The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-20
.C.RITIClSES
PRESIDENT
Senator Pettis Makes Speech i'll
the Senate on the Panama
Situation.
II .-..-----------------. !.
ADJOURNMENT FOR HOLIDAYS.
In Ho,'se Resolution is Agreed
to Requesting Papers in Con-
iiection With Postoffice.
ADJOURNMENT DO ] i FOR HOLIDAYS
(BySAssoclated Press.>

By{ Associated Press) 81,
WASHINGTON, .. c., Dec. 1o.-Aftei
o session OF two and a quarter hours, tht
Senate to-day adjourned until January
4th. lTo-day's sitting was devoted largely
to speech by Mr.. Pettus. OF Alabama
on tho Situation in Panama, III which hi
took the position that the recognition 81
no republic Of Panama by the United
States had been premature and OF such
q character as to render It Of doubtful
appearance.
Senator German sought, but failed, to
secure an order upon the Post,Alster-
General directing him to send To the sen.
ate the fun record OF tho Postofflce DO.
lartment. His resolution to this effect
was defeated for the time by an objoo-
ton from Mr.. Quay.
Ihe, Al organ resolution, offered yoster-
loy was laid before the Senate, ana MIR.
Pettus said that If Panama was III, lii
dependent nation It was Important to
know whether It was legitimately such.
Was IT., he asked, 'legltimately
brought into being, or was It unlawfully
and untimely Ripped from tho mothers
wOmh7' mi
lie said It was Important to know
whether the participation OF the United
Staten In the birth Of the new nation
had been Of a character to tarnsh the
homer ofHths country
God forbid!" he exclaimed, shat this
giant republic of ours should over become
100 great to maintain Its own honor
Mr.. Pettus announced It to be his pur-
pose to confiie his consideration to the
legal aspects Of the case adding that IL
the recItals should prove severe reflec-
ton upon the administration the fault
must be attributed to the law and not
to himself, He quoted authorities to show
that de facto governments should only
be ecognized when established and do
clared that such law was a severe COM
n!entary upon what the United States
has been. doing In Panama. No logic,
Re said, could be sufficien. to defend an
act
i Mr.. Pettus commended that II the United
States should take the canal property In
Panama, we should pay part If Colom-
bias public debt, yet he feared that this
would not be done. even though, de-
nanded by common law and ordinary
Gecency. He also declared that Colom-
bia had right to reject It's treaty with
the United States If It so desired. Flo
asserted that one brigade Of regular
United States troops would be sufficient
to- cope with the entire force OF Coloni-
tia. but surely. he said, the great power
given us. by the Master was not to be
used by us like a bully.
I'Whcnever," he added, a.'the nation gets |
too large too betjust, itiiwill be too large
TO be respected BY Its own. citlzens.i
/ lie declared that war against Colomb ln
had already been pra ctically waged, but
argued that no other authority than Con-
gress could assume this res I,nsibility.
After an executive session the Senate
adjourned until January 4, 1904 I
The House.
WASHINGTON, D. c., December 49,
The House, after being in session ii half
an hour to-day. adjourned for the holiday
recess A resolution was agreed to by
which the /. Postmaster General was re-
quested to forward to the House the pn.
pers In connection with the recent post
office investiga ton.
the Committee on Expenditures In the
Postofflce Department Of which Mr..
Warner Is chairman. to request the pa
pers, was vacated, the Speaker having
that careful count of the |
vote on which the previous question was
ordered yesterday on the motion of MI.
to agree to the resolution authoi-
Izlng his committee to request tho pa.
pers, showed that with the Speakers
own vote the final vote was a tie--107 to
l07-and the previous question had not
been ordered. Mr.. Williams. the minority
leader then offered substitute resolu-
ton. providing that the papers come d.
rect to the House. instead Of to q com
mlttee. which was agreed to without OPP
position Mr., Payne Republican. New
York;, suggesting. after Mr., Williams had
spoken, that the resolution would re-
,elvc the unanimous vote Of the House
without further discussion,
Mn TOuhor1 f1Oan0rrat MfSSOurl1 n
member OF tho Postoffice Committee.
spoke for that committee. saying the
chairman. Mr.. Overstreet, had suggested
he widest publicity to the papers re-
,eived from the department
Mr. Williams, addressing Mr.. Cowherd.
said; II want to suggest to the gentle-
nan that It has been eported, as shown
,aparte and Conrad. that certain things
aad been covered up; especially In con-
lection with Mr. Heath" Mr., Cowherd
,epl,ed 81 think the gentleman from Mis-
,isslppi misunderstands the report ! un-
lerstand tho report OF MessTs. conrad
IND Bonaparte to be on the ACTON OF
he Postoftice Department OF we Iulloch
lttempt to cover up something In re-
rard to Mr.. Heath. do not understand
hat report 10 say that the report OF
Fourth Assistant Postmaster,Genera!
3ristow, as printed, covering ABOUT 4N
,nges, was In any way an altonipt. 20
,over UP anything about tnat se y - th
Gentleman viii examine that report ne
Nh see that the covering up referred 70
vns thn act of the enthusiastically
n refusing to Investigate the Iulloch
Executive Session.