Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-04
FINDS ONLY DOBLIN GUILTY
Bribery 'Oommittes Erousrates Lesser,
Quigg and Holland Boat People.
PANAMA rREATYs REPORTED TO SENATE
TaIk OF Compromise on
Statehood Matter by Fixing Def
Unite Time for Admission
of All Territories.

the Lessler bribery charges. A minority
report, signed by Representatives Kitchen
dem, N. c., vandiver (dem., MOI and
Roberts (rep., Mass.), also was submitted.
On the final vote for the adoption Of the
report as a whole Representative Kitchen
IN. c., Mudd (Md) and Roberts (Mass)
voted in favor and Representative Vandiver
(Mo.) voted in the-negative.
There was a desire on the part OF some
to make the findings more sweeping.
The majority report, after ~reciting the
resolution directing the naval AFFAIRS COM
mittee to investigate the charges, briefly
cites the alleged attempt Of Doblin to cor
ruptly influence Mr.. Lessler and then
quotes the law making 1t an offense to
make any corrupt proposal TO any member
of either house Of congress.
The report continues:
A witness sworn by the chairman as in
this case. who states any material matter
which he does not believe TO be true before
investigation under authority of the house,
commits perjury and is liable to punish
ment therefor under section 1892.
In conclusion the report says:
Your committee has most carefully heard
and considered the testimony taken before
1t and upon the same has come to the
following conclusions:
l. That the charge made by Mr.. Lessler
that IN attempt had been made to cor
ruptly influence his action respecting pro-
posed legislation Is sustained by the evil
dence; such attempt, in the opinion of the
Philip Doblin, on his own initiative and
respOnsitbilitSj with the idea Of e making ms
Lessler c%orruptly app~roachable.
q That there is no evidence to sustain
Quisg to corruptly influence a member of
the committee on naval affairs respecting
proposed legislation pending before said
committee and the house!
8. That. there is no evidence to sustain
the charge of an attempt by the Holland
Submarine Boat company or any Of It's
agents to ~corruptly influence a member OF
the committee on naval affairs respecting
legislation before said committee and the
house.
4. In view of the foregoing we recon-
mended that the clerk Of the committee be
directed to certify to the attorney general
mony taken at the hearing, with the re-
quest that he take such action as the law
and facts warrant.
The minority report then States the cir
cumstances of the investigation and sub.
mits the conclusions of the minority, the
first of which is as follows:
/. That the charge that an attempt was
made to corruptly influence a member OF
the committee on naval AFFAIRS respecting
proposed legislation pending before the
house is not sustained.
Nv AlO y hAANl0 Will ~ laJOAA
only in its first conclusion. In other re.
spects the conclusions are identical.
The committee, having concluded It's re.
port, then resumed consideration of the
naval appropriation bill. A vote was takeI
on the proposition to authorize the pur'
chase of five submarine boats, six voting
in the affirmative and nine IN the negative
Another motion, to authorize the secretary
Of the navy in his discretion to purchase
submarine boats, was lost by a vote o
to Z. The committee practically com.
pleted its work on the appropriation bill
today. '
Panama Treaty Reported.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 3.--The senate com.
mittee on foreign relations today agreed
to report favorably the treaty with Colon
bia for building an isthmian canal.
The agreement to report the treaty wal
reached after three or four sittings devoted
in the main to hearing Senator Morgan't
objection to the document in It's presen
shape. He had not concluded when the yot'
to report was taken today but he an
nounced that he would be willing to trans
fer the discussion to the floor of the sen.
ate. his was in accordance with a sug
gestion made by Senator Cullom, Chairman
Of the committee. .-
Only two senators-Morgan and Bacon
voted against 1t. Senator Bacon announces
that his opposition was TO the time of re
porting, and not to the treaty itself. H,
said he was favorable to the treaty as |
stands and would vote for It, but he be
lieved hat II should not be reported until
consideration In committee should be thor
oughly exhausted. ..t. -f.
The committee recommends the ratiica
tion Of the treaty, without amendment
Senator Cullom says he has formed n,
plans for calling it up in the senate.
The treaty was later reported In execu
tive session by Senator Cullom Qll.), chair
r man OF the committee on foreign relations
He did not make any effort to secure con
sidsration. @
/, Senator Morgan offered In the senate tn
amendment he had offered in committee.
was ordered printed without being read.
abIne Awards Naval Contracts.
At the cabinet meeting today 1t was de
cided to award the contracts for the con
struction OF the new cruisers to the Cramp
Ship Building company and the New Yor1
9 Ship Building company at the minimum
price o: S4,OS5, 900.
. May Compromise on Statehood.
e There was again today talk about tn
s senate of the possibility OF a compromis
e on the statehood proposition. A suggestion
which appears TO meet with some favor o.
d both sides is that the two territories o
t Oklahoma and New Mexico be admitted a
states and that Arizona be united with Ne'
Mexico until the area now covered by tina
territory includes 800, 900 people, when 1
shall become a state; that Oklahoma be ad
mitted as it now stands, but that at som
definite time in the future Indian Terri
tory should be added to 1t.
Would Probe Hague spots.
v A bill was introduced by Representativ
2 Slayden (Tex.) providing:
: That to prevent the spread OF the buboni
, plague now prevailing on the Pacific coas
OF Mexico, the president is authorized an
I directed to send a commission or. TIRE
5 medical officers OF the army and navy. I
investigate and report the conditions as I
the disease there prevalent.
The bill carries an appropriation Of $50,
Z. 900 TO aid the Mexican authorities In thei
efforts to stamp out the plague and to pre-
- vent its spread to the United States.
a Colombian Minister Resigns.
d Charles b, Hart, United States ministe
n to Colombia, has resigned that office and 4
II. Beauprs. the present secretary of lega
d tion at Bogota. has been appointed ministe
l to succeed him.
a D.. W. NNHaN.AA -