Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1893 — FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS.

In the Senate, Wednesday, a spirited discussion of the Hawaiian matter occupied the time. Mr. Hoar spoke in support of his resolution of the previous day. He said that the President's message, if it meant anything, meant that the President was meditating the question whether he should by his own executive authority commit an act of war against a friendly power. The President was falling into the habit of using extraordinary language. Mr. Mills opposed the resolution. He denied that the President meditated an act of war. Mr. Mills asserted that the entire Hawaiian difficulty had arisen because the sugar planters wanted to obtain the bounty on sugar to be paid to them out Of the pockets of American citizens. It was not in the President’s power, continued Mr. Mills, to wage war against Hawaii, and he had not claimed that it was within his power Mr Vilas opposed the resolution. Mr. Aldrich of Rhode Island asked Mr. Vilas why the President should •*$ take the public into confidence, but the Wisconsin Senator declined to bo diverted by such question. Mr. Vilas said that Mr. Hoar was beggifig the question. Mr. Hoar then continued, saying thatlthe Queen yielded to armed insurrection and not to the American troops. Mr. Hill said he did not propose to cross the b-’dgo till he got to it, but that he would for ouco agree with the Senator from Massachusetts. He favored the resolution, and thought the Senate should have all the information obtainable on the subject. Mr. Sherman spoke in favor of the resolution. Mr. Gray of Delaware also favored the motion. Mr. Frye of Maine spoke of the high character of ex-Minister Stevens, snd declared his readiness to defend him against any attacks. Mr. Call closed the debate. Resolution was then adopted without division. After a short executive session the Senate adjourned. In the House, Wednesday, a motion prevailed permitting Col. Mills, of the U. S. Cavalry, to act as a commissioner to determine boundary line disputes between the United States and Mexico, Gen. Grosvenor asked consent for ’he consideration of a resolution instructing the Secretary of the Interior to furnish the grounds upon which some nineteen hundred pensioners in the State of Ohio were suspended from the pension rolls subsequent to July 4,1893. Mr. Outhwaite said he had introduced a resolution looking to the same end on Monday, and asked to have the Grosvenor resolution referred with it to the committee on pensions. It was so referred. The Senate amendment to the resolution appropriating $50,000 to carry out the provisions of the Chinese exclusion as as extended, was agreed to. At 1:10 the exercises in connection with the unveiling of the Shields statue began and the House adjourned. In the Senate, Thursday,the proceedings were without interest. Mr. Morrill offered a resolution that all parts of the Presi* dent’s message referring to tariff, income tax and internal revenae b i referred to the committee on finance, ' and gave notice that he would address the Senate thereon next Wednesday. Mr. Hill gave notice that he would call up the bill to repeal the federal election laws next Monday. In reply to a question by Mr. Chandler, Mr. Hill said there was no written report accompanying the bill reported by him, as the reasons for its passage were self-evi-dent. A number of unimportant bills and resolutions were introduced after which the Senate adjourned. In the House, Thurday.the resolution for additional clerical force aroused opposition but was passed. At the expiration of the morning hour the House went into committee of the whole to consider bankruptcy bill. Mr. Bailey spoke against the bill. Col. Oates closed the general debate for the advocates of the measure. He did not believe any party opposed the foreclosure of mortgages, or inveighed against the auction block when resorted to under due process of law, or sought to evade the payment of any sort of just obligation when it fell due. Thero were no privileged classoi in this country—debtor or creditor. This was a mild and humane bill. Mr. Oates spoke an hour and a half. At the conclusion of his speech the committee rose and, at 5 p. m., the House adjourned. 2ln the House, Friday, the bill for the admission of Utah was called up. Mr. Dingley raised the point of no quorum, Republicans refused to vote in order to break the quorum. Filibustering tactics consumed the morning hour. The House then went into committee of the whole on the bankruptcy bill, and after much parliamentary wrangling a vote was reached to strike out the enacting clause and the bill was killed—yeas 142, nays 111. Ten Indiana members voted with the majority. The House immediately adjourned til) Monday.