Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-07-01
FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS-.
WASHINGTON, July l.
SENATE.


the Senate Mr.. Morrill, reported from
the committee on public buildings and
grounds bill to authorize the purchase
of site for building for the accomo-
dation of the Supreme Court of the
Uni ed States.
Mr.. Sewell of the committee on mill
tsry affairs called up aud secured the
passage of bill to provide for tenn.
porary increase in the inspector gener-
ais department of the army.
Mr.. Cullom directed attention to
the present construction of the law
providing for the payment of the vol
unteer troops. In some instances the
various regiments had not received as
much from the United States as they
were evidently entitled to and he in
stanced an Illinois regiment to which
about IS 900 was due.
Mr.. SeWell said that the matter would
undoubtedly be taken care Of properly.
The Hawaiian annexation resolutions
were then taken up and Mr.. Pettus ad-
dressed the Senate. His was the first
formal speech delivered since the open
ing of the present discussion in favor of
the resolution. In beginning he said
he proposed particularly to address
himself to those with whom, during all
his life he had been associated with
politically. He requested that nobody
should call quorum while he was
speaking.
Within minute afterwards Mr..
Pettigrew made the point of no quo
rum. The roll was called and disclosed
the presence of 40 Senators-a quorum.
Resuming Mr.. Petlus said he had no
respect for legislative filibusteriug and
just as little respect for majority that
would attempt to prevent full and free
debate. Filibus;eri0g was, in his
opinion, beneath the dignity of a Sena-
tor, "and such crime as iilibustering
should not be charged except on evi-
dence sufficient to convict. Ga the
other hand to deny the right of full
and free discussion would be to elimi-
nate a principle guaranteed TO us by the
constitution" Mr. Pettus then enter
ed upon an argument in support of the
resolutions, taking issue with Mr.
Bacon, who had antsgonized the re5o.
I, lutions on constitutional grounds.
While Mr.. Pettus YVES defining some
of the powers of Congress Mr.. Mallory
inquired : HAS Congress the power to
make peace 2"
''It has the power to make peace as
we'll as war;" responded the Alabama
Senator. "Can a President make
peace ? Never OF course, 1 admit
the President has the power to make
treaties
Mr.. Pettus took issue with Mr.. CAT
frey who had argued that the acquisi
ton of Louisiana territory by act o.
| Congress was unconstitutional Mr.
Pettus took exception to the point. He
related the anecdote of the 'possum
! hunter who sawed of the limb of tree
on which 'possum had taken refuge
thus letting the 'possum fall TO The
ground, but himself falling to the
ground with it.
He applied the anecdote to Mr.. CAT
ferry. who. he said, had Sawed himself
off," for if there was force in Mr.. Caf
fery's argument, Louisiana was MOI
legally in the union and he had come
to the Senate bringing with him the
contentious that he had no right to 6
seat.
Mr.. Pettus ridiculed Mr.. Caffery's
argument that the question ought tc
be submitted to the people of Hawaii
He said such an argument had moral
but no constitutional bearing, and
while it might be fit presentation tc
children in the nursery it would have
no force with Senators. 1t was too adj
descent.
Mr.. Gallery replied tartly that as be-
tween the adolescent expressions OF
sympathy and the senilities of age he
would prefer the former.
Mr.. Pettus, stupg to the quick by
Mr.. Ctfftry's retort, said : "The Soma
tor from Louisiana has made use of e
custom of the Senate for a grossly i'm
proper purpose. He rose to ask me a
question and under the fraud of asking
me the question he sought to denounce
me personally. Senators ought not to
do such small things. No interruption
is proper except for the purpose of a
question or of obtaining information.
And the man who does interrupt an
other for the purpose of Offering an in
sult-well, Mr.. President, l was brought
up Presbyterian and cannot properly
characterize such conduct"
Mr.. Gallery. "Will the Senator per-
nit me to interrupt him ?"
"No, I will not" declared MIR. Pettus.
~ will not again be interrupted. am
an old man, Mr.. President, but this is
the first time / was ever insulted in the
United States Senate by such language
and 1 don't intend to tolerate it."
Mr.. Gallery absolutely disclaimed
that he had intended his remark as an
insult. 1t was, he said, merely a set
off to Mr.. Pettus's statement regarding
adolescence.
Mr.. Pettus had begun discussion OF
the present war when he was inter-
rupted by his colleague, Mr.. Morgan,
who read an Associated Press dispatch
from Playa del Este announcing that
the battle of Santiago had begun and
fighting was proceeding along the en-
tire line.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Cleary, of the committee OF
banking and currency, who presented
the recent report upon the banking and
currency bill, arose to-day in the House
to question of personal privilege, read
ing from Washington paper in which
the committee was charged with pla-
giarism in taking much of its report
from the June number of the Journal of
10 l.. laxa:aA kha oho.c<o