The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1889-12-11
Latest Foreign News.
San Francisco, Dec. 3rd, per S. s
CITY Of Rio de Joneiro.
AMERICA.
MEETING OF CONGRESS.

nc ItCpuDllCdu caucus vi tlS
House of Representatives, Nov. so,
nominated Thomas B. Reed of Maine
for Speaker. The first ballot was:
Reed 7S, Mckinley SO, Cannon %,
Burrows 10, Henderson 16. Mr..
Reed has for several sessions been
the acknowledged leader of the Re-
publicans in the House. Congress
met on Monday, I'd inst, when
Reed was elected Speaker of the
House by l66 votes to 154 for Car
Isle the Democratic nominee, and
one vote for Cummings of New
York. All the Republican caucus
nominees for officers of the House
were elected, except Rev. DR..
Ramsdell for chaplain, who was de-
feated, 16G to 1876, by Rev. Mr..
Millburn, the blind preacher, who
was last chaplain and the Demo
cratic nominee.
The Democratic caucus passed
resolution informing the country
that the members were still devoted
10 the principles of tariff reform,
saying they hailed with delight the
triumph of those principles in the
recent elections.
A strong effort will be made. this
session to repeal the civil service
law, Farwell of Illinois leading the
movement in the Senate.
Reeds election as Speaker has
increased McKinley's Presidential
stock for 1892.
Senator Allison thinks there will
be legislation on the tariff, and
great deal of work generally this
session.
Secretary Tracy in his annual re-
port says, when all the ships now
authorized are completed, the Unit
ed States navy will comprise eleven
armored vessels, of which only three
are designed for fighting at sea, and
thirty-one marmored vessels, max
ing total of forty-two. "The
United States, so far as its capacity
for defense is concerned, will then
be absolutely at the mercy of states
having less than one-tenth of it's
population, one-thirtieth Of its
wealth, and one-hundredth of its
area" The Secretary urges the
necessity of building a navy in
keeping with the wealth and enor-
nous coast line of the country. He
considers 90 battle ships, 20 coast
defense ships, and 60 cruisers, or
100 vessels in all, to be moderate
estimate of the fleet the nation re-
quires. The Secretary is not pre-
pared to recommend the construc-
lion of a. naval station on Puget
Sound at any of the sites suggested
by the commission. He recon-
mends that provision be made at
once to establish coaling station
at Samoa on the site selected by
Admiral Kimberly. The estimates
for the Navy Department and bu-
reaus for the coming fiscal year are
$25, 599, 253.
The Tripartite Treaty with Great
Britain and Germany, respecting
the control and direction of affairs
in Samoa, is the principal topic to
be discussed under the head of for
eign affairs; also the proposed
scheme to promote commercial
union with Canada with view TO
its ultimate annexation, and the set
Element of the Mexican and Alaskan
borders by the appointment of COM
missioners or by treaty.
The House of Representatives
will present decided change in
political complexion as compared
with its predecessor. Besides the
addition of five representatives from
the new States to the roll, extensive
changes have resulted from the last
elections, so that of the total of 33C
members, only 1919 occupied seats
in the last Congress, and Demo.
cratic majority of twelve in the
Fiftieth Congress has been replaced
by Republican majority of eight
as shown by an unofficial list pre-.
pared by the clerk.
FIRES IN BOSTON AND MINNEAPoLIs.
A fire occurred in Boston, Nov.
%, which destroyed more than three
blocks, with loss of five million
dollars. The alarm was rung from
the same box as heralded the con-
migration of 1872. The fire broke
out in the six-story granite building
owned by Jordan, Marsh & Co., and
occupied by Brown, Durell & Co. dry
goods dealers, on Bedford street,
corner of Kingston. 1t ragged fol-
six hours and burned over two acres
of territory covered with magnificent
structures. About 200 firms were
burned out, and 100 agents of New
York and Western firms had their
headquarters destroyed. The origin
of the fire is attributed to electric
wires. So quickly did the flames
get beyond control that the general
alarm was deemed necessary to be
followed with calls upon all the
neighboring cities and towns for as
sistance. The great fire of 1872
started near the same spot at
O'Clock on the evening of Saturday,
Nov. 8, and was not subdued until
10 O'Clock the following Monday
morning, when it had destroyed
a