Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-26
FIFTH SUPPLY BILL PASSES
Diplomatic and Consular Appropriation
Measure Goes Through House,
RICHARDSON TALKS ON PACIFIC cABLI
Democratic Leader sharply Criticises
COrliss' Recent U~tterances ON
the Construction of Gable
by Government.

WASHINGTON, Feb. a5.-The house to-
day passed the diplomatic and consular APP
preparation bill. 1t was the fifth Of the
regular supply measures to be sent to the
senate this session.
The feature Of the day was the speech
Of MIR. Richardson OF Tennessee. in reply
to Mr.. Ccrliss' speech a few days ago, In
favor of the construction Of a Pacific cable
by the government.
He did not believe, he said, that a mem
Der had the right to malign or impugn the
motives Of any person or any corporation
had not the right to reply here. He then
proceeded to point to some Of Mr.. Corliss'
"misstatements and errors" He took up
the Michigan members statement that
Great Britain was about to construct a
7,000-mile cable from Vancouver to Au-
~stralia, and declared that the statement
was ingeniously made to afford a prece-
dent for our government, whereas as q
matter of fact, he said, Great Britain had
offered a subsidy to any government cor
poration, which would build the cable. 1t
was only because no corporation could be
persuaded to take the risk that England
decided to construct the cable itself.
Critieizes COrliss' Speech.
Referring to the criticisms by Mr.. Cor
Hiss OF the offer Of the Commercial Cable
| company, Mr.. Richardson characterized 1t
as a violent and aggressive language that
the gentleman from Michigan uses through
out both Of his untimely delivered speeches,
when he refers to the cable company which
made a simple and plain proposition to
build this cable without asking a subsidy
from the government.
Continuing, Mr.. Richardson said:
"How can the United States government
restrict privileges to foreign cables by a
foreign government, simply because the
United States cable connects with such
foreign government? The only way 1t can
refuse to connect with foreign cables would
be for a United States government cable
or a United States cable corporation te
encircle the globe, and thereby bringing
about the octopus monopoly SO greatly
dreaded by the gentleman from Michigan"
Relative to the charges that Germany
offered a subsidy to have the cable lane
on Marshall island instead of Guam, Mr.
Richardson said it had been denied by thu
Commercial Gable company.
Debate on Consular Service.
An extended discussion occurred on thu
consular service, Mr.. Grosvenor maintain
ing that the present consuls were render
| ing excellent service, while Messrs. Feel!
Of Illinois, Gaines of Texas, Green Of Penn
s~ylvania and others urged a reform In tn
system.
Mr.. Newlands Of Nevada took occasion
to defend his plan for the ultimate annex
alton of Cuba from the charge that the pre-
liminary grant of customs concessions wa
a move to "blackmail the island into an
nexation."
Mr.. Champ Clark Of Missouri made
characteristic speech, urging that instea'
Of criticising the present consular sys
tenn definite plans for lettering the sys
tenn should be presented. For himself b
did not favor the so-called merit system.
Mr.. Clark caused much laughter by re
ferring to the democratic success in elect
ing Mr.. Cleveland as "the greatest calam
ity that has befallen the human race sine
the fall Of Adam"