Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-03-25
FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS-.

WASHINGTON, Mar. %.
SENATE.
The Senate was not in session to- lay.
HOUSE.
The public and reserved galleries of
the House were thronged to- day in an
ticipation of discussion of the Spanish
crisis during the consideration of the
naval appropriation bill. Under the
order made yesterday, the general de-
bate closed at one o'clock to-day. Mr..
Foss, member OF the naval committee
took the floor.
The eyes OF the American people, he
said, were fixed upon the American
navy, the defender OF the living and tt e
guardian of the honor OF the dead. if
an emergency was upon US the Amer
can navy was ready to meet it. He
spoke of the brilliant achievements oil
the American navy in the revolution
airy war, the war of 1872 and the wal
of the rebellion" eulogizing especially
the deeds of Porter, Farragut and Du.
pont. He then described the decay Ct
the navy after the war and the rebuild
ing of the new navy which began under
Secretary Chandler.
At one o'clock the clerk began the
reading of the bill for amendment IN
der the five minute rule.
Mr.. Stewart said that before and
since that great disaster in Havana, the
people of the United States had suffer
ed Spanish humiliation. Something was
needed to arouse the nation and thi;
House to the condition of Cuba, the re-
suit of bloody acts OF Weyler and
Spanish cruelty and deceit. No matter
what should be the judgment of the
court of inquiry it was the duty of this
Congress to declare Cuba free and indie
pendent.
Mr.. BArtholdt said that some Euro.
pean papers and their echoes in this
country said that the foreign born citi
zens of this country would be menace
to the United States in case of war with
foreign country. He resented this in
the strongest possible manner. The flag
of the United States was the flag of its
adopted citizens.
Mr.. Hartman created diversion by
delivering a fve.minute speech, satir-
izing he republican party and when,
under cover of a second pro forma
amendment, he attempted to proceed
Mr.. Boutelle called him to order. He
made the point that Mr.. Hartman's re-
marks were not pertinent to the amend
ment. A lively parliamentary wrangle
f114 ,ban hn oh SIC
point of order. Mr.. Bailey insisted that
there could be no Limitation upon the
latitude of debate in committee OF the
whole on the state of the union.
Mr.. Boutelle pointed out distinc
ton between general debate in com.
mittee of the whole and debate under
the five-minute rule.
Mr.. Bailey appealed from the deci-
sion of the chair and in doing so warned
the republican members that such a
ruling if not reversed would come back
to plague them. From time immemo
rial it had been the custom to make pro
forms amendments. 1t was impossible
to make remarks to pro forma amend
ment pertinent.
Mr.. Sherman, who was in the chair
cited several precedents in support Of
his ruling.
Mr.. Boutelle and Bailey had several
lively exchanges at the conclusion Of
one of which Mr.. Bailey said he had
noticed ever since the disaster to the
gallant ship which bore the name of the
State from which he hailed that the
gentleman from Maine had been labor
ing under great excitement. 81 have
feared" said he, "that similar occur
renee would happen to the gentleman
himself. If it should have occurred
there is no doubt that the explosion
would have been from the inside. u
Laughter and applausel.
~ hope it would not be as disastrous
to me as it seems to have been to the
gentleman from Texas" retorted MIR.
Routelle.
Mr.. McMillin said that while the
members of the ajority seemed willing
to make almost any concession ID cut
off free speech in the House he hardly
thought they would be willing to make
the surrender involved in the ruling of
the chair. The old beaten path of al
lowing freedom of free speech in the
House should be adhered TO.
MIR. PAYNE defended the ruling of the
chair, arguing that the House should
enforce its rules end get down to bust
ness. The rule, he said, was SO plain
that he had not believed that there
could be any controversy upon the
subject.
After the debate on the appeal had
run on for an hour Mr.. Boutelle moved
to close the debate on the appeal. IL
stantly q point OF order was made
against Mr.. Boutelle's motion, which
was overruled. Party feeling ran high.
The vote was taken on Mr.. Boutelle's
motion to CLOSE debate on the appeal
and carried-111-95.
SPANISH AFFAIRS.
The Madrid povarnmant has ar