Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-07
CAPITOL TOPICS.
CANDIDATE FOR SPEAKER.

Senator Stockbridge last night gave dinner
to the members-elect of the Michigan delega-
tion in the Fifty-irst Congress now present in
Washington. At the dinner the presentation
of the name of Representative J. c. Burrows,
of the Kalamazoo district as a candidate for
Speaker Of the House was formally determined
upon and the delegation will press his canvass
unitedly. They claim that Michigans showing
in the election last month of gains both in the
popular vote and Congressman fairly entities
her to the recognition she asks.
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD FUNDING BILL.
The House committee on Pacific railroads
held a meeting this morning and decided to
press the con sideration of the Pacific railroad
funding bill by the House at as early day as
possible. The committee on Monday will o fer
a resolution setting apart certain days for the
consideration of the bill. Mr.. Cultivate,
chairman of the committee, is confident of the
passage of the bill by good majority, if it can
be brought to a vote The work of the COM
mittee is now practically completed. Several
bills relating to the Pacific railroads are before
it, but as there is no possibility of their being
taken up for action by the House at this late
day it is probable that no action will be taken
upon them by the committee.
Reporting the Electoral Vote.
SENATOR SHERMAN EXPLAINS HIS COURSE IN THE
SENATE YESTERDAY.
Senator Sherman in speaking to-day of the
report of the result of the vote for presidential
electors in several states, transmitted by the Sec
rotary of State to the Senate yesterday under
the terms of the law of 1887 said his objection to
receiving the report was based upon a convic-
ton of the uselessness of the proceeding. If
it was not unconstitutional it was extra-consti-
tutional. He said he had opposed the bill all
the way through on this ground. If it was in
tended to be an expression of mower hy the
Senate to control in any way the right of a
state to declare the result of the vote in its
jurisdiction it was clearly unconstitutional; if
it were merely to have the result published or
declared it was extra-constitutional, in that the
same thing was otherwise provided for 1t was
on this ground he desired the report referred
to the committee on privileges and elections in
order that it might there be decided how to
dispose of the document.
To Replace the Tunnel.
AN ESTIMATE BEING MADE FOB A SURFACE
CONDUIT.
Senator Edmunds has requested Gen. Casey,
chief of engineers, to have a survey made for
aosurface conduit to take the place of the aque-
duct tunnel. This cannot be done, however,
as there is no money available for the purpose.
The funds in hand to be used for the preserva-
ton of the tunnel cannot be applied to the
desired work. The request has been inter-
preted, however, as desiring an estimate of the
cost Of such conduit, and Captain Sears. who
is on duty in the chief of engineers office, is
now engaged upon that work, but expects that
1t will take ten days or two weeks to complete
1t. The Office has very good contour maps of
the tunnel route, every twenty feet being
clearly outlined and it is thought that. al
though the estimate will be only an approx
mate one, it will answer Senator Edmunds'
purpose.