Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-02-12
NEWS FROM THE CAPITAL
President Cleveland Nominates
 Cabinet Officer.
CLAYTON BRECKENRIDGE CASE.

CLAYTON BRECKENRIDGE CASE The Seat Contest and the Murder to Be Investigated by Committee-Protec- tion for Americans at Panama-Business
 in the House and Senate.
 WASHINGTON, Feb. 12-The president sent two important nominations to the senate and although the general policy of the senate now is to pigeonhole all nominations until March 4, when President Harrison may nominate Republicans, it is not all improbable that these nominations will be confirmed. They are Norman J. Colman, of Missouri, to Sec retary of Agriculture, and A. E. Stew enson, of Illinois, First Assistant Postmaster general, to be associate justice of the supreme court of the District of Columbia, vice Will jam M. Merrick, deceased The president yesterday approved the bill raising the bureau of agriculture to the dignity of an executive department and elevating the commissioner of agriculture to cabinet office as secretary of agriculture. Mir. Colman is at present commissioner of agriculture
 SENATE AND HOUSE
 The house spent almost the entire day dis cussing the Smalls- Elliott contested election case, which went over without action
 conference on the direct tax bill was or dered by the house, and the speaker ap- pointed Messrs. Caswell, Seney and Oates cOnferees.
 The speaker appointed Representatives Ermentrout of Pennsylvania and Baker of New York to act as tellers for the house in counting the electoral vote next Wednesday,
 The senate spent most of its time discussing the naval appropriations bill
 On motion of Mr. Sherman who said that he had been instructed by the committee on foreign relations to move an executive ses- sion, the senate proceeded to executive busi- ness, and agreed to a resolution appropriating $25O, 900 for the relief of American citizens ii. Panama. As soon as the bill had passed ths senate 1t was hurried to the expressing clerks to be copied, that it might be sent to the house at the earliest possible moment. The bill was an original measure, reported from the Committee on Foreign Relations and passed without amendment The text of the bill is as follows:
 Be it enacted, etc.. that there be and is hereby appropriated out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated the sum of }25O 900, to enable the president to protect the interests of the United States and to provide for the security of the persons and property of the citizens of the United States at the isthmus of Panama in such manner as he may deem expedient.
 When the doors were opened the naval ap- propriation bill was taken up. The amend ments increasing lighting plants on the noni- tors, cruisers and other vessels (appropriating about s6s, ,OOO, were agreed to- An item of $1OO,OOO (to be immediately available) was inserted for the construction of Q building for use at the naval torpedo station and war college on Goat Island, Newport, R. l., also an item of $9O, 900 for the purchase of land and the building thereon adjacent to the naval academy at Annapolis.
 The amendment reported for the construc- tion of steel cruisers or gunboats of 800 to 200 tons displacement, to cost in the agere- gate Exclusive of armament, not more than S1OO O,OOO, of one steel cruiser of about 2OOO tons at a cost of not more than S7OO, 900, and of one ram for harbor defense was agreed to- TO INVESTIGATE A CONTEST AND MURDER
 Mir. Grosvenor (O) introduced in the house preamble and resolution in regard to the contest of John M. Clayton, of Arkansas, re- gently killed, which was referred to the com mittee on elections The preamble recites that Clifton R. Breckinridge and John M. Clayton were candidates for congress in the Second district of Arkansas in November 1888; that Breckinridge has been certified as elected and will vote on the organization of the next house, that Clayton disputed Breck- inridge's election and was asSassinated while engaged in collecting testimony to support his contest; therefore,
 Be it resolved, That a committee of five members of this house and who are now mem bers of the committee on elections and who are elected to the Fifty-1rst congress, be ap- pointed by the speaker, and that such con- mittee shall proceed without delay to take testimony touching the issues in the said con tr,& &Hna v~00 kV~ and ascertain all the facts relating to said election and the said contest and report the same to the house of representatives the first day of the first session thereof, or as soon thereafter as the same may be completed, and that the said committee Is for the purpose of this resolution authorized to send for persons and papers to issue processes, under the hand of the chairman or of any two members of said committee, for the arrest and production before said committee, at any place, of persons knowing or believed to know any thing of or pertinent to said contest, and said committee may employ one or more stenog- raphers and such other assistance as may b. necessary, and the writs, fees and expenses incidental to such proceeding shall be paid out of the contingent fund of the house of representatives, as writs and expenses of committees of investigation are paid; said Breckinridge to have due notice of the pro- ceedings herein contemplated, under such rules and regulations as said committee may prescribe
 Resolved, If, in the opinion of the commit tee on elections of this house, there is no authority of existing law to continue, prose- cute and carry on a contest for or against the right of 8 member to seat in the Fifty-first congress, under the circumstances alleged and described in the preamble hereto, then said c0yy,ynitfoa shall ha authorized f< rAvork hx bill or otherwise such act or resolution as may be necessary in the premises to accom- plish the object herein stated. And said committee may report as Q matter of pEivi- lege at any time, and their report and its consideration and final disposition shall at all times be a matter of the highest privilege, and shall until disposed of take precedenee of all