Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-11
The NATIONAL CAPITAL.
SUMMARY or Facr AND GOSSIP.
dhe Twav With spain Hewttfs Views
Riddiebener aud sieCusloch-Thc wise-
Massey CASE.

OF the new commercial treaty with Domi.
the treaty with Hawaii, which IL soon TO
expire. To-day the treaties with Spain
in regard 10 Cuba and Poto Rico.
and with Nicaragua. with reference to
the canal concession. as well rs for more
intimate commercial relations, were trans
miticd 10 The Senate, with recommends
ton TINT the senate direct The publication
OF tie Spanish treaty at once, 50 that the
public may judge Of rs merits or dement's
from the Cocumen, Itself. II Is claimed
that none Of the published accounts o! the
Spanish treaty are correct. and Its friends
saw that q careful consideration OF the effect
of what its provisions will accomplish win
remove much OF the opposition which Is
now made to rs ratification. II Is the inten-
tion Of many senator's not only 10 ask for the
publication Of the treaty at once, but also
20 insist that tho debate upon ITS provisions
and the final vote upon its ratification he
held In ovCI instead Of secret session.
While the Mexican treaty was being dis
cussGd in the Senate at the last session OF
Congress Senator Van Wyck offered a reso-
luton in open session that the debates
upon The treaty should be held in public,
but the proposition itself 80 shocked the
dignity of the other senators that they inn
mediately went into executive session for
the purpose Of voting dow6 the lrreverent
innovation.
COMMERCIAL TREATIES AND SECRET SESSIONS.
In conversation the night after this oc-
CURED, Senator Van Wyck said he dad not
see why commercial treaties should not be
discussed i'm open session, but he did not
think the Senate would ever consent 10 IT..
..Tbis thing Of secret executive sessions"
lie said. j. something that no one else has
cot. and the senators do not want 10 give 1t
up." Sine. that time, in view OF the fact
that none Oi these treaties can 20 into elect
without the sanction OF the House, some
of the senators have changed their minds.
Senator Harrison. OF Indiana, among
others. is ia favor Of open sessions upon
this treaty. ami 1t Is barely possible that
majority will agree 10 a change OF the rules
Of the senate so as to give publicity to the
debates.
IIEwIIT's VIEWS.
Mr.. 4. :. Hewitt. Of New York, says
that the Spanish treaty has injured the
prospects Of The passage by the House OF
the bill TO carry the Mexican treaty into ef-
feet. He says there is no similarity be-
tween the two measures. The treaty with
Mexico provides for free exchange OF GER
tain products upon equal terms, aud Is The
first step towards entire freedom OF COM
mercial intercourse between the two coun-
tries. such ~ exists between the various
states Of the Union. on the other hand,
the treaty with SPAN proposes to fix the
rate OF duty upon certain articles, and to
remove IL entirely upon others. He had
not examined il closely. hut at first sight u
looked 10 him like bad bargain. In
The first place, we RENTED the duty
on sugar, amounting 10 about S2j,OOD,OOO
annually. which was almost equivalent TO
making a present OF that amount TO cuba,
for he did not think our sugar would be
much cheaper under the treaty than now.
A. it, Irce is fixed by the market OF the
world. OuI exports now 20 CUBA are
ahOut Sli COO 600 a year. Even II we d0u-
hied the amount it would scarcely equal
the remission OF duties upon sugar. This
remission IN two years would amount to
almost enough TO buy the whole island.
He believed Spain would sell Cuba Tor
500 0OO 600, and then we could have free
trade with the island IN everything, just
the sane As with our other Territories.
RlpDIEBEEGER AND M'CULL0CH.
There Is a very general feeling among
Democratic senators rs well as among Re-
publicans that Senator Riddeberger has ill.,
jurcd himself by his persistent opposition
TO the confirmation OF Secretary-Of-the-
Treasury McCulOcb. IL Is thought that
the real ground for the fight the Virginia
Senator is making il not so much the action
Of Mr.. McCulloch while Secretary of the
Treasury as his authorship OF the McCGl-
oh TI.ra il Houhf QbnIt tlp
confirmation: but even If he were not con-
iirmed. il would make little difference so
long a. the senate refuses TO act, because
his term Of Office expires upon the 4th OF
March. and he would remain in Office until
The close Of the session bv virtue OF his
original appointment. unless absolutely re-
iecied by the Senate.
PERSONAL.
Hon. John l.. Massey has been here for
several days trying 10 renew his contest for
the seat now held by Hon. John :. Wise ~
representative from the State 40 large. \
resolution was reported on the Both Oi June
last from the Committee on Elections by
NJ Elliott. Of Pennsylvania, affirming the
right Of Mr.. Wise 10 the seat, but it Is
claimed bv Mr.. Massey that ne did not have
fair hearing. lie has published a new
edition Of his brief. in which he analyzes
the entire evidence, ana shows. by REFER
nce 10 the sworn testimony before the
committee. exactly bow many frauiu-
lent votes were east upon illegally
issued taX-receipts in only forty five
counties. making total Of lj,Il2 Illegal
votes. which. being subtracted from the
vote reported east for Wise-yiz., 99,99!.
would leave him S4,2S0, a. against ai.lSi
reported east for Massey, thus changing
the apparent majority for Wise OF j,S0S
into real minority for Massey OF 9,9Oi.
Mr.. Massey and his friends are confident
that If The Elections Committee will grant
him a rehearing upon these facts the seat
will be finally awarded TO him. The great
obstacle, however. is the unwillingncss OF
the committee TO reopen the ease after hay-
ing once decided It. Besides. Mr.. Wise
has been granted an indefinite leave Of a5-
sencc. and nothing will be done until his
return.