The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-17
Two Sensational and Unexpected
Things Happen
During the Consideration Of the Sundry
Civil Appropriation Bill.

VI CAc cacc treaty SCHAcAcAA
Out on a Point of Order-Hep-
burn Moves to Recommit the
Sundry Bill, With Instructions
to Incorporate the Nicaragua
Canal Bill.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16-Two very
sensational and unexpected things hap
| pened in the House to-day during the
consideration of the sundry civil bill.
| The paragraph carrying the appropria-
ton of S20,OOOOO0 for payment to
Spain under the terms of the peace
| treaty was stricken out upon a point
of order made by Wheeler, a Kentucky
| Democrat, who declared that he OPP
posed the appropriation on principle,
and would resort to any technicality to
i defeat it. The point of order was de-
bated for hours, it's determination hing
ing upon the question of whether the
ratification of the treaty by the Senate
and its signing by the President vital
/ lied it without the action of the Span
! ish Cirtes. Warrant of law was neces-
sary to make the appropriation in or
der.
Hopkins R) of Illinois. who was in
the chair, sustained the point of order
against it, and upon an appeal his de-
cjsion was sustained-149 to Sc.
| Cannon then attempted to have the
appropriation inserted by unanimous
consent, but Wheeler again objected. A
strcng intimation was given by Can
non that way would be found within
~ TON,
before the adjournment of Congress.
/ He referred to the probability that the
appropriation would be placed on the
bill by the Senate.
After the sundry civil bin had been
completed and reported to the House
Hepburn of Iowa, the champion of the
Nicaragua Canal bill, moved to recon-
nit it, with instructions to report it
back with the canal bill incorporated in
it. This was an unexpected move, as it
was generally understood that Hep
burn had abandoned all hope after his
defeat yesterday. But he believed that
his motion would have additional
strer 9Th in the House, where members
could be put upon record. The motion
was promptly declared out of order by
| the Speaker, whereupon Hepburn APP
pealed and Payne of New York moved
to lay the appeal upon the table. Upon
! the latter motion the vote was taken,
and the result was 81 ayes to g. noes.
| AS no quorum was developed on the
| vote, owing to the lateness of the hour,
| they managed to carry an adjournment
until tomorrow. This gives them a
breathing spell in which to marshal
their forces for the final encounter, and
/ tomorrow as soon as the House meets
the vote is again to be taken.
When the House met to-day the SEN
ate amendments to the agricultural bill
were non-concurred in, and the bill was
| sent to conference.
| Wadsworth R.) of New York, War
ner (R.) of Illinois and Williams Cd of
Mississippi were appointed conferees-
Without further preliminary business
| the House went into committee of the
whole and resumed consideration of the
sundry civil bill.
| BARTLETT speaking to a pro forma
amendment challenged some state
ments recently made by Secretary of
the Treasury Gage to the effect that
the fear of the administration of the
Philippines costing enormous sums of
money was all "moonshine," and that
receipts would at all times exceed the
expenditures.
bartlett declared that the greatest
revenue Spain had ever been able to
Obtain from the Philippines, under the
heaviest system Of taxation, was Sl2.-
600. 600. We now had 10000 soldiers
in these islands. Within a short time
there would be 25,O0O This army of SOL
diers would cost at least S250OO,000, so
that if we We're able to exact as much
tribute as Spain we would still be losers
by the holding of the islands to the ex
tent of $13,OO00O0 per annum.
Bartlett also attempted to show that
in eight out of ten cases Great Brit
aims colonies cost the British Govern
mant more than it obtained
When the paragraph appropriating
1000 600 for payment to Spain under
the treaty of Paris was reached Wheeler
CD of Kentucky made a. point of order
against it, His point of order was that
the paragraph was obnoxious to Rule
81, invoked yesterday against the
Nicarag uan Canal amendment. If the
treaty., of Paris were complete, If it
were vitalzed by the ratification of the
Spanish Cortes, and the exchange OF
notifications had taken place, he con-
fessed that the treaty would be the law
of the land, and the amendment would
be in order. He cited numerous deci-
sions Of the Supreme Court in support
of his position.
Hopkins R.) of Illinois, who was in
the Chair, called the attention OF
Wheeler to the fact that the treaty had
been ratified by the Senate and signed
by the President. What else, he asked,
was necessary to create a liability upon
the part of the United States.
In reply, Wheeler said that the Span
ish Cortes might refuse to ratify the
treaty. and it could not become law
until the other contracting party had
consented to it. He was opposed to the
appropriation on principle, he said, and
he, proposed to take advantage of every
technicality to defeat it.
Ball CD of Texas supported the point
of order He admitted he had himself
voted yesterday to override the Chair.
but his zeal for great enterprise and
his unfamiliarity with the rule led him
to do that.
In the course of Balls remarks Can
non said that he thought the point of
order was well taken, but he appealed
to Ball not to press the point Of order.