The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-01-20
Should Be Built Regardless of
 Time or Expense
.QUARLES DEFENDS PRESIDENT
Patterson Follows Him. and Says se- cession of Panama Was an Atro- clous crlme-Has coIoquy
 With Mir. Spooner.

Washington January 19.-The senate re- quired less than minute today to dispose of the motion to refer to the committee on postoffices the various resolutions look ing to an investigation of the postotfice department The question had been pre- viously debated for hours at a time, but when the motion was put today no Sena- tor manifested any disposition to further discuss 1t, and it was adopted without negative vote.
 The adoption of the motion occurred early in the day, and after the passage of a half dozen bills the senate returned to the consideration of the Panama ques- ton.
 MT Quarels spoke for almost two hours in support of the course of the administra- tion, and was followed by MT. Patterson, who criticized the Presidents course in Panama.
 Mr. Quarels declared the revolt of Pan- anna in the interest of the canal to be the first movement on the isthmus for the promotion of the rights of civilization for the past one hundred years.
 Advocates Sea-LeveI Canal.
 Concluding, MT. Quarles announced his advocacy of a sea-level canal, saying he thought that such canal should be con- structed regardless of the time required in construction or the expense to be in cured
 MT. Patterson said the secession of Pan- anna was an atrocious crime. He recalled disturbances in the United States, among them the Chicago strike of the last de- cade.
 MT. Spooner interrupted and said that the course of President Cleveland in send- ing troops to quell the riot had been con- demned by the democratic convention Of 1896.
 MT. Daniel took exception to the re- mark holding that those who hal taken that view of the platform had miscon- strued 1t.
 Right of Transit Across lsthmus.
 Mir. Patterson engaged in a coloquy with Mir. Spooner as to the extent of the grant made by Colombia to the United States of the right of transit across the isthmus.
 A4. Spooner said 1t was a right and a grant of sovereignty, and that In return the United States had undertaken to maintain neutrality on the whole isthmus. This obligation had, he argued, descend ed to Panama.
 tThe senator's contention then is this,' said MT. Patterson, that this country yielded the right to maintain its own sov- erelgnty over its own terrtory?"
 "Yes. responded MT. Spooner, senti- tiously.
 Tt is too absurd" Mr Patterson went on. flor the senator from Wisconsin to believe for a moment"
 The senate adjourned until tomorrow.
 THE HOUSE.
 Washington, January 19.-The house to- day considered the Hepburn pure-food bill, but did not complete it. When the house was ready to adjourn, on motion of MT. Hepburn, recess was taken un- til 1:55 tomorrow morning. This course will retain the bill before the house with out interruption for consideration tomor- row.
 When the house convened MT. Hep burn, republican, of Iowa, chairman of the committee on interstate and foreign commerce asked unanimous consent for the consideration of the pure-food bill, but objection was made by MT. Smith, democrat, of Kentucky.
 The house then proceeded with the call of committees.
 At the conclusion of the call, the Hep burn pure-food bill was taken up in com mittee of the whole. and MT. Mann re. publican. of Illinois, in charge of the bill, opened debate. It was agreed that there should be four hours debate.
 Array of Bottles and Jars.
 Upon Mann's desk was an array of bot trfp serves, to which he referred as he pro- ceeded. The bill he said, practically was the same that passed at the last session, and it had the approval of government officials.
 Holding up one bottle he said the bill proposed to shut out those articles which contain foreign substances for coloring or preserving.
 Mir. Adamson. democrat of PennsyI- vania speaking in opposition to the bill, said such legislation was unnecessary, as local communities had ample power to correct evils.
 MT. Shackelford democrat, of Massa- chusetts while favoring much contained in the measure opposed certain features, and he said he was opposed to legislation which would give government official power to fix the standard and say what was wholesome and what was unwhole- some foOd.
 MT. Sherely, democrat, of Kentucky, questioned MT. Mann as to whether the bill prevented blends in whiskies.
 Not if the fact Is stated on the label was the reply.
 MT. Mann gave the same answer to MT. Bartholdt. republican of Missouri. who asked if it would prevent the manufac- ture of beer from corn
 Mir. Richardson. democrat, of Alabama, spoke in favor of the measure.
 Bill Is Too Radical.
 Mir. Clark, democrat of Missouri op- posed the bill on the ground that it was too radical He was in sympathy, he said, with the object sought, but believed the present bill should be modified, espe- cially the sections pertaining to the acqui- sition of samples, which, he said. required a man to furnish evidence against him. self. which was unconstitutional.
 Mir Sherely, democrat, of Kentucky op- posed the bill as a usurpation of state rights and hindrance to interstate com merce
 MT. Stanley, democrat, of Kentucky fav- pred the bill and controverted the argu- ment of MT Clark that the measure was unconstitutional.
 An argument which met with the en- thusiastic applause of the minority sids-