The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-21

Vote Stood al to 25 in Favor of Cons der
atIon-senator Vest Announces His
Inteution to Secure Vote AS Soon AS
Possible.
Washington. January 2o.-Mr. Mills of
Texas secured the passage by the Senate
today of resolution directing the Secre-
tary of War to make an examination OF
the Port Arthur ship canal, with view
to its extension to deep water
Mr.. Gallinger of the committee on pub.
lie health and national quarantine Sc
cured the adoption of resolution en-
tine desirability of removing the quaran-
tine station from Ship Island to some
other point in the Gulf of Mexico.
Mr.. Frye of the commerce committee
reported favorably and secured the pas
sage of a bill providing for the construc-
tion at a cost Of not exceeding $40, 600 of
a lightship to be located near Cape Eliza
beth, Me.
Mr. Allen of Nebraska introduced
resolution directing the secretary of the
interior to send to the Senate the full and
explicit charges made against Mrs. M.
E. Roberts, who was recently dismissed
from the pension bureau.
Immediate consideration being asked
for the resolution, Mr.. Ga1linger of New
Hampshire said that he held that the
heads of departments had absolute power
to remove clerks. There is.also, said he,
a civil service commission which has
practically final authority in cases OF this
kind. He thought that Congress ought
not to take up the decision of such cases.
Mr.. Hoar objected to the consideration
of the resolution but withdrew his objeo-
ton to afford Mr.. Allen opportunity to
make a statement. =
MIR. Allen then read a statement
directed to.the President by Mrs. Roberts.
She said that she is the widow OF Edward
Roberts, a union soldier; that she was
summarily dismissed from the pension
office for misconduct affecting her char
acter.'' No charges were preferred
have been treated cruelty and without
opportunity to vindicate her character.
She intimated that a woman in thesde-
partment was responsible for the charge
of moral misconduct against her and in
sisted that the secretary had been imposed
upon, "by some spider in human form
Mr.. Allen said that he did not know
who this lady is, but he felt that that
government was infamous which would
not afford her opportunity to meet
charges fled against her.
Mr., Galliuger said the presumption Was
that the statement of Mrs. Roberts had
been properly referred and was now in
the proper place to receive consideration.
He maintained that the passage of the
pending resolution would make perfect
Pandora 's-box that would be without
precedent Congress, he said, had no time
to trif1e with quarrels between cabinet
officers and clerks dismissed from the SER
vice.
Mr. Gallinger then asked that the reso-
luton go over until tomorrow.
Mr. Pettigrew secured the passage OF a
resolution directing the secretary OF the
interior and the attorney general to in
form the Senate what steps the govern
ment had taken concerning the kllllng
of woman in Oklahoma territory by
Seminole Indians and the burning OF two
Seminole Indians in the same territory.
The resolution offered yesterday by
Mr.. Hoar of Massachusetts inquiring of
the postmaster general what action was
necessary to maintain the excellence of
the postal free delivery service was agreed
to.
Mr.. TiIlman's' resolution presented
Yesterday extending the authority of the
tee relative to the investigation of the
giving by railroads Of transportation for
any other consideration than cash, was
passed.
Mr.. Lodge of Massachusetts then moved
that the Senate go into executive session.
This was antagonized by MIR. Vest os
Missouri who called attention to the fact
that he had given notice OF his intention
to call up the Teller resolution.
The chair held that Mr.. Lodges ynoe
tion took precedence and the yeas and
nays were demanded. The vote resulted
yeas 27, nays 80. The detailed vote was
as follows:
Yeas-Aldrich, Allison, Baker, Clark,
Davis, Fairbanks, Foraker % Frye. .s5andn Gallih-
Hoar. Lodge, Mcbride, Mcmillan, Mason,
Morrill,, Nelson, Platt of Connectiout.
Pritchard, Proctor, Sewall, Spooner,
Thurston and Wetmore-27.
Nays-Bacon, Bate. Barry, Butter, Can
non, Chiffon, Clay, Cookrell, Falkner,
Kansas, Kyle Lindsay, McEnery. NAL