The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-10
senator Bacon's Amendment Provid-
ing for Submitting Annexation
to Popular Vote I'm Hawaii.
THE FREE HOMESTEAD SCHEME
DECLARED THE PLAN WOULD COST
THE COUNTRY S55,0OO,OOO.
Bitter Debate on the Indian ApprODri-
alton Bill and u Tilt Between
Steele and Eddy,

WASHINGTON, March 9.--In accordance
with the instructions of the committee on
foreign relations, Senator Davis to-day
moved an executive session of the Senate
for the purpose of taking up the Hawaiian
annexation treaty. After some nominations
had been considered. he moved that the
treaty be taken up and that the Senate
should proceed to the consideration of the
amendment offered by Senator Bacon, pro-
viding for the submission of the treaty for
a vote Of electors of Hawaii This amend
ment read as follows: THAT this act shall
not be operative and of binding effect upon
either the United States or the Republic of
Hawaii until the same shall have been con-
scented to and approved by the majority Of
the voters voting at an election to be held
in the Hawaiian islands, at which elections
all male natives of said islands of the age
of twenty-one years and all naturalized
male persons in said islands of the age of
twenty-one years shall be duly qualified
voters. The said election shall be held at
a time and in the manner and under regula-
ttons to be prescribed by the President of
the United States
Senator Bacon objected to the immediate
consideration of his amendment, saying he
had received no notice of the intention of
at this time, and that he desired some OPP
portunity to prepare himself for the pre-
sentation of the reasons for submitting the
treaty to a popular vote of the Hawaiian
s people. He proceeded to say, in a general
way, that he thought the Hawaiians should
be consulted in a matter which concerned
them so deeply as the complete change of
their government. and to show that they
were opposed to annexation he referred to
petition protesting against annexation
which had been signed by thirty thousand
natives of the islands, and which, he said
had been presented to the Senate by Sena-
tor Hoar He referred to the Massachu-
setts senator's attitude in reference to the
treaty, and said that it must have changed
since his presentation of this petition
This remark brought Senator Hoar to his
feet with a declaration that there was
nothing inconsistent between the presenta-
ton of the petition and his support of the
treaty. Senator Bacon then asked for adj
ditional time, and also put the question to
Senator Davis whether it was the inten-
ton Of the committee on foreign relations
to press the treaty to a vote
To this inquiry Mr.. Davis replied that he
was not prepared to say what course the
committee would pursue with regard to a
vote on the treaty beyond the fact that
they did not want to deprive all senators
who might wish to speak of an opportunity
OF DOING so. He also said that while he was
willing to submit to what appeared to be
the popular desire that the Senate should
adjourn after the passage of the $4,000 COO
defense bill, he would as ain tomorrow if
opportunity offered move an executive ses-
sion OF the Senate for the purpose of going
on with the treaty, and that he would pur-
sue these tactics from day to day so far as
the business of the Senate in other lines
would permit The Senate then adjourned
until tomorrow.