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Show IN CONGRESS TODAY Teller Calls on the President for Information In-formation Regarding- the Talked of Silver Conference. He Then Has a Few Words to Say on the Chinese Exclusion Bill and Blair's Rejection. THERIGHTSOF ALL NATIONS To Repudiate a Treaty Whenever It Shall Have Become Incompanible With the Public Iuterest. SENATOR PLATT NAILS ONE He Never Announced Himself as in Favor of Statehood for Utah Nor Did He Ever Criticise Governor Thomas Other Washington News. "Washington, April 23. In the senats, after af-ter the routine morning business, Teller offered of-fered a resolution requesting the president to inform the senate what steps if any had been taken towards securing an international conference to consider the question of the free coinage of silver at the mints of the nations na-tions participating in such a conference or as to the enlarged use of silver in the currency cur-rency of such countries; also to transmit copies of all correspondence between the United States and the governments expected to participate in the proceedings of such an international conference. Sherman suggested the insertion of the words: "If not incompatible with the public interests." Teller agreed to the suKsestion, although he did not, lie said, see how such a publication could hurt the public interests. The resolution as modified was agreed to. Call offered a resolution (which went over without action) for the appointment of a committee of nine senators to inquire into the present vaiue per mile of the railways of the United States, their present capitalization capital-ization and the difference between such capitalization and the actual cost of construction and equipment; their gross and net receipts; the number and compensation com-pensation of their employes; their amount of indebtedness and the capital stocks and amounts of bonds and stock held by the siockholders and bondholders, distinguishing distinguish-ing between home and, foreign holders. Hoar asked and obtained leave of absence from and after Monday next for the remainder remain-der of the session. It is understood that Hoar's purpose is to make a trip to Europe to consult with the most distinguished 1 specialists on eye diseases. The Chinese exclusion bill was then taken up and Teller addressed the senate. There could not be, he said, any dispute touching the rejection of the United States minister to China. It was an elementary principle of international law that a minister must serve as such with the consent of both nations. Both nations had to consent before he could be minister in other words he must be received re-ceived as well as sent. He therefore had no fault to find with the Chinese government because it rejected B'air. It lnd a right to reject him, even on absolutely false premises and without any premises whatever. Coming to the question of the abrogation of the treaties, he said every nation which agreed with another nation, did so with the understanding it might retire from it at any time it saw lit, and it might do so notwithstanding notwith-standing the fact that there was a provision in the treaty that it should continue for a limited period of time. Legislation by a national na-tional legislature would set aside any treaty inconsistent with it. Morrill while inclined to believe that congress con-gress had power to pass a law superseding the treaty asked Teller whether he thought other nations had the same power. Teller thought he had stated explicitly thut all nations na-tions had that power and said he would have a very poor opinion of a nation which would surrender that aight. Assistant Secretary Bussey appeared before be-fore the Raum investigating committee to answer tho assault made upon him by Du-gan. Du-gan. Bussey said that his failure in New Orleans wa brought about by the disastrous disas-trous panic of 1873. He settled with his creditors at 25 cents on the dollar, but in less than a year paid them in full. Bussey then read the endorsement of the most prominent men in New Orleans without regard re-gard to partv, which he had received when an applicant for the position of collector. The committee were so much impressed by Bussey's statement that Dugan's testimony was stricken from the record. Senator Piatt denies most emphatically the statements attributed to him, that he had expressed himself as favoring the admission of Utah as a state, or that he has criticised Governor Thomas for vetoing the World's fair bill. "No one," he said, "has any right to state that I either favor or oppose the admission ad-mission of any territory into the Union. It would be inconsistent with my position as chairman of the committee on territories vhat I should do so, and you may deny flat-footed flat-footed any statement which asserts that I have expressed myself either on this subject or that of the World's fair bill." Representative Sryan asked the house committee on appropriations to grant a hearing to a committee from the Grand Army posts in Nebraska in opposition to the appropriation of $100,000 for the entertainment entertain-ment of the members of the Grand Army at the encampment at "Washington. The hearing hear-ing will be accorded. Senator Paddock introduced six petitions signed by citizens of Salt Lake, praying that, if any disposition be made of the prop-erty'of prop-erty'of the Woman's Industrial Christian home, that it be set aside as a soldiers' home for disabled soldiers and sailors. Representative Perkins of Iowa, the leader of the minority of the committee on territories, terri-tories, has received a protest from the ministerial minis-terial association of Utah, in which the signers sign-ers take stronjf ground against either the Caine-Faulkner or the Teller bills. The house committee on postofHces and postroads has ordered favorably reported the bill consolidating third and fourth-class matter mat-ter under the head of third class, and fixing the rate of postage at one cent for each two ounces or fraction thereof. Secretary Noble has affirmed the decision of the commissioner la the railroad grant homestead entry case of James N. Davis vs. The Northern Pacific railroad, from Lewis- ton, Ida., directing that the Davis entry be cancelled. The treasury department yesterday purchased purch-ased 595,000 ounces of silver at $S70.9 0.S797. . |