The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-08
YESTERDAY IN CONGRESS
Objection to Seating Oregon's New .Sena-
tor-IEformation Ms to GermzDy's Eruf'
Exclusion Decree Called for-Anti-Haw-
allan Annexation R~esolution-Ihe Coast
Defense Bill Before the House!


oAbSn
Defense Bill Before the Housel
SENATE.
Washington, February 3.-One OF n
features of today's session of the SEN
ate was a speech by Senator Caffery,
of Louisiana, in support of the resOlu-
tion reported by the committee on priv
ileges and elections, declaring that
Henry w. Corbett is not entitled to a
seat in the senate from the state of
Oregon. nat Corbett was appoint
ed senator by the governor of Oregon
after the failure of the Legislature to
elect a senator to succeed Senator
Mitchell. Senator Caffery maintained
that the governor OF a state had no
authority to appoint to fill an original
vacancy-a vacancy beginning with a
new term-after the legislature a
had AN opportunity to elect and "a
failed to do so.
Germany's order prohibiting the i'm
p~ortation of American fruits into that
empire called out a resolution from
Senator Davis, of Minnesota, chairman
of the committee on foreign relations,
calling upon the president, if not in
compatib with the public interest, to
transmit to the senate the correspond
ence and other information bearing
upon the matter in his possession or
in that OF the state department. The
resolution was agreed to.
Senator Martin, of Virginia, present
ed the credentials of Senator Danie as
senator from Virginia, elected for a
term of six years, beginning on March
4, 1899.
Senator Cullom hen called up the
agricultural appropriation bill, the
reading of hic was concluded last
evening, but yielded to Senator White,
of California, for the i~ntroduction OF
the following joint resolution:
Resolved, That of right it belongs
wholly to the people of the Hawaiian
islands ito establish apd maintain their
own form OF government and domestic
policy; that the United States ought
in no wise to interfere Herewith, n
that any intervention in the political
affairs of these islands by any other
government will be regarded as an act
u%nfriendly to the United States"
This resolution was passed by the
senate on May, 81, 1894, having been
reported by senator Turpie, of the
committee ON foreign relations.
Senator White asked that the resolu-
tion lie ON the table.
The amendment to the agricultural
bill, offered by Senator Warren, pro-
viding for a division of irregation and
reclamation of arid lands and for in
vestigation of the methods of con-
structing irrigation canals and of stor-
ing n distributing water in the
reclamation of arid lands, the whole to
cost $21 800, was discussed briefly by
it's author and enator Stewart, OF
Nevada.
Senator Cullom proposed as a sub
stftute for Senator Warren's amend
ment the following:
For the purpose of collecting from
agricultural colleges, agricultural ex-
pertinent stations and other sources,
including practical agents and engi-
neers, practical information and data
on the subject of irrigation and pub
fishing the same in bulletin form, the
cost of the same not to exceed 500, 600"
The was adopted and
the bill, carrying SO, SGT ,2O2, WAS passed.
The senate then, at 5:25 o'clock p.
m, went into executive session and
at 5:28 o'clock p. m, adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
The house spent the day ~ostensibly
considering the Notifications appropri-
alton bill. In reality the major proper
ton of the time was consumed in the
discussion Of political topics.
Mr.. Fischer, republican, of New
York, continued his argument begun
yesterday, in favor of the establish
ment of a fort IN Romer shoals, New
York harbor. Such a fort, The said,
would the entrance to the
harbor.
Mr.. Simpson, populist, of Kansas, fol-
lowed and again took UP the contro-
yersy he had a few days ago with Mr..
Pitney, republican, of New Jersey, over
the trusts, which he said, were or
ganized in New Jersey Ito prey on
Kansas and other states. In a humor-
Gus vein, he said the people of New
Jersey were not to blame that legisla-
tTon in THAT state was knocked down
to the highest bidders, as they We're
the descendants of the Hessians. When
asked by MIR. Smith, republican, of
Michigan, why he had done nothing to
exterminate the trusts, Mr.. Simpson
replied that he was helpless in the
house. I'm this house." said he, 1.-THE
speaker is the whole thing. I had as
we'll file "a bill in the Potomac river as
in the mousse.
Mr.. Foote, republican, of New York,
asserted that on the south Atlantic
and gulf coasts there was not a gun
that could be fired in defense of the
harbors.
Mr.. Hemenway, republican, of In
diana, in charge of the bill, denied
tina these coasts were defenseless. AT
Charleston, said he, there were three
S-inch guns. one 10-inch gun and eight
mortars. He declared that the coast
wax fairly Well protected, not as we'll
as he would like to see it, or as it
would be. The pending bill carried
every dollar which the government
could afford to appropriate at his time.
MIR Livingston, democrat, of
Georgia, read some statements from
southern papers charging that in the
distribution of munitions of war, New
Orleans and other southern ports had
been neglected. Mr.. Livingston said
he had no knowledge on this point, but
he proposed to make inquiry of the
proper authorities and if the a1lega-
lions should prove true, he warned the
rou that provision would have to De
made for southern ports.