Connecticut western news., 1898-01-13

The Chairman of the Committee on For
 eign Relations Opens the Debate and
 Gives Reasons Why We Should Have
 the Islands.
 Washington, Jan. 12.-Except for a few minutes given to a controversy over some minor postoffice confirma- tions, the entire time of the executive session of the senate was consumed by Senator Davis of Minnesota in a speech In support of Hawaiian annexation. MT. Davis is chairman of the senate com mittee on foreign relations, and his speech was generally accepted as the semioff1cial utterance of the majority Of the committee. He spoke for about two hours and when the senate adjourned had not finished. The speech was the first upon the merits of the treaty, and on this account and because of the known fact that Senator Davis had made a very careful invest gation of the subject he received the III divided atten- ton of the members of he senate re- gardless of individual vie ws.
 The portion of the speech delivered consisted of a review of the relations between this country and Hawaii dur ing the history of these islands and was
  had exercised a fostering and protect ing care over them from the beginning, with many evidences of the intention ultimately of making them an integral portion of the American domain. T ap- proach this question" the senator be- gan with, I hope, a due sense or tha responsibility imposed upon me in be- ginning a debate the result of which may be of momentous consequence 10 the future welfare of both this country and the Hawaiian islands. The ques- tion," he continued. lis one Of impor- tance so vast that one must Of necessi- ty approach 1t with a certain degree or timidity, because 1t Is very difficult 10 present all the points involved as they should properly be presented, however much care and attention one may have given to the subject"
 One strong point which Mir. Davis dwelt upon at considerable length was the desirability of these islands, not only to this country but to all the lead ing powers of the world. We, he said, "should take the islands while We have the opportunity, and if we do not want them 1t will be a very easy matter for us to get rid of them on our own terms. He showed that they would be very important territorial acquisition to ei- ther Japan, England or Russia and ex> pressed the opinion that either of those powers would take the islands off our hands at any time we might make known our desire to be rid of them. It would be easy enough, he said, to turn them over to some other country In case we find them to be an undesira able acquisition. But who will say that It will be so easy for us to take them at some future time in case we voluntarily deprive ourselves of the present oppor- tunity?
 Civil Service Debate Ended.
 The civil service debate which was fr,augurated in the house week ago anded yesterday. It opened with a row. but ended very tamely. There was not even a vote on the appropriation in tn, legislative, executive and judicial ap- propriation bill. The Republicans who are seeking to modify or repeal the law decided to let the debate come to a close. but it required the casting vote or the speaker to accomplish this.
 There are conflicting statements as to the situation in which the future con- duct of the war against the civil servics law is left. All the Republican oppo- nents of the law agree that the fight ls to be kept up. and it is positively stated by MT. Pearson (Rep.) of North Carolina that assurances have been received from those in authority in the house that an opportunity will be given in the future for the consideration of bill to modify the law. But from other sources the statement cannot be confirmed.
 The debate yesterday was quite dull until the closing hour. when Mir. Simp> son, the Kansas Populist, enlivened is with some references to the Ohio sena> torial election. MT. Bailey, the Demo- cratic leader, made a clear statement of the minority position, which indi- cates that the minority will vote to re. peal but not to modify the law. Ths principal speech of the day was mads by Mir Brossius, chairman of the civil service committee. who defended ths law in a two hour speech.
 Mir. Davidson of Wisconsin introduce1 a bill to incorporate the Maritime Canal company of North America, to be sub. feet to the control of the interstata commerce commission and to begin op- erations within five years. The compa, ny Is authorized to construct and op- crate a navigable channel, channels Of canals connecting the great American lakes and navigable waters tributary to the Atlantic ocean, of a depth of El feet, and the locks, which are not tJ exceed ten in number between the great lakes and the Atlantic tidewater, arj required to be large enough to admit craft $50 feet long, 65 feet wide and z feet draft