Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1884-12-29
WASHINGTON MATTERS.
DIPLOMACY AND LEGISLATION.
a Division OF Opinion as to Open Ses-
sions on the Spanish Treaty
Another Land Forfeiture Bill.

WAsnIsGT0s, Dec. 2S.-The Senate Com
mittee on Foreign Relations Is understood
To be- equally divided on the Van Wyck reso-
luton TO discuss the Spanish treaty in open
session. The chairman Of the committee
miller, Of California; and Senators Sher-
! han and Lapham favor an open session,
while President Edmunds strongly OPP
poses any deviation from the old-fogy plan
of discussing treaties with closed doors
Senators Morgan aud Pendleton are said 10
side with him. OF the other members OF the
committee, Senator Vance Is absent and
Senators Brown and Wilson are nOn-com-
INITIAL The working man OF the Com
mittee is Senator Morgan, of Ala
bama, and 10 i believed, fayors
letting tine Spanish treaty wait, and
giving precedence 10 the Nicaragua canal
project. The leading idea with Morgan Is to
make American diplomacy felt IN the
couEcil- of Europe. he was 10 be melted TO
this By the ex-Belgian Minister Sandford,
the American member of the African Inter
national Association, tpresided over by the
King of Belgium, who put through the Sen
ate at the last session, a resolu-
tion recognizing the sovereignty OF
the African Association over the
the Congo region. That action was wide
divergence from the past traditions of the
Government It's immediate effect was to
defeat the Anglo Portuguese treaty, dividing
the control of the Congo region between
England and Portugal, and was the direct
cause of the present Berlin conference. MIR.
Morgan, il j. stated, desires 20 adopt sim-
ilsrly bold line of policy with
regard to Nicaragua and the
annulment of the ClaytOn-Bulwer treaty
with England, and IL positive he may carry
the Committee on Foreign Relations with
him. If SO, there viii be lively times III the
Senate. and discussion too important to be
i smothered behind the closed doors of an
executive session. Meanwhile. Mr.. Vests
resolution ordering the suspension of Secre-
tary Chambers proposed survey of the canal
route sleeps in the pigeon-holes of the for
eign committees rooms, and the surveying
party IL on its way TO ITS destination,
Another land-forfeiture bill has been
added TO the list of those set down for dis
cusslOn IN the Senate under special orders.
This time il is the New Orleans, Baton
Rouge Il Vicksburg, better known as the
Backbone railroad, whose land grant II
IL proposed 10 forfeit. Twelve fifteen
years ago a principality valuable enough to
build the road twice over was granted To the
company out of the public domain, bat the
time in which the road was to have been
built has long since lapsed. and the road ex
ists only on paper. With regard 70 this
and other land grant f0rfeitures, however,
there will probably be an infinite amount OF
talk and no tinal action
The two houses of Congress having at the
last moment agreed TO holiday recess, the
Capitol presents quite as deserted an APP
pearance as during the summer months.
There are few members remaining IN the
city who visit the buildings once or twice a
day for their mail. but there Is a lack of Wis
itors during the holiday festivities that re-
duces the number of persons about the halls
and corridors to the lowest average. The only
committee at work Is that on Rivers and
Harbors in the House. One bill they have
in charge Is an elephant of large diusensions.
On IL they have worked with IS much as
siduity "a any committee of the House, but
the work Is of such a nature that until or
dered TO be reported no item in II Is sure tc
stand as set down. There are so many con
fiicting interests, so many pressing demands
for this and that improvement that it be
comes daily, as the committee progresses
with its work, more and more a question
what shall be left out, or reduced. than what
shall be put in the bill.