The age-herald., 1900-03-03
SENATE DISCUSSES
 PORTO RICO BILL Interest Has Been Transferred to
 That Body. TELLER OFFERS AMENDMENT This Provides That the Pending Meas ure is to Merely Establish
 Temporary Government
 for the Island
TELLER OFFERS AMENDMENT

Washington, March 2.-Interest in the Porto Rfcan tariff measure now has been transferred from the house to the senate. Scarcely had the reading of the bill been concluded today when MT. Teller, of Col orado, proposed an amendment providing in brief that the purpose of the pending bill is simply to establish a temporary govern ment in Porto Rico for the purpose of en- aibling the people of the island later to es- tablsh @ permanent republican govern ment in which there shall be accorded the people the right of self-government; the adoption of a constitution and the estab- lishment of a permanent form of govern ment not interfering with the sovereignty of the United States over the island or its inhabitants.
 This amendment was followed by another by MT. Stewart, of Nevada, striking out the provision levying duty on Porto Rican goods and providing that they should be admitted free into the United States. A spirited debate was participated in by MT. Foraker, Teller, Stewart and others.
 An hour and a half of the session was devoted to consideration of the Quay case.
 MT. Penrose called up the Quay case, and MT. Hoar addressed the senate tn support of Mr. Quays right to seat in the body.
 In closing his argument in favor of seat ing MT. Quay, MT Hoar said senators knew that the three seats, claimed by Messrs. Mentel, Allen and Beckwith, were decided against these men and the senate was about to enter upon the consideration of the re- peal of the Sherman law.
 He discussed at length the history of the fra ar,1irc of hat ma ri If he ct lating to the election of senator's his pur- pose being to show that the country at large was vastly interested in having every state of the union represented in the sen ate. MT. Hoar dwelt particularly upon the importance of single vote, declaring that one vote had changed the policy of the country to imperialism.
 Questioned to Precedent
 MT. Hoar, when asked as to precedents in cases involving the seats of senators. said:
 "The precedents in all election cases are of the least value of any precedents of any judicial or quasi-judicial tribunals. Polit- ical and personal feeling largely enters into the determination of these cases and the establishment of these 'precedents
 Senators knew that three seats claimed by Messrs. Mantle, Allen and Beckwith were decided against these gentlemen be- cause they were silver men, and the senate was about to enter upon the consideration of a repeal of the Sherman law.
 MT. Turley cited the hypothetical ease-of>- the governor of Kentucky calling troops to the state capital and dispensing the leg islature before the election of the United States senator as has recently happened, after the election of the senator. He held that if the governor subsequently, should appoint a senator, the senate would cer- tainly refuse him seat.
 The Quay case then was laid aside, and consideration begun of the Porto Rican tariff and government bill.
 MT. Teller of Colorado declared that the bill was remarkable measure 1.-The peo- pie are citizens of the United States; the committee has established United States courts; the ports are United States ports and in every way the committee has de- termined the islands shall be part of the United States. And then the commit tee inserts the remarkable provision that we shall levy a duty upon Porto Rican products brought into the United States.
 Teller Not Disturbed
 =''I am not disturbed" continued MT. Tell CT, about the talk of our holding a prov