The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-12
TOOK A WIDE RANGE
VARIOUS auEsTIoNs DISCUSSED
 BY THE HOUSE
The Postofacs Appropriation Bill Was Under Consideration, But It Was Not xentionsd in the
 Debate.

spoke devoted themselves to everything except the bill
 MT. Thaysr (ldass.) brought forward . resolution to investigate reports that the sugar trust would be the chief bene- nciary of Cuban reciprocity. He tried to overturn . decision of the speaker in order to secure action on his resolution. but the Republicans came up soldly against such course and he was check mated.
 MT. Brantiey, Georgia Democrat, made a speech in favor of Cuban recip- rocity and Mir. Meyer Louisiana Demo- cret, one against 1t. MT. Hill (Conn.) made some remarks on his monetary bill The feature of the day, however. was . speech by Mir. Burleson of Texas attacking Secretary Hay for declining to request the British authorities to furnish passports to go through the British lines to Rev. Hiram w. Thomas and wife who desire to go to South Africa to distribute Boer relief funds collected in Illinois. Mir. Hit Qli.) chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee made . spirited reply to Mir. Burleson. charging the Texas member with attempting to prejudice the case before the evidence was in. MT. Hit pointed out that relief funds could be distributed through the Red Cross or the American consuls and added that it was contrary to international law and usage to allow those in. sympathy with the enemy to go through the lines in time of war.
 When the House met today. Mir. Thayer, Massachusetts. created something of furry by rising to . question or privilege which he said involved the ',dignity of the House and the safety of its members"
 He therefore presented . resolution setting forth many rumors regarding Cuban reciprocity, together with allega- tions that the sugar trust was to be the chief beneficiary of such reciprocity; that it was subsidizing newspapers. establish ing literary bureaus and In other ways attempting to create . public sentiment in favor of Cuban reciprocity. The resolution declares that the dignity of the House was involved and called for special committee of seven members to investigate the subject.
 MT. Loud made q point of order against the resolution which was sustained by the Speaker. Mr. Thayer appealed from the decision of the chair.
 "I move to lay the appeal on the table, V instantly cried MT. Payne. the Repubf- can floor leader.
 MT. Thayer demanded the ayes and noes and the ron was called. The Re- pubiicans voted ysolidly for the motion to lay the appeal on the table while two Democrats, Messrs Fleming of Georgia, and Mcclellan of New York. broke away from their party associates and voted veith the Republicans. The appeal was iaid on the table. 125 to N.
 s The House then went into Committee ''of the Whole and entered upon the con- alteration of the postofice appropriation bill. s -fr aA4
 MT. Loud of California, in charge of the bill. explained its provision in a pre- liminary statement, The bill, he said, carried $137, 7,sf65es ,being $3.1s5.o22 more than the estimates and sIAl33,s1o more than the appropriations for the current year. ,& MI
 MT. Brantley discussed the question of reciprocity with Cuba
 He argued that the South would benefit greatly by the commerce of Cuba If free trade existed and that moreover. if Cuba were prosperous, ,.a sanitary condition would be naintained there which would remove the danger of yellow fever which had constantly 9 Threatened the southern ports in the past. Mir. Brantiey spoke for over an hour. He was closely questioned by the Michigan and Louisiana members.
 Mir. Hill (Conn) followed MT. Brantley with some remarks in favor Of his Dill to maintain the legal tender value Of the silver dollar at a parity with gold. While he was speaking . group of Republicans were listening to Senator Hanna Finally MT. Sulzer (N. Y.) rising to a point of order asked Mir. Littlefeld, who was in the chair whether 'The gentleman from Connecticut or the Senator from Ohio" had the floor. MT. Littlefield announced that the gentleman from Connecticut" had the floor. He looked toward the group and admonished those who desired to indulge in conversation to retire Ee- hind the rail.
 MT. Burleson CTexas) then called atten- tion to the resolutions introduced by him calling on the Secretary of State for in- formation as to whether he had declined to request the British Ambassador to to furnish passports for Rev. Hiram W. Thomas and wife, of Chicago, who were selected to distribute funds collected in Illinois for the relief of non-combatant prisoners in South Africa. Mir. Burleson sent to the clerks desk and had read a letter from John o. Knight who came to Washington to secure the passports for Dr. Thomas and wife. Mir. Knight stated the funds were collected in res- ponse to Governor Yates's appeal He had gone to Secretary Hay, the latter said, with a letter from Senator Cullom. ana the StCTtLdIy OA OtdbCp dSNoAoAh6 eO the letter, had declined to make the re- quest of Lord Pauncefote on the ground that such a request would be considered ''meddlesome' and remissness Of neutrality and against the views of President Roosevelt If the facts stated fin this letter were true, said MT. Burle- son, then the State Department was so saturated with pro-British spirit that it could no longer respond to the common dictates of humanity when made in be- half of Boer women and children"
 Mir. Burleson said that under date of March {. another appeal had gone from Mir. Knight to Secretary Hay without elicting response
 Mr. Burleson said his purpose in hav- ing these letters read was to fasten the attention of the American people on the course of the State Department
 Mir. Hit dll.) chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. replied to Mr. Burle- son with some display of heat He said 1t was with singular surprise that he had heard the gentleman from Texas bring forward resolution which already had been referred to a committee of which he (Burleson) was a member and which committee was to meet on a day fix ed by the motion of MT. Burleson him. self. He declared it was an effort to proiudge the case before the evidence was in. International law must be observed, ne said. The International Red Cross was organized for the pur- nose of carrying relief. Funds could be distributed through it or through our consuls. but not through those in sym pathy with the enemy.
 But why should not the Secretary of State use his good offices to relieve the distress of the Boer women and chii-