The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-03-14
THE RESOLUTION PROVIDING THEREFOR
BY POPULAR VOTE.
LIVELY DEBATE IN THE SENATE
ever Attempt to Find Out When the
Committee Will Report-Senator
Mallory Makes n Vigorous Speech
D. Opposition to Ship Subsidy Bill.
cussiOn OF an Appropriation Bill.
Attack on Secretary Hay for Of
feiaI Bias Against the BOers-De-
tended by Mr. Hit.

Washington. March 11.-For several
hours today, the senate had the ship
subsidy bill under consideration. Sen
ator Mallory, OF Florida. made an ex-
tended speech in opposition to the
measure.
Prior to consideration of the subsidy
measure a lively debate occurred over
an effort on the part of Senator Berry,
Of Arkansas, to ascertain when the
committee on privileges and elections
might be expected to report to the
senate the resolution providing for the
election of senators by direct vote of
the people.
Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts,, in
dicated his vigorous opposition to suct
a resolution. on the ground that. it
would subvert the fundamental princi-
pie upon which the senate was found
ed
Senator Burrows, chairman Of the
committee on privileges and elections
said the committee would take action
on the resolution in time to get a vote
on it at this session.
Senator Mallory said in it's ultimate
analysis the ship subsidy bill was
measure to take the money of the tax
payers to build up the private business
of individuals and corporations. Re-
ferring to Senator Frye's argument in
support of the establishment of an
auxiliary navy for which the pending
bill provides, he did not believe there
was sufficient justification for the ex-
traordinary expenditure proposed by
the bill. In event of q war between
the United States and Great Britain,
France, Germany. Russia or any other
great marine power. this country
would find itself in Il very different
situation from that which it was in
during the Spanish war. The proposed
auxiliary cruisers would not be left. to
Scour the seas, because it was the
policy of all the nations named now to
build war vessels which could easily
overtake any one of the ships which
by the pending bill would become
part of the naval auxiliary fleet.
Senator Mallory contended that the
proposition to give subsidies to great
carrying vessels would accomplish lit
tie in aid of commerce because a ma
jority of the ports of this country and
in South America were SO shallow that
vessels of "a draft greater than twenty
three feet could not enter them.
After analyzing at length the provis-
ions of the measure. Senator Mallory
declared:
Congress never in it's history passed
a measure of this character. 1t has
passed many laws to advance private
gain under the pretense of public policy
but never ons9 SO absolutely bald and
bold in its Advancement of private pur-
poses as this measure
Senator Frye referred to the fact that
it had been claimed that the clause in
n - ).
ment to the owner Or owners of any
vessel of the United States duly reg
Lstered by citizen of the United
States would place under the provis-
ions of the bill the four ships that had
been admitted to an American register.
He therefore submitted an amendment,
which was adopted, making the clause
read: Hereafter built and registered
in the United States or now duly reg
istered d"
House OF Representatives.
The house today entered upon the
consideration of the postoffice appro-
priation bill but. as usual during the
general debate on an appropriation bill
the members who spoke devoted them.
selves to everything except the bill be-
fore the house. Earlier in the day Mr.
Thayer. OF Massachusetts, attempted tC
take advantage Of the division among
thS Ou Tic ouDJSIl VI EeCl-
procity by bringing forward a resolu.
tion to investigate the reports that the
sugar trust would be the chief benefi-
ciary of Cuban reciprocity; that it wa!
subsidizing newspapers, establishing
literary bureaus and in other ways at
tempting to create public sentiment il
favor OF Cuban reciprocity.
A point Of order against the resolution
was sustained by the speaker. Mr.
Thayer appealed from the decision an
his appeal was laid on the table-125 I,
81. the republicans voting solidly in tn,
affirmative. while two democrats
Aessrs. Fleming. Of Georgia, and Nc
republicans.
The feature OF the day was a speecl
by Mr.. Burleson. attacking Secretar.
Hay for declining to request the Britis.
authorities to furnish passports to g
through the British lines To Rev. Hiram
II. Thomas and wife who desire to g
to South Africa to distribute Boer re
lief funds collected in Illinois
Mr. Burleson sent to the clerks desl
and had read a letter from Jonn q
Knight who came to washington r
secure the passports for DR.. Thoma
and wife. Mr.. Knight in the letter sta,
ed that the funds were collected in re
sponse to an appeal by Governor Yate:
He had gone to Secretary Hay, the let
ter said. with letter from Senator Cul
lom. and the secretary of state, accord
ing to the letter. had declined to max
II the request of Lord Pauncefote on TN
ground that such a request would
considered ''meddlesome" and
"remissness of neutrality and agains
the views of President Roosevelt.
If the facts stated in this letter wer
true, said Mr.. Burleson. then the stat
department was so saturated with pro
British spirit that it could no longer re
spond to the common dictates of hl
manity when made in behalf Of Boe
women and children"
Mr.. Burleson said that under date {
March 4th another appeal had gon