Evening star., 1900-04-05
THE HOU Sc.

r. H. Dolliver of Illinois, brother of
Representative Dolliver 0owa), delivered
the invocation in the House today.
An additional urgent deficiency, carrying
$4,000 for the fees of United States mar
shals, jurors, etc. was passed.
The naval appropriation bill was presented
by Mr.. Foss Qll). acting chairman of the
committee, and Mr. Wheeler (ky1 pre-
sented a minority report against certain
features of the bill.
The House then resumed the considera-
tion of the Hawaiian territorial bill. I'm
der the order the clerk began reading the
bill for amendment under the fiye-minute
rule.
Mr. De Almond Mo) moved to strike
from section extending the Constitution
and all laws OF the United States locally
applicable to the islands the words The
Constitution and" The amendment was
in line with Mr.. De Almonds speech of
Tuesday in which he argued that the Con-
sutuuon already extended over the islands,
and that If ii did not Congress was power
less TO project il there.
Mr. Knox opposed the amendment, which
he said raised the whole question as to the
extension Of the Constitution, upon which
the House was divided
The amendment was lost, IS to ST.
Mr.. McRae tArk.) moved to strike out the
provision in the same section that the laws
providing that the acts of territorial Ieeis-
latures should be submitted to Congress
ana limiting the amount of property held
by religious and charitable institutions ex-
empt from taxation to $4,000.
The debate upon this motion drifted into a
discussion of the large holdings of lands in
Hawaii by corporations and the general
necessity for discouraging large holdings
The amendment was lost
When section 10. which enforced the obli-
CATION of contracts in Hawaii by penal
statutes was reached Mr.. Knox offered the
following amendment to be added to the
section: Provided that no suit or proceed
ings shall be maintained for the specific
performance of any contract heretofore or
hereafter entered into for personal labor or
service. nor shall any remedy exist or be
| enforced for breach of any such contract
except in civil suit or proceeding insti-
tuted solely to recover damages for such
breach: Provided further. That the pro-
visions of this section shall not apply TO
merchant seamen-'
The amendment he explained was de-
signed to prevent the criminal prosecution
or contract laborers who violated their
contracts. The amendment was adopted-
10 to u
Mr.. Robinson Qnd) offered an amendment
to nuiiify all labor contracts made since
the date OF annexation and providing that
hereafter no law should be enacted to en-
force them. The amendment was adopted
10 to AZ
Mr.. Hit 1ll) stated that section five of
ine Dill which extended the laws of the
United States to Hawaii covered the whole
subject. and that by the terms of the act
OF 1873 it terminated all contracts with Chi
nese or orientals- A further amendment
would specifically extend the provisions of
the alien contract labor law to the islands
Mr. GfHett (Mass.l offered an amendment
TO prohibit the sale of Intoxicating liquor in
saloons in Hawaii.
Mr. Knox opposed the amendment He
thought the subject should be left to the
legislature of the islands
Mr. Fitzgerald (Mass) took the same po-
sition. Such a law, he said. would be a
farce. Public opinion did not sustain pro-
hibition. He cited the case of Maine The
prohibition law was a dead letter in that
| state.