The National tribune., 1900-02-15
IN CONGRESS-.
Synopsis of the More Important
Proceedings of Both Houses.

fTOCeeultlSS vi DUH ilOuSSS'
In the Senate on Monday, Feb. 5. til
new treaty with Great Britain relative
the building of the Nicaragua Canal wa
received, and was read in Executive session
Senator Davis, Chairman of the Commute
ON Foreign Relations, moved to max
the treaty public, as it was subject /
which all were greatly interested. but atte
some discussion it was decided to refer tn
matter TO the Committee on Foreign Rela
tions before taking that step.
The Senate ratified The Hague peac
treaty: also the eXtradition treaty wit
the Argentine Republic. Both were adopt
ed without objection or division.
In the House Mr.. HIT Qli.l, Chairman
of the Foreign Affairs Committee, calle'
up the. diplomatic and consular appro
priation bill
Mr.. Hit said he expected the foreIgl
discussion To take a wide range. and befor
this began he summarized the provision
of the bill.
Mr.. Dinsmore ARK J. the ranking Demo
crat on the Foreign Affairs Committee thel
called attention to some OF the toreIgl
questions in which this country Is con
cerned.
He said the jurisdiction over matters re
latinG to Cuba. which was not UnlteC
States territory, had been transferred from
the Foreign Affairs TO the lnSular Commit
tee This was deliberately made for th'
purpose OF giving color to our retention o
control there and ultimately of absorbing
Cuba. He had always hoped that some da!
Cuba would he part of the United States
but would never favor annexation unde
such conditions as surrounded the anneXa
ton of the Hawaiian Islands.
Speaking of our duty in the Philippines
Mr. DinsmOre said he would proclaim inn
IN 1j.ArEa tn fh,ln N
that it was not our purpose TO acquire
permanent sovereignty, but to offer oul
friendly aid to set up stable Government
When such Government had been estab
lished. he said. we should withdraw from
the islands. democratic applause.l
In the Senate on Feb. Mr. Aldrich
Chairman of the Finance Committee Offered
an amendment to the pending financial bill
providing that nothing in the bill shall in
terfere with efforts to secure international
bimetalism with the concurrence OF this
leading N ons of the world.
Mr. PettuS tAla.l offered an amendment
to the financial bill providing that the bll
shall not be construed to affect the present
legal tender quality of silver dollars COINED
by the United States.
To the same hill Mr. Chandler proposed
an amendment providing that the gold
dollar of 25.S grains and the silver dollar
of 412i2 grains shall be the unit Of value
AMI that all forms OF money issued OF
coined by the United States shall be main
tanned at that parity Of value: and that
the nited States notes and Treasury notes
when presented at the Treasury for re-
demption shall he redeemed in gold or silver
coin of such standard.
Mr.. Jones of Arkansas introduced an
amendment directing the Secretary of the
Treasury To constantly keep on hand al
emergency fund amounting to S5o.0p.OOO
of United States Treasury notes, which may
be issued to any citizen of the United States
at discount of 10 per cent. in exchange foI
United States bonds. the bonds TO be held
for not to exceed year, and the holder &c
pay per cent interest.
One of the doingS on Monday had been
the delivery of speech by Mr.. Caffery on
the Philippine question. He resumed his
speech now, quoting eminent authorities
on the constitutional law in support of
his position that the Filipinos by the ex
tension of the Constitution over them be
came citizens of the United States. He then
said: You have America. Adorn it. Lee
us not encircle the brow of Columbia with
a bloody wreath. Let us encircle with roses
the brow of the Goddess of Liberty"
Referring later TO Mr.. Hoar. ne said: %
am glad that Massachusetts has on this
floor a worthy successor of Webster ano
Sumner. and that he stands forth as the
stitutional law"
Mr.. Caffery, discussing the situation in
the Philippines at the beginning of hos
tilitieS with the insurgents, maintained that
the United States, through Admiral Dewey
had recognized the Filipino flag.
What are We going to do with them
Are We to permit for all time a despotiC
rule of them-a rule that was intolerablt
TO the great men of the past? Can the
Constitution of the United States embrace
within its holy arms such peOple-heaC
hunters and savageS-and make them for
ever citiZensrof the United States? If they
are incapable Of reaching our standard OF
Government and civilization. then We ought
to get rid Of them as soon as we can. | dc
not want them and the American people dc
not want them.
''Of course. there are certain response
bllitieS resting upon us. We must see that
peace is restored in the islands and that
some Government is established there
When once the status quo is restored. how,
ever. We should let them go their way and
not innoculate our citizenship with the
poison of theirs"
The Senate then listened TO speech by
Mr.. Butler. OF North Carolina. on the pro
posed suffrage amendment to the Constitu
tion OF his State.
Mr.. Gibson (Tenn.l opened the debate
with general argument in favor of eX
territory from the foundation of the Gov
ernnent 10 show that expansion had beer
a National policy since its inception. We
were. he said, eXpansionists by heredity
and destiny. II Bryan had been elected
President in 1896 instead OF Mckinley
Mr.. Gibson said, he believed the Spanisf
war would have occurred as it did. Dewey
woIld have fought Montoj) in Manila Bay
the United States would have acquired
the Philippines, Bryan would have beer
engaged in putting down the insurrecrion
and every Democrat on the other sidt
would have been shouting 'hurrah' anC
"anlen."
Mr.. Williams Miss. a member of the
Foreign Affairs Committee, submitted anC
argument against the annexation of the
Philippines from a commercial standpoint
1t was not very lofty to discuss this ques
ton from the standpoint of dollars anC
cents, but the spirit of commercialism mad
it necessary. He said he would undertake
to show that from the standpoint of Ameri
can agricultural industry and American
labor the annexation of the Philippine
wofild he diSadyantageouS in comparison
with what could be done under compare
tivefv free trade relations. He believe,
that If We aided the FilipinGs in setting up
stable Government there we could Obtain
perpetual free entry for our goods ant
eSeape the great question that was per
picking us. The cost of maintaininl
an army of 5000 men. which would b
necessary If We retained the Philippines
would be three times the value of the i'm
ports and exports of the islands
In The House Senate bill WAS passet
to AUTHORIZE the payment Of Communication
of rations to petty officers of the Navy oil
detached dutv from March ], 1898. 20 Nov
q, 1899
The final conference report upon tn
urgent deficiency bill WAS agreed 10.
Debate upon the diplomatic and consula