New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-08
VAST POWER OF CONGRESS
PRACTICALLY UNLIMITED IN DEALING
WITH NEW POSSESSIONS.
POLICY ANNOUNCED BY REPUBLICAN MEM
BERs OF THE HOUSE INsULAR AT
FAIRS COMMITTEE.
TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. ]


Washington Feb. THE Republican men,
bers of the House Committee on Insular Affairs
held a long conference this afternoon to consider
and discuss the conclusions reached by sub
committee Of their number on the question or
the power Of Congress and the limitations II
any, upon that power in the matter OF govern
ing territory belonging to the United States; the
political status and civil rights of the civilized
inhabitants of such territory and the practical
Interpretation of this power both as TO the gov
ernment and status OF the people This sub
committee was COMPOSED of Messrs. Tawney Of
Minnesota; Moody. of Massachusetts. and Crum-
packer, of Indiana and they made an exhaustive
and thorough investigation of the subject. in the
light of all the executive and legislative acts
and judicial decisions bearing on it, The con-
illusions reached by them which formed the
topic Of discussion and basis Of consideration
in to-days conference. in substance as
follows:
First-Thatr the Constitution end laws of the
United States do not extend ex proprio Vlgore
to territory outside of the area comprising the
States that are united, and that the power or
Congress to govern such territory IS unlimited
except by those fundamental limitations in favor
of personal and property rights expressed IN
the Constitution but which exist by inference
from the nature and spirit of the Government
and the principles of liberty on when II Is
Second-That the political status and civil
rights Of the inhabitants of such territory IN
the absence of treaty stipulations, within the
power of Congress, subject only to the funda-
mental limitations above referred to; that the
mere exercise Of this power over territory pre-
viously within the exclusive control OF the eX-
ecutive department of the Government VIII not
confer upon such inhabitants political status
different from any civil rights other than the
status and rights created by the legislation en-
acted by Congress in the exercise of this power
Third-That from the beginning, in the absence
of treaty stipulations to the contrary, 1t has
bePn uniformly held bV both the pOlltlCdl ana
judicial branches Of the Government that sucn
territory is the common property or the states.
and has always been so treated: that 1t is not a
part of, but belongs to, the United states, anu
that the political status and civil rights OF the
inhabitants thereof, beyond the status ana rlsnIs @
conferred by the treaty OF cesslon, nave peeh
only such as Congress has seen mt TO create
within the limitations heretofore mentioned.
In support of the foregoing propositions. the
subcommittee submitted an array of precedents
which was overwhelming. All the majority
members of the Insuar Committee were present
and the discussion was full and general 1t
was unanimously decided that any bill relating
to the government of Puerto Rico or the Philip
pines reported by the Insular Committee would
be framed in harmony with the principle
enunciated by the committee. This position was
not reached without some difficulty, but was
finally agreed TO by all the members after the re-
suits of the thorough and painstaking researches
of Messrs. Tawney, Moody and others were ex-
planned and advocated by them.
This action was significant not only because
of the Importance of the subject, but also on
account Of the prominence ability and influence
as legislators of the members who compose the
majority Of the Insular Committee. They are
Mr.. Cooper (chairman) of Wisconsin; Mr..
Moody. Mr.. Cannon, of the Appropriations Com
mittee; Chairman Hit of Foreign Affairs;
Chairman Payne and Mr.. Tawney, of Ways and
Means; Chairman Hepburn, of Interstate and
Foreign Commerce; Chairman Loud, of the
Postof1ce Committee; Chairman Babcock, of the
District Committee and Judge Crumpacker, Of
Indiana.