The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-12-05

His. Action WAS Commended.
Washington December 3.-The senate
today began the real work OF disposins
of the business before il, although the
session lasted but an hour and a haif,
" en- an adjournment was taken at 1:3O
o'clock out of respect To the memory Of
Representatives DeGraffenreid and
Sheppard. Texas, the bill to amend the
immigration laws was under discussion
HarIy in the day Senator Nelson, from
the committee on territories reported j
substitute for the Omnibus Statehood
bill, with the recommendation that Ok
iahoma and Indian territory be admit
ted into the union as one state undzr
the name of Oklahoma. When the i'm
nnigration bill was brought up, Senator
Quay precipitated a discussion over the
statute of the stateshOod bill which was
determinated by a ruling from the
chair that beginning on December 10
it would be the unfinished business and
that a. the close of the morning hour
each Ny, it would be laid before the
senate unless displaced by vote Of
that body.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES..
The house passed today the bill to ap-
prOpriate $4,000 to defray the expenses
of the Anthracite coal strike commits
sion and then adjourned until Friday
when the London dock charge bill will
he cOnsiuered. There were two hours OF
discussion on the commission bill. dur
ing which the presidents course in Gre
atiag the commission was highly COM
nended except by Mr.. Benton, Mis-
ssuri democrat, who cOntended that the
commission was created without au-
| thority of law or constitution. Their
y was some criticism of the feature of thu
bill allowing double salaries to members
Of the commission now in government
employ and because the bill left the
amount of the compensation OF the
members to the president. But all
amendments were voted down and the
bill was passed without division.
Before the discussion began, Mr..
Gaines. of Tennessee, stated that he
desired to offer an amendment. The
chair having rule-i that amendments
were not in order Ut this time.
Mr.. Cannon, in charge of the bill.
agreed that the amendment should by
read for information. 1t proved to be
an amendment to place anthracite coal
or the free list.
Il presume the ele .enth command
ment might also be read, remarked Mr..
Cannon sententiously, who proceeded to
bill. It'showed on its face what it was.
: 1t merely provided for the payment OF
the expenses of the cOai strike commits
sion.
MI Benton of Missouri, Il member of
the appropriations COMMITTEES, to whom
Mr. Cannon yielded. declared that he
could not support the bill. AS an orisI-
nal proposition containing authority for
the creation of a commission to settle
the coal strike, it would, he said. have
received his support. But this bill pro-
posed to place in the presidents hands
S5O.UUYtor the payment of the expenses
OF commission for which there was no
authority statutory or constitutional.
The president, he said, had no legal au-
thoritv for the creation of the commits
sion If he could appoint commission
TO settle the coal strike without law.
he could appoint commission To settle
our commercial, or trade relations with
Germany or any other sort of commits
sion that seemed good to him.
Il know" said he. that TO refer -
j the constitution is to place myself Il
the role of a back number Neverthe
less do have respect for the constitu
ton and the laws and 1 do not approve
Of this sort of proceeding"
DO you think the president should
have waited until congress enaT:ed =
law for the creation Of commission
asked Mr.. Hemenway, OF Indiana.
DeueEe 1t was UNLAWFUL the
president to act as he did, replied Mr.
Benton, who proceeded to say that his
second objection to the bill was that =
placed $4,000 in the presidents hand
without any limitation whatever.
Mr.. Livingston, of Georgia, and M.
Underwood. of Alabama, supported the
bill although they agreed that the pres
idents action was irregular.
:. Mr. Bartlett, of Georgia, said th'
Erpresident had acted patriotically. n.
Ss,ochran, of Missouri, Mr.. Feeley, of IL
kinois, Mr. Gaines, of Tennessee, an2
fMr. Haddox. of Georgia, endorsed the
Z action of the president
Mr. Cannon, in charge of the bill, ar
SS,ed that it should pass in the form in
which it was presented. If the presi-
dents action had been without author
ity of law or constitution. Mr.. Cannon
said, it had been taken in response 70
an overwhelming public sentiment. "I
simetimes think" said he, that just
and right righteous public sentiment
h coming up from the whole country of
80, 00e, 900 people which begets action is
for the express purpose it represents
larger than the constitution
The bill was then passed without cj-
vision, although there were several dis
senting voices IN The democratic SIDE
The house adjourned uE.ll Friday.