The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-02-03
SPO0NER ON EXPANSION
WOULD NOT HAVE THE PHIL
IPPINES AS STATES.
HAVE A Right TO TAKE THEM OTHERWISE
Yet We do mol Want Them Permanently. Would
not Vote for Ratification he Thought
that Permanent Sovereignty
Would Follow.

Woul0 f0ii0W,
Washington, Feb. 2.-The River and
Harbor L..4. carrying slightly more than
$30,000,000, passed the House today by
a vote of 160 to Z. This is the largest
majority any river and harbor bill has
ever obtained in the House. The bill
attracted little opposition and every eff
fort to amend it in important particulars
failed.
An amendment was adopted upon the
motion of Mr.. Moon Dem., TENN di-
recting an examination by the War De-
partment of the Tennessee River be-
tween Chattanooga and Shell Mound,
with view to the construction of locks
and dams and an estimate of the cost
of the canal at Moccasin Bend.
Mr.. Burton, chairman of the commit
tee, offered an amendment to strike out
the conditional appropriation of $o-0,-
600 for Brunswick harbor, Ga, and in
sert in its stead $4,000 for a survey
and $4,000 for the inner harbor. 1t
was agreed to without objection.
Several amendments were adopted
providing for surveys, including Hiawas-
see River, Tenn, from its mouth to the
Occee River, from Galveston jetties to
Texas city, with a view to obtaining a
depth of twenty-five feet and a width
of 100 feet, and James River, Va, with
a view of determining the cost of dredg-
ing to the head of navigation.
Upon the completion of the reading of
the bill the committee rose. Mr.. Max
we'll pop, Neb.l, demanded the ayes
and noes upon the passage of the bill,
but only secured two supporters for his
demand. On a rising vote the bill was
passed, 100 to z
A resolution was adopted setting aside
Saturday, February 18th, for paying
tribute to the late Representative Ding
ley. of Maine.
At 4:55 p. m. the House adjourned.
SENATOR SPOONER'S SPEECH.
Washington, d. c., February p
At the opening of the Senate to-day
Mr.. Chiffon TEX, presented the Gre
dentials of Charles 4. Culberson elected
Senator from Texas for the term of
six years from March 4th, 1899. They
were fled.
Mr.. IIlllnan Is. c., offered the follow
ing resolution, which was adopted:
THAT the President be requested If
not incompatible with the public inter
est. to inform the Senate whether any
franchises or concessions of any char
acter are being or have been granted
by any municipality in Cuba and Porto
Rico since the military occupation there
of by the United States; if so, what they
are, for what length or time and the
authority my which they have been
granted"
At the conclusion of the mornyg
business, Mr.. Spooner addressed the
Senate.
He said:
Il find no objection, constitutional in
nature, to the ratification OF the pending
treaty.
IF / held the view that the United
States could not within its constitutional
limitations acquire territory which was
not to be erected into States, | could
not give my consent to the acquisition
of the Philippine Islands. This Philip
pine proposition is one of the fruits of
the yar-to me one of the bitter fruits.
/ can conceive of no circumstance un-
der which l could give my consent to
the admission of that archipelago as a
State. or as more than one State, of the
American Union"
Mr.. Spooner then presented an argu-
ment in contravention of Chief Justice
Taney's decision in the Dred Scott case,
which, he said, was the foundation of
all the opposition to the acquisition
of territory by this Government.
THAT decision.r' he said ceased years
ago to be referred to as Il correct inter
probation of the law upon this ques-
ton"
Mr.. Spooner maintained that the Uni
ted States undoubtedly had the power
as had previously been shown in the
Senate to acquire territory beyond our
own domain, and with that power was
coupled, OF course. the collateral author
ity to govern that territory.
Mr.. Bacon (Ga.). called Mr. Spooners
attention to the fact that the doctrine
that the United States had no power
to acquire foreign territory except with
me intention of comforting upon it State.
mood did not rest alone upon Justice
Ianey's decision. More than 40 years
before the decision was promulgated
Representative Quincy in the House had
laid down the same principle.
10 this Mr.. Spooner maintained tina.
the doctrine laid down by Mr.. Ouiucv
did not affect his argument. and he
pointed out how impossible it was thar
these decisions should be taken as n
permanent construction OF the Consti.
tuition. He knew, he said. of no reasou
why territory and the people of a terri