The San Francisco call., 1898-02-21
The Annexation Treaty to Be Sidetracked for More Ina-
 pOrtant Issues.
Sundry Civil Bill Amendments That May Lead to Very Warm
 Debate.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office, Riggs House,


 will be considered and passed by the Senate during the week. There will be more or less debate on the executive session of the Hawaiian annexation treaty, and speeches will be made on the claim of MT. Corbett to a seat in the Senate on the appointment of the Governor of Oregon. The Corbett mat ter will not be pressed, except to the end of having the speeches so far dis posed of as to make sure of getting a vote at the time fixed week from tomorrow.
 The expectation is that the bill mak- ing an appropriation for the consular and diplomatic service will be made the basis for considerable debate. It IS un- derStood to be Senator Aliens lnten- tion to make an effort to secure the 1n- corporation in the bill as an amend ment of his provision for the recogni- tion of Cuban 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, it does not ap- pear probable that the Senate is now in a mood for the opening of this QueS- tion pending the Maine investigation, so that if it should be taken up this week there would have to be quite radical change Tn sentiment.
 There are some Senators, however, who are desirous of having the subject debated, and they may force the issue. MT. Aliens amendment was adversely reported to the Committee on Foreign Relations, and Senator Hale will raise a point of order against 1t. This the Vice-President will sustain, and MT. Allen, will, of course, appeal. Thera will be stubborn opposition to such an ;f Affo hn fnCt may be an animated one if MT. Allen persists in his purpose.
 Independently of the Cuban amend ment the diplomatic bill is likely to cause debate on other questions. It seldom gets through the Senate with out being made the basis of more or less general discussion of the countrys foreign policy.
 The advisability of amending this ap- propriation bill with a provision for the annexation of Hawaii, which was at one time considered by supporters of the Hawaiian treaty appears to have been abandoned. The treaty will, how ever, receive independent attention during the week if the appropriation bills and the Corbett case do not crowd it out. Senator Davis, who as chair man of the Committee on Foreign Re lationS has charge of the treaty, will be absent from the Senate during the entire first half of the week, but Sena- tor Frye, who is acting chairman, will move an executive session for the con- sideration of the treaty if there should be an opening.
 There is a general impression that the treaty will not be further debated at great length. There are several Senators who desire to be heard upon it, but none of these are liable to make long speeches. The object of the friends of the treaty is to secure a test vote as soon as it can be conveniently done, and for this purpose Senator Ba- cons amendment, providing for sub hitting the treaty to a vote of the peo- pie 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 nec- essary to secure it's ratification, they will move to recommit to the Commit tee on Foreign Relations, 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 details may of course be changed.
 The friends of the treaty regard the Bacon amendment as entirely unfriend- ly. and they would regard as antago- nistic to the treaty any Senator who would cast his vote for it; hence they think they can use 1t as a foil, and by it's use secure the equivalent of a vote on the treaty without imperiling that document. If the vote on the amend ments should show that the treaty commands the sixty votes necessary to it's ratification, it would then be pressed to final vote as speedily as possible
 Unless the Cuban question or some phase of the Maine disaster should come before the House this week, the time-with the exception of tomorrow which under arrangement made last week will be given up to the considera tion of private bills-will be devoted nominally at least, to the sundry civil appropriation bill. This bill will be re- ported to the House tomorrow. It is very voluminous measure, containing all the odds and ends of appropria- tions, as it's name indicates, and is us- ually productive of more protracted contests than any of the other appro- priation bills.
 It 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 situation have been edited in some places, but 1t is said the situation as presented probably will call for some action before the information goes to the House this week Owing to the condition of public sentiment pending the result of the investigation into the cause of the disaster to the Maine 1t is considered probable that the answer of the State Department will be with held for several days.
 In the fact of the catastrophe which has occurred the members of the House who have usually pushed to the fore on the occasion of any sensational development in foreign or diplomatic affairs were ominously silent last week. The extreme gravity of the situation and the far-reaching consequences of nasty or ill-considered action tended to disarm them, but at any time during the consideration of the appropriation bill, where the widest latitude in de bate is allowed. a stirring debate in- volving the recent sensational eventa in connection with the explosion of the Maine and the recall of the Snan- ish Minister and the latest develon- ments in Cuba may be precipitated.
 But those tn authority, by keepinp the appropriation bill in the right of way, can easily prevent actual action by the House if they so desire ana the prevailing opinion of the conser- vative leaders on both sides is that action and agitation are out of place until all the facts upon which aS aim Judgment can be predicated are Known