The National tribune., 1900-01-25
IN CONGRESS-.
Synopsis osjthe More Important
Proceedings of that Body.


In theSSenaie on Tuesday. Jan. 16,
there was ratified without even the formali-
ty of a recordaf vote. the Samoan treaty,
which gives this Government, through
agreement, WITH: Germany and Great Bri.
TGtuila. in the Samoan group. The
Navy Department will at once send in
structions. to Lieut. Commander b. F.
1filey, who is in command of the supply
ship IN Pago-Pago Harbar, to formulate
n proclamation to the natives, similar to
the one issued by Commander Leary on
ment has been notified by the other powers
that the treaty has been ratified by them.
a cablegram will be sent to Commander
1illey, by way of Auckland, New Tea
land, to raise the American flag upon
the new possession. Commander I1iiey
will be the first Governor of the island.
The ratification of the treaty occurred
in executive session, after two hours OF
debate, which was participated in by a
number of Senators. principally in be-
half of the treaty by Senators Davis, For
aker, and Spooner, and in opposition by
Senators Bacon, Money, and Iillman.
The Senate at the close of the routine
business took up the resolution by Mr.
Hoar, requesting copies of communications
received by the President from Aguinaldo,
or any other person undertaking to repre-
sent the people in arms against the United
States, together with the amendment
offered by Mr.. Lodge, extending the field
of inquiry.
Mr.. Pettigrew moved to amend the reso-
luton by adding request for the instruc-
tons issued to the United States Peace
Commissioners at Paris.
The Senate went into executive session.
but 10 minutes later the doors were opened
a urlc toll m n mo NJ
Davis to lay Mr.. Pettigrew's amendment
| on the table, the motion being agreed to by
vote of al to 20, as follows:
Yeas-Aldrich Allison, Baker. Bur
rows, Garter, Chandler, Cullom, Davis,
Depew; Fairbanks, Foster, Frye, Gallinger
Lindsay, Lodge. Mcbride, McLaurin,
Mcmillan, Nelson, Perkins, Pettus, Platt
of Connecticut, Platt of New York. Pritch-
ard, Proctor, Quarles, Ross, Scott, Seweli.
Shoup. Simon, SpOoner, Stewart, Thurs
ton. Wetmore. Wolcott-41.
Chiffon, Clay, Cockrell, Culberson, Heitfeld,
Hoar, Jones of Arkansas. Martin. Money.
Pettigrew, Taliaferro, Teller, Tiilman,
Vest Wellington-2O. -
Mr. Teller said he had voted mo" be
cause it was in the power of the President
Gf the amendment had been agreed to- to
transmit the papers in secret or to decline
to send them at all. He believed, he said.
that all attempts to keep from the people
any information that they ought to have
had tendency to create suspicion that
something which they ought to know was
being withheld.
Mr. Hoar remarked that the resolution
left to the Presidents sole and undisputed
Judgments swhehher the information asked
for could ibe given without. detriment to
the public service, and that il struck him
that the vote TO lay the amendment on the
table was IAN extraordinary transaction.
Mr.. Vdst SAID that it seemed most un-
fortunate, ,flatInOthing could be said about
the Philippine war without improper mo-
tives being ascribed. The friends of the
PresidentHandshe was not his enemy as
'SUmed that any remark coming from those
who opposed the Paris treaty was an at
tack on the President personally, and on
his advisors. 1t seemed to him that the
friends OF the Administration should desire
the whole of that correspondence to be
placed before the American people. AS
the matter noE stood, the President had
first instrpcted the Commissioners before
they left Washington to acquire or take
the islanalof Iihzon, and afterward he had
repeatedly said that he was an instrument
in the hanaso Of Providence.
."If it be- true that Che President was
willing to take LuZon," he said, Hwhat was
TO becorhe Of the rest of the archipelago?
/ hardly know in what language to
characterize these continued imputations
that there are friends of Aguiiialdo on
this floor giving aid and comfort to the
public enemy. None of us has ever made
any statement on this floor so strong as
that made by the Senator from New jersey
fMr. -SewelD. whose loyalty no one will
question. That Senator declared in open
session that after the destruction of the
Spanish fleet in Manila Bay he had
gone to the President and said: For
Gods sake, Mr.. President. withdraw
Dewey and let those islands alone Was
he an enemy TO his country and a friend to
Aguinaido? This whole Philippine ques-
ton is nebulous and cloudy condition
which befogs the public mind and the
councils even of the leaders of public opin-
ion in the dominant party"
The resolutions were laid aside without
action and the financial bill was taken up
Mr.. McLaurin made a speech in support
Of his proposition to repeal the tax on the
circulation of State banks.
Mr.. Gallinger, Chairman of the Com
mittee on Pensions, reported in the Sena te
a bill repeating section 4116, Revised
Statutes. so far as it may be applicable
TO the claims OF dependent parents of sol
diers, sailors, and marines who served
the United States in. the war with Spain.
The, bill was passed. The section thus
from the benefit Of the pension laws those
persons who had served the Confederacy.
In the House during the debate on the
urgency deficiency bill MIR. Richardson,
leader of the minority, seized favorable
opportunity for attacking the Administra-
ton, and delivered himself of rebuke
to the Secretary of the Treasury in the
matter of that officials dealings with the
National City Bank of New York, and
particularly the sale OF the New York
Custom House property. Mr.. Richard
son undertook to show that this trans
action was "a Skillfully arranged niece