The San Francisco call., 1898-03-23
FOR BETTER
 QUARANTINE Caffery Argues in Sup port of the Pending
 Bill.
Believes the Whole Law Should Be Administered by the
 National Government.
Carter of Montana Opposed to the Holding of Legislative Assem-
 plies in Alaska.
Special Dispatch to The Call
Call Office. Riggs House,

Call Office, Riggs House,
 Washington, March p.
 feature of the Senate proceedings to-day was an extended speech by Caf- fiery of Louisiana in support of the pending national quarantine bill. In course of his argument Caffery said that he wanted the whole quarantine in the hands of the United States Gov- ernment, which could make a quaran- tine effective, and he added that he was as strong a States rights advocate as any man.
 We want" said he, "a certain quar- antine authority, upon which responSt- bility may rest. We want uniformity of action in this matter of quarantine regulations, backed by such financial and legal power as will enable the au- thorities to cope with the dread dis eases which are likely to ravage the country"
 three hours Caffery said that State quarantines were utterly inefficient. ut terly powerless against an epidemic or quarantine system he had known the most brutal acts to be performed He had himself, he said, been accosted by For the exercise of that kind of State or police power he had no use and no re- gard. He desired that the whole question should be handled scientifically, so that a power and authority should be provided that would be adequate to cope with vel low fever, cholera and like diseases.
 Carter of Montana of the Committee on Territories called up the measure re- ported by him making further provisions for civil government of Alaska and aq- dressed the Senate at length upon IL. He said that the committee had deemed 1t unwise to provide for a legislative as sembly for Alaska, not only on account of the nomadtc character of the inhabit-- ants. but also on account of the vast extent of the district.
 The discovery of gold, Carter said. had attracted many persons to the district during the past two years. but how long the rush might last nobody could tell. Considering the character of the popula ton and the conditions under which the people lived, the holding of elections for an assembly will be much like holding an election al a circus.
 Questioning Carter as to the reason for providing for three United States Judges and three District Attorneys, Vest of Missouri criticized what he termed the multiplication or officials" He believed that a reasonably industrious lawyer could, as a District Attorney, transact all of the business likely to arise there in one month in a year. Especially, Carter maintained that on account of the enor- nous distances between prominent places in Alaska and the fact that transporta- ton, which was almost entirely by water was impossible during the greater part of the year on account of ice, the necessity of the courts provided for by the bill was evident. Carter was here interrupted, and will continue tomorrow.
 Gallinger of New Hampshire, who re- gently returned from tr1 1p to Cuba, an nounced that, yielding to the kind soli- citations of many Senators, he would to- morrow, immediately after the morning business had been transacted, briefly ad- dress the Senate upon his observations in Cuba, unless in the meantime some thing should occur to prevent 1t.