The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-25
AGREED TO IN THE House
The FOrakerCOOper Porto Rican
Resolution Goes Through.
Only One Vote Cnst Against It-Scc-
Franchises in the Island Added
Vigorous Opposition to Their
Adoption by Representative HiH.

The House yesterday passed tn
| Foraker Cooper joint resolution to enabl'
Army officers to fill civil positions in Port
Rico until August ]. without losing thei
commissions. To it the Committee on In
sular Affairs had added two sections regu
lating the granting OF franchises in Portt
Rico Against these MIR. Hill of Connect
cut, made point of order, but after a dis
cussion of three quarters Of an hour, q
reading of the record showed that the poin
had been made too late to be effective. The
joint resolution as amended was passed
with Mr.. Hills single negative vote.
The resolution as passed. follows.
Resolved by the senate and House Of Repre-
sentativcS OF the United States OF America in
Congress assembled, That until the officer 10 fill
any office provided for by the act OF April Il,
1900. entitled An act temporarily to provide
revenues and civil government for Porto Rico,
and for other purposes shall have been appoint
ed and qualified, the officer officers now per
forming the civil duties pertaining to such office
may continue to perform the same under the au-
thority Of said act; and no officer Of the Army
shall lose his commission by reason thereof;
provided, that nothing herein contained shall
be held to extend the time iOr the appointment
and qualification OF any such officers beyond thc
first day Of August, 1900
Section 2. That all franchises, privileges. or
concessions mentioned in section thirty two of
said act shall be approved by the President Of the
United States, and such franchise, privilege,
or concession shall be operative until II shall
have been 50 approved.
Section 3. That all charters granting any fran
chises, privileges, or concessions mentioned in
section th'rty-two Of said act to private corpo-
rationS shall provide that the same shall be sub
Ject TO amendment, alteration, or repeal; shall
forbid the OF stock bonds. except
m exchange for actual cash. property
at tar valuation, equal in amount 20 the par
value Of the stock OF bonds issued; shall forbid
The declaring Of stock or bond dividends; and. in
the case Of public service corporations. shall
provide for the effective regulation OF the
charges thereof and for the purchase or taking
by the public authorities Of their property al
fair valuation. No corporation shall be authorized
TO conduct the business Of buying and selling
real estate, Of issuing currency, or OF engaging
m agriculture, or permitted to hold or own real
estate, except such as may be reasonably neces-
Sary 10 enable it 10 carry out the purposes for
which il was created. Banking corporations
however. may be authorized to loan funds upon
real estate security, and to purchase real estate
when necessary for the collection Of loans but
they shall dispose OF real estate obtained with
M hve years after receiving the title. Corpora
uonS other than those organized in Porto Rico
and doing business therein shall be bound by
The provisions of this section so far as they are
applicable.
The Resolution Taken Up.
When the House convened Mr.. Cooper.
Chairman Of the Committee on InsuIar
Affairs. asked unanimous consent to the
present consideration of the resolution
There was no objection, but Mr. McRae Of
Arkansas called for the reading OF the
resolution and the Speaker directed the
Clerk to read it. When the reading had
been concluded Mr.. McRae said he had no
objection to make and its immediate con-
sideration was thereupon entered on.
Mr.. Hil Of Connecticut then made
point Of order against the amendment on
four grounds, as follows:
First-That they are germane.
Second-That joint resolution could not
be amended in that manner
Thrd-If it could be. it must have been
considered in Committee Of the Whole.
Fourth-That the joint resolution was
temporary in its nature and the amend
ments were Of permanent character.
Mr. Cooper said that in view OF the ma
ture and Necessity Of the legislation he had
not expected that q point Of order would
be made. and he did not believe it would
be wise to press the order for several rea-
sons.
Messrs. J. r. Williams of Illinois. Nc
Rae Of Arkansas and Richardson Of Ten
nessee argued against the point OF order
Mr.. Hill spoke in support Of his point,
saying the amendments constituted a Joint
resolution on a subject different from the
joint resolution amended. He was oppos-
ed 10 these amendments in substance and
in form.
Mr. Moody Of Massachusetts, said he re-
gretted that the point Of order should have
come from the Republican side Of the
TloUeC He eubruitted that tho ,,{,t of