Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-02-13
NEWS FROM THE CAPITAL
Election Contests and Out
 rages Under Discussion.
PRAISE FOR OUR GROWING NAVY

1t Will Be the Finest in the World Five Years Hence-The Texas Election Out
 rages Before the Senate-The New Cab
 inet Portfolio-Our People in Panama.
 WASHINGTON, Feb l3.-The house con tinued the discussion of the Smals- Elliott election case. The senate bill .o enable the president to protect the interests of the United States in Panama was referred to the committee on foreign affairs and leave granted to the committee to report to the house at any time
 The senate passed the naval appropriation bill and took up the Texas election outrages At the conclusion of the morning business the senate went into secret session for five minutes.
 MT. Evarts asked unanimous consent that the unfinished business" the Union Pacific funding bill, be laid aside and the report of the committee on privileges and elections as to outrages in Washington county, Tex, be takenup.
 Objections were raised that the time was inopportune and inauspicious to interject a dangerous and heated debate, and after some strong partisan remarks on both sides the motion was agreed to by party vote, p to 19.
 The motion was read as follows
 Resolved, That the committee on privileges and elections be directed carefully to revise the existing laws regulating elections of mem bers of congress with a view of providing for a more complete protection of the exercise of the elective franchise and for the punishment of ofenses committed against it, and to re- port to the next legislative session of the senate by bill or otherwise.
 OUR GROWING NAVY
 In discussing the naval appropriation bill Mir Hale said that in five years the United States would have the best navy in the world. Much of the success which had characterized the present administration of the navy de- partment tto which he was glad to bear testi- mony) had been owing to the hearty holding up of the secretary's hands by ma jority of the senate-opposed to him in politics. The secretary had been careful in methods; he had encouraged American inventors, Ameri- can enterprise and American skill, and, now the United States had some of the best ships that were to be found to-day on the waters of the globe. The present secretary of the navy had been only able to launch six or seven new ships, but his successor would be able during the next four years to launch fifteen or twenty, or twenty-five or thirty, of the finest armed and equipped ships on the waters of the globe. Then the United States would have the very best navy ill the world.
 CoLMAN's CHANGES OF CONFIRMATION
 The secret session of the senate was called to refer to the appropriate committee the nominations of Colman to be secretary of agriculture and Stevenson to be associate justice of the District supreme conrt. It is expected that the nomination of Colman will be reported favorably and confirmed The committee on agriculture will hold meeting to consider the nomination of MT. Colman, and it is expected it will be reported favor ably and confirmed.
 OUR PEOPLE IN PANAMA
 It is understood that it has been deemed wise by the authorities of the United States, Great Britain, and other nations ha aviug large numbers of their citizens employed on the Panama canal, to arrange for bringing them home in case of wholesale discharge, and not to suffer them to remain on the isth- mus in desttution and want
 Advtces received at the state and navy de- partments show that affairs at Panama are quiet at present, but that trouble may be ex- pected at any time The United States steamships Osspee and Atlanta are at Aspin- wall and the United States steamship Mohi- can will be at Panama in few days. This force is regarded as sufficient for the protec. tion of American interests on the isthmus