The sun., 1900-04-03
THEWORK OF CONGRESS-
Continuance In Senate Of Porto Rican
Bill Debate.
STATEMENT BY MR.. VEST
He snys That IL He Had Been Present
He Would Have Voted Against
Any Duty on Porto RI
can Products.

washington, April - ne sehhte eoh
vened early in order that the debate on
the Porto Rican bill might be extended.
The public galleries were crowded.
Mr.. Vest (Dem.), rising to question |
of privilege, said upon his return to the
city after an absence on account of Ill
ness he had found that on the vote to
strike out the provision i'll the Porto Ill
can bill. for a duty of 10 per cent of the
Dingley duties he had been noted as abb
sent and not paired. He explained that
he had general pair which he thought
was sufficient. Had he been present he
would have voted to strike out the duty
On Porto Rican products.
Proceeding he directed attention to
n0.alle case which, he said. had been
.vcrlooked in all the arguments. sailor
named Ross had shipped ON an American
merchantmen from New York to Naga-
saki. AT the latter port he had murdered
fellow seaman on the vessels deck and
was convicted and sentenced TO death by
consular court. His sentences was COM
mutcl to Imprisonment for life i'll the
Albany peilitentiary. He sued ont
writ Of habeas corpus, the ground being
| that he had not been given trial by
| jury as insured hy the constitution. The
| supreme court decided that he had had
| a fair trial and must remain i'll prison;
that iii order TO avail himself of the
right to trial by jury the vessel must
have been within the territorial limits of
the United States.
Mr.. Vest said he would like any sena-
tor to explain how the supreme court
could come to that conclusion and state
emphatically that within the territorial
4 aF I,a taI thn
ton applies without act of congress or
treaty stipulation and yet agree that a
different tariff can be imposed on the
people of Porto Rico from that imposed
on the people of Missouri.
Mr.. Bate tTenn.), after the Porto Rico
bill had been laid formally before the
senate, delivered his announced speech
in opposition TO the pending measure.
Spoke Also on Expansion.
Mr.. Bate directed his argument partic-
ularly against the pending Porto Rican
bill, but his speech embraced the whole
question of expansion and the treatment
by the government and by congress of
our insular possessions. lie took strong
ground against the acquisition Of Span
, ish territory under the treaty OF Paris
J against which he had voted.
"a tariff for Porto Rico" he said
(which protects certain interests in the
United States and denies to all other pco
, PIE in the states the benefit of competi
tidn, creates 4 virtual trust on cigars, Gig
: arCttcs and tobacco and helps the actua
trust in sugar. for tho benefit of manu-
facturcls at the cost Of consumers iii iii,
states ana producers in Porto Rico
While 30n,0U0 tons of sngar iii Hawaii
tho property Of the trust king in th'
United States, enters free Of all duty
{ the $4,000 tons of sugar produced hE thl
I impoverished planters Of Porto Rico an
$ taNcd under the power which the treat,
| Of Paris was manipulated so rs ta civ,
: TO eongre*s-4the power which has beer
!. thus abuscd'
g In discussion on "imperalism' Nj
: Bate said Il rejoice in the conviction
that neither in England nor in the Unit
ed States are the sentiments. opinion
and convictions of the people represente,
by the administration. The treaty o
Paris has proved itself to he the Pando
8 ras box out of which has flown all tn
!! evils which are now embarrassing thi
i government, dividing its people alon
lines of policy which threaten the YER
J, existence of the constitution and opcnin
the way of Imperialism in policy, to un
natural expansion of territory, to tn
t! overthrow of the Monroe doctrine, to th
Y incorporation with our people of million
b of savages totally unfit for self govern
ment and unable to comprehend its form
= and purposes"
Mr.. Depew (N. W followed in an ea
!. haustive address in favor of the pendin
, measure. He reviewed at length the pc
4, litical and industrial situation in Port
!, Rico and held that the tariff proposed b
: the bill would conduce to the prosperit
: of the island.