The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-03-10
Senator Lindsay On
Porto Rican Bill.
Island Should Be Given Free
Trade.

Il
demanding that the doors be CLOSED. TIE
by MIR. Lindsay Of Kentucky, on the
Porto Rioan tariff and government meas
ure. He opposed the tariff provision OF
the bill and some parts OF the PROPOSE
ton as to the Porto Rican government
He maintained that under the treaty OF
Paris, which provided that the OWL
rights and political status of the native
the United States from Spain should be
fixed by Congress, the Congress had su-
thority to deal with Porto RICO and the
Philippines as 1t saw fit-giving free
trade to the one and levying tariff on
the products OF the other. He opposed
the doctrine that the constitution ex-
tended ex-proprio vlgore over the terri
tory acquired by this government
At the opening OF todsy's session Of
the Senate, Mr.. Allison of Iowa, report
ed from the committee On appropriations
the House bill making appropriations
of customs dues exsosed from tho island
of Porto Rico from October Is, 1873 to
January l, 1900, amounting to s. 0e5, 455.
and gave notice that he would call up
the message tomorrow. He said, as the
measure was we'll Understood, he hoped
and believed 1t would lead to no extend
| ed debtts.
When routine business had been fin
ishod, Mr.. Mason called up his motion
entered yesterday to discharge the foreign
relations committee from further consid-
Grafton of his resolution expressing the
sympathy of the Senate with the Beers
sin their heroic struggle with Great
Britain"
The motion was laid before the Senate
Mr.. Davis. chairman Of the COMMITTEES
on forG ign relations moved that the
dooIs be closed and the Senate at 1880
p. M, went into executive session.
After beiI IN secret legislative and ex-
ooutive session for nearly two hou7s
the Senate at 2 20 p. M, proceeded again
to open executive Sol slor. Mr.. Lindsay
CT Kentucky took the floor to address the
Senate on the Porto R!co tariff and gov
err ment bill. He said:
The st lection OF the island OF Porto
Eco as the proper subject for establishing
the principle that the territories acquired
by the United States through the recent
treaty with Spain ara not so per % In
integral portions thereof 10 n my opin-
lon singularly unfortunate. The differ
Ell ce In the considerations applyirg to the
American and AsiAtio territories &C
q1ired Iy the recent csssion by Spain,
are radical and do not require slabora-
ton CT discussion. Porto Rico is efsenti-
ally an American c2untry and while lie
term of territorial probation may neces
sari'y be an extended one, there 10 no
reason that preo!udes 1t at some f1lurs
time from b ing admitted into the Union
AS an American state This Is not true
with rs gard to the Philippine archipelago
or the Hawaiian Islands. This is union
of Am srican states and must so remain to
the END.
Senator Lindfay said that the Senate
measure contains all the objectionable
features of the House ill and ALTO prov
ision absolutely inconsistent with the
taxing power 1t asserted. He then called
attention to the fact that the Senate bill
dc c!ared that all Porto RicRns who were
Spanish subjects should be deemed citi-
zens OF the United States and took Issue
with Senator Foraker's oontsntion that
Citizen" when used in the treaty OF
Paris, meant merely that a person owes
allegiance to the government.
The doctrine that the Constitution ol
the United States follows the flag and
that no country to which title msy be
acquired whether ny treaty or conquest,
can be held aud governed otherwise than
as IN integral portion Of the United
States, did not commend itself to him.
II 1t be necessary or expedient fer re.
public to 60 to war to overrun the terri
tories OF Its enemy, IL may lawfully over
run and occupy them and at the close oi
a successful war msy inde mnify itseli
for the expense and damage sustained by
requiring the oession Of such portions 81
the CONQUERED territory as justio, and
expediency may reasonably demand. II
may require the Inhabitants OF the con-
ausred county to submit to reasonable
and just rules prescribed by their govern
ment. 1t was to avoid the claim that by
the acceptance Of the csssion from Spair
we placed ourselves under oblig ationI
to the psople of the ceded territory Il
cloths them with American citizenship
however inexpsdient or preposterous o.
even dangerous 1t might be to do so tina
the stipulAtions of the old French, Span
ish and Mexican treaties were omitted
: and materially different stipulation In
serted IN the treaty Of Paris
Mr.. Lindsay then considered decisions O
the 81 me court which were relied oi
to ~ the Constitution ex propEae