The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-06
HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT BILL.
IMPORTANT PROVISIONS AS TO La
BOR CONTRACTS.

Amendment Adopted 10 Prohibit the
Sale of Liquor in SaIOOns-LnnG
Holdings to BE Limited to 1000
Acres-President to Have the APP
pointing Power - Amendment to
Strike Out Reference to ''Constitu-
ton" Was Defeated.
Washington, April 5.-The House did
not finish the bill to provide territorial
government for Hawaii to-day.
When the hour fixed for taking a vote,
o'clock, arrived, less than half the bill
had been covered and so many amend
nents remained that it was agreed to con
| tinue the consideration of the bill under
the five-minute rule until it was finished.
! Several important amendments were
agreed to to-day, among them the fol-
lowing:
To nullify all labor contracts in the is
lands; to extend the alien contract labor
laws to the islands; to prohibit the sale of
intoxicating liquor in saloons; to limit the
land holdings of corporations to 1000
acres and to substitute for the House
provision relating to the appointment of
judges and other officers of the island, the
Senate provision. The House provision
lodged the appointing power in the Cover
nor the Senate provision placed it in the
President.
When. the House resumed the consid-
Grafton of the Hawaiian territorial bill,
under the order. the clerk began reading
the bill for amendment under the five
minute rule
Mr No of rlri n
strike from section extending the const-
tuition and all laws of the United States
| locally applicable to the islands, the
| words "the constitution"
The amendment was in line with Mr..
| De Almonds speech of Tuesday, in which
he argued that the constitution already
evtends over the islands and that if it
did not Congress was powerless to project
it there.
Mr. Knox opposed the amendment,
which, he said raised the whole question
as to the extension of the constitution
question upon which the House was di-
vided. The amendment was lost, rs to 81.
As to Contract Labor.
When section 10, which enforced the
obligation of contracts in Hawaii by
| penal statutes, was reached, Mr.. knox,
| chairman of che committee, offered the
following amendment TO be added to the
| section:
J
| shall be maintained for the specific per-
| Torrance of any contract heretofore or
| hereafter entered into for personal labor
| or service, nor shall any remedy exist
| be enforced for breach of any such con-
| tract, except in a civil suit or proceeding
| instituted solely TO recover damages for
such breach; provided, further, that the
| provisions of this section shall not apply
| to merchant seamen."
| The amendment, he explained was de-
| signed TO prevent the criminal prosecu-
| zion of contract labOrers who violated
| their contracts. The amendment was
| adopted, 40 to o.
Mr.. Robinson. of Indiana, offered an
| amendment to nullify all labor contracts
made since the date of annexation and
providing that hereafter no law should
| be enacted to enforce them. The amend
ment was adopted, As to AZ.
further amendment was adopted spe-
| cifcaIly extending the provisions of the
! alien contract labor law to the islands.
No Saloons Allowed.
Mr.. Gillett, of Massachusetts, offered an
| amendment 10 prohibit the sale of intoX-
eating liquors in saloons in Hawaii. Mr.
| Knox opposed the amendment. He
| thought the subject should be left to the
| Legislature of the islands.
Mr.. Fitzgerald, of Massachusetts. re-
! ferring 10 prohibition being farcical in
its operations, cited the case of Maine.
Mr. Littlefeld. of Maine, challenged
| This statement, but Mr. Fitzgerald finally
compelled Mr.. Littlefeld to admit that
LIQUOR could be procured at almost any
| place in Maine.
Mr. Finley of South Carolina, said there
| were perhaps physiological reasons why
1t would be well to prohibit the sale of
liquor in the islands. The amendment
| was adopted, 66 to 60.
| Mr. Newlands of Nevada. offered an
amendment which was adopted, to limit
| the holdings of real estate by single
CORPORATION to 1000 acres, the proviso not,
| however to interfere with existing hold
ings.
Mr. White of North Carolina, the col
| ored member offered amendment,
| which was lost, to strike from the quail
fcations of voters for representatives the
provisions requiring the payment of poll
| tax.
MIR. Williams of Mississippi offered an
amendment requiring the payment of the
| poll tax nine months prior to the election.
| He said it was the universal experience
| Of states having poll tax law that where
| II could he paid just before The election
it became a means Of corrupting voters.
The amendment provoked a heated dis
cussion IN which Mr. Grosvenor of Ohio,
Mr. Underwood of Alabama. Mr.. Linney
Of North Carolina. and Mr.. White Of
| North Carolina participated. 1t was lost,
90 to 50.
At 4 o'clock almost twenty-five pages
Of the bill remained to be read. An effort
| was made TO offer several amendments
| out of order. Several Democrats objected
on the ground that the whole bill should
| BE- read
| Mr. Richardson of Tennessee then NOV
| ed to finish the consideration of the bill
| under the hve-minute rule.
| Mr. Pugh OF Kentucky moved TO strike
ont the provision requiring that votera
| H.. .lIa N. M tfg