The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-06-21

1
| be sent forthwith to Honolulu.
Inc historic policy of the republic of
the United States for the hundred years
| just passed is against foreign entangling
| alliance
At the conclusion of Mr.. Morrilps
speech MIR. Bacon of Georgia, entered mp
on discussion of the constitutional oh
Jections to annexation as he viewed them.
No more important question than
this, said he in beginning, ''has been
brought recently to the attention of Con-
gress. 1t Is not simply the question of
the annexation of a very small territory,
but 1t is one which involves an utter
revolution of the practice of our govern
ment and of the obligations the govern
ment lays upon the whole people. ain
assigned to address the Senate because the
particular subject which propose to dis
cuss goes to the very root of the whole
matter. 1t is a strange presentation to
the country, MIR. President that in q
matter of this gravity the advocates of
annexation have nothing to say. Ordi-
narily we have a report from the commit
! tee and an elabor ate presentation of the
reasons of the proposed legislation from
the chairman of the committee; but in
this case we have neither report nor
presentation of facts. We have presented
to us simply the resolutions passed by the
House of Representatives and those who
ask the Senate to act.
'The proposition which I intend to
discuss is that measure which provides
for the annexation of territory is neces-
sarily and essentially the subject matter
OF treaty and the assumption OF the
house that the Senate will pass upon it in
this way is without constitutional
grounds
At this point Mr.. Jones of Arkansas
made the point of no quorum and the roll
was called, disclosing the presence Of
sixty -one Senators.
~ made the point of no quorum, ex-.
planned Mr.. Jones, '"not because I desire
resolutions, l insist that il the rigid
methods are to be resorted to, with which
we are threatened this morning, a quorum
shall remain in the Senate to listen to
arguments presented. l do not want to
delay the proceedings, but do insist that
Senators shall remain here and I shall
deem it my duty to make the point of no
quorum when a quorum is not present. %
This statement brought Mr. Wilson of
Washington to his feet ST." said he,
| with some heat 1--WE on this side of the
chamber, are to be continually embar-
raised by points of order, / hope the
| chairman of the foreign relations COM
mittee will exercise his right under the
rules to move that the Senate proceed to
the consideration Of this matter in con-
tinuous session. If the gauntlet is thus
thrown down by the opposition in the
first hour OF debate, we ought to take it
up. If the oonv enience of Senators Is to
be disturbed, then we ought to exercise
the rights of majority. can stay here
rs long as can the Senator from Arkan-
sas. -
Mr.. Jones replied that the threat Of
Mr.. Wilson would have no effect upon
him. He proposed to perform his duty as
he saw it.
Mr.. Wilson replied that he had no in.
tention. no right to make threat. But
he fully realized, he said, that the plea
OF Mr.. Jones was to be the plea of the
opposition from time to time.
Mr.. Hale of Maine Interrupted Mr..
Wilson with a call for the regular order
and the Washington Senator instantly
yielded the floor. cat the instance of
the Senator (Mr. HALEY who always had
under his particular direction the parlia-
mentary practice of the Senate. - Mr..
Hale explained that he had no intention
OF taking Mr.. Wilson from the floor, but
he thought nothing was to be gained by
such controversy as was in progress.
The matter had, he said, been taken up
by unanimous consent and the discussion
was proceeding in an orderly manner.
All he desired was that it should so con-
tinue.
Mr.. White, Mr.. Jones, Mr.. Frye and
Mr.. Hoar then had a mutual explanation
of the statement made at the opening of
the debate by Mr.. Frye.
Mr.. Jones justifying his course by the
alleged threat made by the Maine Senator.
Mr.. Frye, diselaimed any idea Of making
earlier in the day. He had made his state
ment, he said, because he did not desire
that the bankruptcy measure should be
allowed to interfere with the Hawaiian
discussion.
Mr.. Hoar said he had no intention of
pressing the bankruptcy report in opposi-
ton to the wish of Senators, although he
hoped to have it disposed OF at an early
daJe.
mentary situation. He asserted that no
Senator had the right to farm out the
time of the Senate. As for himself he
was prepared now to vote for the
Hawaiian annexation resolution but he
recognized the right of all to be heard on
the subject and he pleaded for a proper
regard for the amenities of the Senate in
considering the question.
Resuming, Mr.. Bacon addressed him
self to the legal and constitutional ques-
tion of the issue. He eontended that the
joint resolution now before the Senate
was direct blow at a prerogative of the
Senate in that the only proper method of
anneXlng foreign territory was Dy means
of treaty. He urged the Importance Of
maintaining the constitutional method
In 80 important an undertaking. In this
connection he deprecated the suggestion
that the President could seize the
Hawaiian islands without the concur
renee of the Senate. He said, he had
been grieved to hear Senators suggest
the propriety of such proceeding and he
had been more than gratified at the fail
ure of the President to act upon this I'M
wise suggestion. The President would
have no more right thus to seize Hawaii
than he would have to sieze Jamaica.
Still such seizure would be as legal as
would annexation by joint resolution.
Mr.. Bacon commended that statute of
one country could not be made obligatory
upon another country; hence the necessity
of a treaty in annexation proceedings, as
treaty only could bind both countries.
The effort in the present proceedings was
to make treaty by statute and this he
oontended was irregular. He maintained,
that, as the annexation of Hawaii could
be accomplished only by the consent of
the two governments it was necessarily a
contamination to be attain only by
treaty. The legislative action of the
United States alone woIld not be