The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-28

Washington, February 24.-Both OF
the South Carolina senators were on
the door when the senate was called
to order. Senator McLaurin came in
nrst and Senator TiIlman just as the
chaplain offered prayer. A small
bunch of red roses and white carna-
tions lay on Senator Tillman's desk.
An echo of the SENSATIONAL fight Of
Saturday was heard at the conclusion
of routine business
Senator Pritchard. republican, Of
North Carolina submitted the follow
ing letter which was read at the clerks
desk:
washington, February "a.
ITO Hon. ]. G. P~ritchard,
My Dear Senator:-I was prevent
ed, as you know, from offering the res
olution which l wrote at my desk on
Saturday, demanding an investigation
OF the charges made by my colleague,
by being adjudged in contempt of the
senate. / am now debarred the priv
ilege, and request o to Introduce the
resolution for Ire reason that if the
charges are true. / am unfit to remain
n member of the senate, and if they
are untrue the man who made them
is unfit to; remain a member of this
honorable body In any event, / feel
hat 1 am entitled to a vindication by
the same body that makes investiga-
ton in the proceedings for contempt.
I herewith enclose the resolution.
Your very truly,
JOHN LOWNDES MLAURIN."
Senator Pritcnard then offered the
following resolutions:
"Whereas, The senior senator from
the state Of South Carolina charged in
a speech on the floor of the senate that
the Junior senator from the same state
had been improperly influenced in
casting his vote for the ratification of
the treaty of peace between the Uni
ted States and Spain; and
Whereas. The said charge was en-
phatically denied by the junior sena-
tor,
Resolved, That the committee on
privileges ard elections be directed to
investigate and report as to the truth
OF the aid charges. with full power to
send for persons and papers"
On motion Of enato Hale, the reso-
luton was referred to the committee
on privileges and elections.
The Philippine tariff bill then was
taken up, the speeches., by unanimous
agreement being limited to fifteen min
utes each.
Senator McComas, OF Maryland, dis
cussed briefly statements made by his
colleague (Wellington) in the course of
which he (Wellington) had said that he
had been given assurances by President
Mckinley that the United States did
not propose to hold the Philippines as
colonies.
Senat McComas said he had been
present at the conference between the
president and enato Wellington and
he denied emphatically hat the presi-
dents promise had not been kept. 1t
was absurd in his colleague, he assert
ed. for him to make such q charge. He
regretted. he said sarcastically, that
Senator Wellington had forgotten the
details of the conference.
Senator Lodge said that sc much cri-
mony had been developed in the debate
upon the measure that an incident had
occurred on Saturday which all deeply
deplored-
That incident had grown out, he said,
of the fact that the ordinary d%ecencies
of debate had been bcushed aside. Tile
time had come for the senate to restore
its debates to higher plane. Within a
week." said. he. I'VE have heard a dead
president charged with being guilty Of
deceiving one senator and of bribing
another and of treating the F~i,ipinos in
~humanely."
After sharply criticising the speech
made in 1899 nv Senator Spooner Lpor
the Philippine question, Senator Bacon
had read a part Of a speech which he
delivered in the Philippines last fall. ir
which he said there was no chance fol-