The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-23
A TEST VOTE ON TAKING IT UP TO BE
HAD IN THE SENATE TODAY
HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT BILL
Takes Up Most of the Senate's Session.
Some Amendments Proposed = Tilt
Between Senator'S Tillman and Gull
Bill - Party Lines Broken on this
Measure - A Republican Speech
Against the Measure.
SENATE

SENATE
Washington, February 21.-An effort
is to be made to get the question in
volving the seating of former Senator
Quay, of Pennsylvania, formally before
| the senate for consideration. Senator
Penrose, of Pennsylvania, gave notice
today that he would call up the case
| tomorrow. AS it is privileged he may
| be able to secure a vote on the taking
| up Of the case for consideration and
thus develop the Quay strength in the
! senate, at least approximately. During
the greater part of today's session, the
| Hawaiian government bill was under
consideration, but little progress was
made.
| Senator Morgan, Of Alabama, pre-
| sented a substitute for section IS of
the Hawaiian bill, providing for an in
vestigation and report on the public
land laws and agricultural and forestry
| conditions, $4,000 to be appropriated
| for each of the Investigations The
| substitute was agreed to.
| Senator Platt, of Connecticut, offer
| ed amendments to section 81 of the bill
| providing that the president and not
the governor of the territory shall ap-
! point the chief justice and justices of
| the supreme court and the judges of
| the circuit courts, and that the tenure
OF office Of such appointees should be
| four instead of nine years.
| Senator Cullom, in charge of the
| measure, explained that it was the de-
sire of the committee to afford the peo-
pie of Hawaii as full and free govern
| ment as possible.
| Senator Morgan objected to making
those positions political footballs
He was interrupted by Senator Till
! man, who wanted to know how many
! registered voters there were in Hawaii
at the present time. He thought about
1000 composed largely of Americans,
Germans and other white foreigners.
Senator Cullom interjected the infor-
! nation that in 1890 the voters num-
bered about 11,O00.
At this point Senator Wolcott, Of
Colorado, expressed a desire to offer
a "SEggestion" to Senator Tillman He
then called attention To the small vote
cast in South Carolina in proportion to
population at the last general election.
Senator Tillman attempted to reply,
but Senator Morgan, who held the
floor, refused to yield; whereupon, SEN
atGr Tillman retorted sharply: "Of
| course, I have to yield under such a
gag rule; l suppose"
| without concluding, Senator Morgan
| yielded for an executive session. and
the senate at 4:45 o'clock adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
Tor the first time in the debate upon
the Porto Rican tariff bill, the voice
or a republican was today raised
against the measure. Mr.. Bromwell
or Ohio, spoke against the bill, but he
opposed 1t on the ground of policy and
not Of constitutionality. His hostili-
ty. however, was not so absolute, but
that he announced his intention OF
voting for it if the substitute failed
The other speakers today were
Messrs. Ray, Of New York, and Long,
of Kansas, for the bill and Mr.. Henry
Of Texas, against it,
The republicans have decided to hold
a caucus or conference on the bill Sat
urday night. Although there are said
to be between twenty and thirty re-
. publicans hostile to the measure, the
republican leaders who are canvassine
the situation say that not more than
four or five will cast their votes
against it. They also say several dem
| ocrats will support it. The only demo
crat who is outspoken in his advocacy
Of the bill is Mr.. Davey, Of Louisiana
Messrs Meyer and Broussard. OF
Louisiana; Mr.. Deveyes, of California;
: Mr. Davis and Mr.. Sparkman, of Flor
| ida, are said to be in the doubtful col
umn, but the democratic whip says
that only Mr.. Davey, and Mr.. Sibley
Of Pennsylvania, will vote for it. Mr.
, Wilson, of Idaho, a silver republican
is also said to be inclined to vote fo,
. the bill. Some of the republican op-
ponents of the measure favor voting
to recommit the bill.
Hereafter the debate will begin at II
o'clock and there will be night sessions
Friday and Saturday.
, Mr.. Ray, chairman OF the judiciary
. committee Of the house, devoted him
self closely today to the legal and con-
stitutional phases of the controversy
over the broad question as to whether
. new territory was part Of the United
, States in a political sense. He denied
, that any act Of the president or con-
, gress could extend the constitution as
. a constitution over territory while II
remained territory. The fmmunities OF
the constitution could be so extended
but not the constitution itself. The con-
stitution only covered the states Of the
union. Porto Rico and the Philippines
were the property Of the United States
to be legislsted for as congress chose
Mr.. Bromwell, of Ohio, was the mrs
republican to oppose the bill upon the
floor. He said he did not doubt the
power of congress to enact this legis-
lation, but he did not agree with Its
justice or equity. He strongly advo-
Gated the original bill. Mr.. Bromwel
: asserted that the president had told {
representative Of a great republican
: newspaper organ within several day:
past, practically, that he still favored
the original bill, and Mr.. Bromwell In
sisted that if he had obtained addi
tional information justifying a changt
of views he should communicate it tt
congress He would, however, if ne
cessary, accept half loaf in this leg
, isiation. Concluding, he said that tht
only conclusion he coxid reach is that
the opposition which has been made
by certain interests in the country ha:
been powerful enough for the way!