The age-herald., 1899-01-21
ATTACKS SENATOR MORGAN Declares His Rights Shall Not be Trampled on by Alabamian. MANY AMENDMENTS PROPOSED Evidently a Concerted Effort to Keep
 Vote from Being Reached. NELSON DEFENDS EXPANSION Speaks in Opposition to the Vest Res olution Declaring Against the Ac-
 quisition of Foreign Terri
 tory-Tilt With Mason.
NELSON DEFENDS EXPANSION

in~session for five hours and a half today, but the session was practically barren of results. Only one notable speech was de- livered that by MT. Nelson, republican, of Minnesota in opposition to MT. Vests anti expansion resolution The completion of the Niearaguan canal bill was prevented probably by the flibustering tactics adopt ed by MT. Tilman, of South Carolina, who frankly announced that the bill could not be passed today, as he and other senators if necessary would remain in the chamber until midnight to prevent final vote.
 President Pro Tenn. Frye, who has been ill for several days, presided at the opening session today.
 message from the president vetoing the bill for the relief of Albert E. Redstone was read.
 MT. Caffery, of Louisiana, offered the fol- lowing concurrent resolution:
 Concurrent Resolution
 ''That the president be and he is hereby requested, if not incompati tible with the pub lie interest, to furnish to the senate copies of any communications received by the state department from any representatives or agents of the so-caled Philippine repup- lie; and also to furnish any information in his possession or any documents f. ! be- fore the state department relative to the bounds of the territories in the Philippine islands, together with the number of inhab- itants therein, held respectively under the control of the American forces and the au- thority of the so-caled Philippine republic, showing particularly what islands or parts Of islands, if any, can in any event be de- te ha cd
 The resolution went over under obection. MT. Allison, of Iowa, endeavored to se- cure unanimous consent for the taking of a vote on the Nicaraguan canal bill at o'clock but MT. Caffery objected.
 Angel Reappolnted
 A house joint resolution was passed re- appointing James B. Angel, of Michigan, as one of the regents of the Smithsonian Institute.
 MT. Nelson of Minnesota, was then recog- nized to make speech upon the Vest anti expansion resolution. His address was constitutional argument in support of the right of the United States government to acquire and govern foreign territory. He maintained that it was no longer an unset tied question that this country had the power DUt Oiiy to aSQuiio AoiNi6h eSAif'NtJ by discovery, conquest or treaty, but also to govern territory so acquired. That ques- tion he said, had been settled by decision of the supreme court. and was scarcely longer open to debate. He maintained that the United States had inherent power to ac- quire territory-a power as full and com prehensive as that possessed by any other nation. He referred to the territory that has been acquired in the past by the United States government, declaring that in no sim gle case had the consent of the people of the territory acquired been secured.
 only Shadow of Consultation
 In the two cases of Texas and Hawaii We had more nearly approached the point of consulting the inhabitants than in any other, but even in these cases there was but a shadow of consultation. In that of Hawaii less than 5000 of the inhabitants out of total of 125,000 had been asked for their consent to annexation.
 In the course of this debate he said the contention was being made that the people of the territory proposed to be acquired were unfit for citizenship in our republic. Admitting that that contention was correct, it was quite as true that the people of
 
 country were unfit for citizenship at the time the territory was taken into the union. Had we applied the reasoning that was now being advanced against the acquisition of territory. to the people of Florida and Louisiana territory when they were ad- mitted into the United States they scarcely could have passed muster, as it Is well known that they were not fitted for cltizeh- ship.
 Constitntional Argument
 Mir. Nelson then entered into an elabcr- ate constitutional argument, citing numer- ous authorities in support of his position. He maintained that the arguments that taxation without representation was tyranny, and that governments derive their