The herald., 1898-12-21

| capable of conducting, but that ne wou!d
not take down the American flag where
once planted. The remainder Of the session
was given up to the Nicaragua canal bill.
Senator Gallery was the only speaker on
this subject, and he opposed the Morgan
bill.
The House resolution providing to ad-
journ Congress from December 81 to Jan
uarly was adopted without division.
Mr.. Gallinger of New Hampshire favor
ably reported Mr.. Proctor's resolution PRO
viding for committee of Senators to visit
Cuba and Porto Rico with a view to as
ccrtaining the conditions on the islands and
reporting them with recommendations to
the Senate, but on Mr.. Hale's objection to
present consideration the resolution was
placed on the calendar.
On motion of Mr.. lIoar of Massachusetts
it was ordered that on February -, i'm
mediately after the Senate convened, Wash
inxton's Farewell Address be read by Mr..
olcott OF Colorado.
A bill authorizing General Nj. f. Bates
of the United States Army to accept the
designation of the Legion OF Honor, pre-
sented by the President OF the French re-
public, was passed.
a bill to extend the time for the construc-
ton OF IL bridge across the Columbia river
between the States of Oregon and Washing
ton by the Oregon and Washington bridge
Company was passed.
In accordance with notice given yester-
day, Mr.. Teller of Colorado today addressed
the senate on MIR. Vests resolution declar
ing that under the institution no authority
Is gwen to acquire territory to be held and
; governed permanently as colonies. Mr..
Teler's address was constitutional argu
mont. He did not think there was the
slightest question of the power of this gov
eminent to acquire foISign territory.
IF we are a nation" he declared, we
have the power to exercise the right of
nation--all the rights of any sovereign
power"
Referring to the territory acquired by the
Iniueu States uuring the recent war; Mr..
Teller said:
I'VE have already acquired this territory
We need, as matter of fact, no treaty
with Spain to confirm our right to it, By
right of conquest-a right undisputed-we
come into possession of Cuba, Porto Rico,
and the Asiatic archipelago. They are ours
just as certainly as they could be made so
by treaty.
I'VE can confer statehood upon those
territories whenever in our judgment it is
proper to do so. Nobody can call into
question our right to exercise our judg-
ment in this matter.
If we acquire territsry," he continued,
the very act carries with it the right to
govern.
If this government will say to the peo-
nj Of ,yNr
you elfgovernment,' we will not need an
army OF $4,000 men in Cuba, 10000 men in
Porto Rico and 10000 in the Philippines.
10 say this to those people is the onl way
to escape great standing army
Il am not one to turn these possessions
back to Spain, but l do believe that we
ought to give them the opportunity to gov
ern themselves. | may say that nobody
wants these possessions made into states
now. No public man is in favor Of such a
plan, SO far as l am aware, yet, in the course
of time, we may take them in
SO tar and as soon as possible Mr. Teller
believed the inhabitants of Cuba should be
given self-government, but he did not be-
lieve that the United States should leave
the infant power thus established as prev
OF any other nation, either through conquest
or treaty. lie believed it folly to talk of
imperialism as applied to this country
No man or senate of men had any intention
of establishing in this country the European
policy of Imperialism and none would
champion such course.
Mr.. Teller said he knew that the Filipinos
were incapable of establishing government
equal to the government of our states, and
that he would encourage committees among
| them to establish the best governments they
| were capable of. He would not go to war
with the people of the Philippines in order
to force our institutions upon them. lie
would consult them as to the form of gov
ernmcnt, and he believed that by pursuing
this course we should avoid the necessity
of war with the natives. Their government
might not be as perfect as ours, but all ac-
counts agreed that the natives were tracta
BILE and intelligent and capable OF progress
THE CANAL BILL
At 2 O'Clock the Nicaraguan canal bill,
the unfinished business, was taken up to
the displacement of the registry measure
Mr.. Caffery spoke in opposition to the canal
bill. He said the proposition to connect the
two oceans by means of a canal was so at
tractive to the imagination as to cause
many people to accept it as wise enter
prise regardless of appeal to reason on its
merits. He deprecated the personal attacks
upon the members of the Maritime Canal
company. but indicated his belief that the
bill was an attack upon the treasury of the
United States.
He declared the enterprise under the bill
was in violation of the Clay-Bulwer treaty,
in contravention to the concession from the
isthmian countries and in opposition to
our own constitution. These propositions
he undertook to maintain by an analysis
of the bill by sections.
| While Mr. Caffery was speaking, a mes
sage was received from the house of repre-
sentatives announcing that an amendment
of the senate-the final question in contra
versy to the war and navy deficiency bill