The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-05
MR.. BACON'S SPEECH
THE RIGHT OF THE SENATE TO IN
FORMATION.
SUBSIDY BILL PUT ASIDE.
SECRETARY LONGS LETTER DIS
CUSSED.

senator's Contend That the Fault
Noes Not Lie With Them-The
SampsOn-SchIey Controversy Re
soonsfbIc for the Delay in Naval
pron,otionS-Senator Bacon Con-
tends for the Right of the senate
IN documents ON File in the Exec
utfva Department..
washington Feb. 4.-The ship-subsdy
bfl was laid aside informally by the Sen
ate to-day to permit consideration of the
interpolation bills. This action was taken
lite i'm the day on Mr.. Allisons request
.5.,t the District Of Columbia appropria-
ZION bin be taken up. Mr.. Frye, in charge
ut The shipping bill, who had said he
would not give way to appropriation bills
without a vote of the Senate, was not in
fine chamber at the time, but Mr.. Aldrich,
MI. Hanna and others interested in the
measure were present and Joined in the
General assent given TO Mr.. Anison's re-
oue.l The shipping bill holds its place
anil as the unfinished business can be talk
en- up when the appropriation bills are
mo-; occupying attention. The District of
columbia bill will occupy the attention
of tine Senate. tomorrow.
The subsidy bill did not receive attention
to-day. The greater part of the time
of the Senate was given to listening 10
a speech by Mr.. Bacon of Georgia on the
right Of the Senate TO demand informa-
ton on file in the executive department
fe took the position that the departments
are the creatures of Congress and that
departmental denial of any demand for
papers on file was preposterous, contend
ing that for 100 years there had been prac-
ucaly no refusal to recognize this right.
Secretary Longs letter regarding Sam
uago naval rewards caused a discussion
in which senators upheld their course
in this matter.
The Senate at 1 O'Clock, upon returning
from the Marshall exercises in the House,
resumed its sitting. Thomas Kearns was
administered the oath of office as senator
from Utah.
The hour of II O'Clock was fixed as
the time Of meeting by the Senate for
its daily sessions until otherwise ordered
At the instance of Mr.. Chandler. the
Senate passed a resolution, calling upon
the Secretary of the Navy for a list of
the members of Admiral SIMPSONS fleet
whose names were sent to the Senate
for promotion during the Fifty-ifth Con-
gress
MI Chandler said he based his presen-
tttiJn OF this resolution on a published
letter written by Secretary Long to Sena-
tor Morgan in which he had charged that
the delay in recognizing the services of
these men was due to the non-actiou of
Congress. rather than to the executive
departments He said that upon failure
Of the last Congress to act the Pres-
dent had not renewed the recommends
tons for the present Congress. He eX-
planned that the failure of the Senate to
act had been due to the Sampsou-Schley
controversy
Mr. Hale as Chairman of the Commit
tee on Naval Affairs, also said that no
fault could be found with Congress. He
referred to the tying up of all the nomi-
nations because of the Sampson-Schley
controversy and added that he had been
waiting during the entire Fifty-sixth Con-
gress expecting that the Presidents rec
ommendarion would be renewed.
Mr. Pettisrew said there had been an
effort to promote Sampson over Schley
Notwithstanding Schley had done the
lighting and had previously outranked
Sampson" Mr.. Pettigrew declared that
the administration was disposed to pro-
mote men who have never smelt pow
der, like Corbin and Shafter." He ac-
cused Messrs. Hale and Chandler with
using the Long letter as a pretext for
hlibustering against the subsidy bill
Replying Mr.. Chandler said he consid-
cred the action of the executive in the
matter OF the promotion of Messrs. Schley
and Sampson correct
Would the failure to capture Cervera's
Meet have been visited upon Schley or
upon Sampson" asked Mr. Bacon of
Georgia.
This question had Che effect of bring
ING Mr.. Hoar to his feet with protest,
that if there was to be an effort to reply
10 that inquiry, he would object to the
continuance Of the controversy.
Mr.. Teller said the publication of the
Secretary's letter was bad taste
Mr.. Morgan repudiated any idea that
ne had given it out, and said there was
nothing improper in the letter.
Mar. Bacon of Georgia then addressed the
senate upon his resolution declaring it to
oe The sense of the Senate that that body
mad the right to demand information and
documents on file in the executive depart
ments- He had made the resolution i'm
personal, he said, but he predicated much
OF what he said upon the recent refusal
OIL the Secretary of War through the
president TO supply to the Senate the re-
'~'' AtehS ny AuulLOl lAdWSne concerning
ue cuban postal accounts.
Mr Bacon spoke of the question as one
Oh vast Importance and said the refusal
i'll me LaWshe case was a direct challenge
ol the Senate's right to call for and Sc
cure Information on file in a department,
eAcepllhg SO far as that right was grant
eu oy the department itself
MI Spooner asked Mr. Bacon if he con-
sloeled the Presidents communication a
challenge.
g., do most emphatically," replied Mr..
Haeon. 1T constitutes such challenge as
7pulres an answer from the Senate. That
very much enlarged in gravity by the
tt'1' thdl newspaper publications indicate
~ as not only the action of the President.
not the action OF the cabinet and we
no" enfronted with the fact that there
general ana organized purpose OF
eaolhet as avowed to deny to the
a.'aee the right to information to be
',9ui'o on the files of the department. I'M
N where the chief OF the department
10y as a matter of grace and in his per-
"iormatlon."
- o'clock the ship-subsidy bill was
ia 9 peiore the Senate and Temporarily
~ osloe' IN order to permit Mr.. Bacon
nm. ronl!nue his speech on the executive
MH Bacon said he had no desire to dis
tbse cabinet officers for he considered