The herald., 1898-02-21
APPROPRIATION BILLS
SET FOR CONSIDERATION BY
CONGRESS
ANIMATED DEBATE PROBABLE
Annexation and Belligerency Amend
ments to Appropriation Bills
May Prove to Be Firebrands
Associated Press SDeciai Wire

, Associated Press Special Wire
} WASHINGTON, Feb. 2N-The diplomatic
and consular and the military academy ap-
preparation bills will be considered and
passed by the senate during the week.
There will be more or less debate in exec
utive session of the Hawaiian annexation
treaty and speeches will be made on the
claims of Mr.. Corbett to a seat in the SER
ate on the appointment of the governor OF
Oregon. The Corbett matter will not be
pressed except to the end CT having the
speeches so far disposed of as to make
sure of getting a vote at the time fixed, a
week from tomorrow. The expectation is
that the bill making an appropriation for
the consular and diplomatic service will be
made the basis for considerable debate. 1t
is understood to be Senator Aliens inten-
tion to make an effort to secure the in
corporation in the bill as an amendment
of his provision for the recognition of Gu
ban belligerency and if he should make
this effort the result might be general
discussion of the Cuban question. While
however. this is among the possibilities
is does not appear probable that the senate
IS now in mood for the opening of this
question pending the Maine investigation
so that Ii it should be taken up this week
there would have to be a quite radical
change in sentiment. There are some SEN
ators, however who are desirous of having
the subject debated and they may force
the issue. Mr.. Aliens amendment was
adversely reported to the committee on
foreign relations. and Senator Hill VIII
raise point of order against it. This the
vice-president will sustain, and Mr. Allen
Will. of course, appeal. There will be stub
born opposition to such an amendment II
offered, and the contest may be an ami
mated one if Mr.. Allen persists in his pur-
pose Independently of the Cuban amend
ment the diplomatic bill is likely to cause
debate on other questions 1t seldom gets
| through the senate without being made
the basis of more or less general discussion
of the country's foreign policy.
| The advisabilty of amending this appro-
| priation with a provision for the anneXa-
tion of Hawaii, which was a one time con-
sidered by the supporters of the Hawaiian
treaty appears to have been abandoned.
| The treaty will, however, receive independ-
ent attention during the week if the appro-
priation bills and the Corbett case do not
crowd 1t out Senator Davis, who as chair
man OF the committee on foreign relations
has charge of the treaty, will be absent
from the senate during the entire first half
of the week, but Senator Ere, who is act
ing chairman, will move an executive ses-
sion for the consideration of the treaty
if there should be an opening.
There IS general impression that the
treaty Will not be further debated at great
| length. There are several senator's who
| desire to be heard upon it, but none of
| these are likely to make long speeches.
The presentation of the friends of the
treaty is TO secure test vote as soon as II
can be conveniently done. and for this pur-
pose Senator Bacon's amendment provid-
ing for submitting the treaty to vote of
the people of Hawaii will be utilized If
they find upon this vote that the treaty
cannot command the support of two-thirds
OF the senators. the number necessary to
secure its ratification, they Will move to
recommit to the committee on foreign re-
lations and then take up Senator Morgan's
bill for annexation which was favorably
reported to the senate during the extra
session. This is the present plan, but de-
tails may, of course, be changed.
Ihe friends of the treaty regard the
Bacon amendment as entirely unfriendly
and they would regard as aptagonistic to
the treaty any senator who would cast his
vote for IT. hence they think they can use
1t as foil and by its use secure the eau!v-
alent OF vote on the treaty without i'm
| periling that document.
| If the vote on the amendment should
show that the treaty commands the sixty
votes necessary to its ratification it would
| then be pressed to a final vote as speedily
as possible.
IN THE HOUSE
| WASHINGTON, Feb. 20-Unless the
Cuban question or some phase of the
| Maine disaster should come before tho
house this week the time, with the excep-
tion of tomorrow, which under an arrange
ment made last week will be given UP to the
| consideration of private bills. will be de-
voted, nominally at least, to the civil ap-
preparation bill. This bill will be reporte ed
| TO the bnIlSp : to- q
inous measure, containing all the odds and
ends of appropriations, as its name indi-
Gates, and is usually productive of more
protracted contests than any of the other
| appropriation bills. 1t is understood that
the information regarding the situation in
Cuba, asked for last week by the house.
has been prepared by the state department
and is ready for transmission. Some of
the consular reports bearing upon the sit
\ uation have been edited in some places but
it is said the situation as presented prob
ably will call for some action before the
| information goes to the house this week
An effort may be made to get It in this
manner. On account of public sentiment
pending the result of the investigation int O
| the cause of the disaster to the Maine If is
considered probable that the answer of
| the state department will be withheld for
several days. In the face of the catastro-
phe which has occurred members of the
mouse VINO nave usually pushed to the fore
on the occasion Of any sensational develop
ments in foreign or domestic affairs were
| ominously silent last week. The extreme
gravity of the situation and the far reach
| ing consequences of hasty or ill-considered
action tended to disarm them. At any time
during the consideration OF the appropria-
tion bill, where the widest latitude in de-
bate is allowed, stirring debate involving
the recent sensational events in connection
with the explosion of the Maine and the re-
ca! OF the Spanish minister and the latest
developments in Cuba may be precipitated
But those in authority by keeping the an
preparation bill in the right of way. can
easily prevent actual action by the house
If they so desire, and the prevailing opinion
of the conservative leaders on both sides
is that both action and agitation are out
of place until all the facts upon which
calm Judgment can be predcated are
known.