The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-17
BILL MUST
 BE AMENDED Department of Commerce
 is Considered. OPPOSITION SPRINGS UP
Would Be Most Powerful
 Section of the Cabinet.
Serious Objection is Raised to Pro posed Transfer to It of Several Important Bureaus, Now
 in Existence

Washington, Jan. 16.-The Senate today for a brief time had under consideration the bill creating a departm mt of com merce. and the discussion tended to show that, the measure will have to be amend ed in many particulars before it can re- ceive the approval of the Senate. Seri- GUS objections were raised to the trans fer to the proposed department of sev- eral important bureaus now part of other departments of the Government. It was pointed out that if the bill reported became a law, 1t would create the great est department of the Government, and that the Secretary of the Commerce would have more power than the Secre- tary of the Treasury. Notice of several important amendments was given. A large number of uncontested bills and private pension measures was passed af- ter which the Senate adjourned until Monday.
 On motion of MT. Hoar his resolution adopted yesterday calling for informa- ton concerning the exactlon of duties on supplies and comforts sent to boer prisoners in Bermuda from this country was recalled and referred to the Com mittee on Foreign Relations. MT. Hoar explained that he had been informed that the governor of Bermuda proposes to recommend to the legislature Of Ser muda that the law exacting such duties be repealed.
 Mir. Mallory (Fla.) rising to question of privilege, called attention to an article in a New York newspaper of the l4th in- stant purporting to give poll or the Senate on the subject of an lsthmian canal, in the course of which he was represented as being in favor of the Palana route. He declared the article mi represented him entirely. ''l am de- cidadlys in favor,'' said he, "of pressing tb Nicaragua project as rapidly as pos- siS2 and If 1t were In my power l should be very glad to bring the matter up TOT vote today" ..
 MT. Clay CGa.) made similar state- ment, asserting that he favored the Nicaragua project and not the Panama route, as stated in the article in question. MT, Clay later said the article was cor rect in including him among the Senators favorable to q full consideration Of the canal question.
 The bill to establish the depart ment of commerce was called up by MT. Nelson (Minn.) MT. Lodge of fered an amendment providing that the Secretary of State should designate an official in his department to furnish in structions to consular officers supplied by the Secretary of Commerce and pre- pare the dispatches of the consular of- tcers for transmission to the Secretary of Commerce.. The amendment caused considera ble comment, all of 1t being favorable to MT. Lodges proposition. MT. Hale sharply criticized the bill. He said the measure ransacked every depart ment of the government for important bureaus, to dump into this new depart ment. The new Secretary of Commerce would became the most important mem- Der of the cabinet. He would be even a more important official than the Sec retary of the Treasury with all of his great administrative duties.
 He referred particularly to the trans- fer to the new department of the coast and geological survey and urged if that bureau were changed at all, 1t should be placed under the Navy Department. He referred to various 'navies" in the several departments.
 This brought MT. Tillman to his feet. "I would like to add another navy to those enumerated by the Senator" he said, that is the army transport ser vice. That is assuming great propor- tions and about it l have heard some scandal"
 The section providing for the transfer of the geological survey to the Depart ment of Commerce was stricken out.
 MT. Hale gave notice of an amendment providing for the transfer Of the coast and geoedetic survey to the Navy De- partment. after Mir. Platt (Conn.) had criticized the bill and urged that no action be taken at this time. the measure went over.
 The following bills, together with a large number of private pension bills were passed: Appropriating S9O,0OO for government expenses and floor space at the Charleston. S. C.. Exposition; to con- struct at cost of 50O road to the national cemetery at Dover. Tenn. and to pay certain persons in the South for taken from them by the military forces of the United States.
 In introducing a bill to exclude Chinese from coming to the United States, MT. Mitchell (Ore.) said the policy and gen eral provisions of the measure were ap- proved by the Pacific coast Senators and Representatives, but that 1t had been ag greed that this approval should not af- feet the privilege of any member to offer The bill was referred to the Committee on Immigration.
 The Senate, at 2:7 p. m., went into executive session and when the doors were re-opened at 2:50 a resolution ex- pressive of the Senate sorrow at the death of Robert E. Burke, formerly a in Congress from Texas