The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-01-07
S0L0NS ASSEMBLE
Work of Congress Resumed
After the Holiday Recess.
PANAMA QUESTION is UP
Special Message, in Compliance with
Hoar Resolution, is Read in Sen.
ate-House Minus Quorum a.
No Business Transacted. '.'

ate-House Minus Quorum .
No Business Transacted.
A Washington special says: Con-
gress re-assembled Monday after the
holiday recess.
The senate's session was devoted
entirely to the Panama situation.
After President Roosevelt's message
on this subject was. read, discussion
continued throughout the day, speech
es being made both in defense and
against the policy which had been
pursued.
Rev. Edward Everett Hale, the new
chaplain for the senate, created a
sensation in black silk gown while
he delivered the morning prayer. The
unusual attire caused such commo-
tion' among the visitors in the gal
leries that Sergeant-at-Arms hansden,
after the prayer, made the disting ga1ish-
ed minister tske it of. = :: ., - .:
There had been eepsiderabls' Inter.
I, est manifested in Br: Hale's election
ras chaplain, and most Of the visitors
to the senate chamber were there fol
the sole purpose Of seeing him. :, :.
| The: reading of the presidents mes
! sage was followed much more closely
+ BY senators than Is usual. simulta-
Fneouslyf with. the beginning Of the
work of the. reading clerk, printed
copies 1of the message are placed upon
| the desks cf members, land: the usual
proceeding isTfqr;.the formal reading
to proceed while senators attend to
} their correspondence or. 60 to commit
! tee rooms, the printed copies being
! laid aside to be read later: In this
instance, however, there was practf-
cally full attendance, the words OF
the clerks, who took turns at reading
the message, being closely followed.
In the comment upon the message.
which was heard afterward, the re-
puhicans generally praised it as a
complete answer to the questions
that have been asked by Senator .Hoa1r
and some Of the democrats, declaring
the message a great document. The
democratic senators, as a rule, de-
clined to give any expression, saying
they preferred to study it closely. II
The outside opinion Is that the pres
ident has made out a good case so far
as concerns the insinuations that the
J. officials Of the state department, and,
perhaps, the war and navy depart
ments, were in possession of inside m
! formation concerning what was to be
expected upon the isthmus informa'
ton smacking of completely: That
the United States and the rest OF the
world, for that matter, had Leen put
On notice, openly and above board; as
to what might be expected If the
treaty failed at Bogota, is clearly
shown. There ara, however, some
features OF the message which may
be discussed at length when the treaty
gets before the senate in executive
session, and perhaps, n open session.
The presidents. contention that
that provision OF the Spconer act
which provides tor the consideration
Of the Nicaraguan route Is no. longer
operative does not meet with any
thing like unanimous approval; and
some of the best lawyers on cthe re-
publican side are understood to dis
agree with the president s. view from
a purely legal standpoint, though they
will. of course support the treaty: :
When the house was called to order
Mr.. Hay (dem., .va.), offered a privi-
legged resolution reciting charges made
against members Of congress in the
Bristow report and calling for an In:
vestigation. = :. ... ~;
Mr.. Gardner IN. J.) made the point
of order that the resolution was not
privileged, but was overruled by the
chairman. Mr.. Payne wanted to move
to refer the resolution to the commit
tee on .postoffice and post roads,. but
as it was out of order, expressed the
hope that the previous question would
be vote ddown. ."rs.,s-.... 80,
On a roll-call the vote was 7S to 78,
no quorum, and at 1875 the house ad-
journed.