bill had been before the Senate
from August until November
Never mind the past, " Chandler sug-
gested, cynically. How are we nowf
The morning hour of each day is taken up
by the Senator from New York, and the
Senator from Wisconsin proposes to take
".
'Where does the Senator from New
Hampshire come inn" was HilPs com
ment.
Morgan, in urging that there should be
no delay in action on the BILL said that
the Senate could not afford to 20 into the
consideration of the arbitration treaty
without action being taken on the Nicara-
guam canal, because such action would
determine whether the canal and all the
treaties relating were matters of differ
ence between the Government OF the
United States and the Government of
Great Britain.
According to this view OF the exigency
it was not far 10 the country or fair 10 the
Senate to undertake filibustering to defeat
a measure on which the fate of other i'm
portant public matters hung.
Villas resented the charge OF ilibustering
and declared that there would be no OBJ
lection to having the vote taken after fair
and reasonable discussion; but If oppor-
tunitv for the discussion was not given,
then he would move that when the Senate
adjourn to-day it ad journ to meet on Mon
day next, and on that motion he de-
manded the ayes and noes. The vote was:
Ayes 13, noes 26-six Senators less than
quorum.
The House bill transferring the county
OF Audrain. in Missouri, from the western.
to the eastern judicial district in Missouri