Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1892-01-01
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASIIINGrnN Dec Is lSG

journment for the holiday recess.
quite number of the members think
it would be better to defer announcing
the committees until after the recess,
as that would give the Speaker that
much more time to consider the mat
ter. 1t appears TO lie generally con-
ceded that Springer III be Chairman
Of the Ways and Means Committee
and that Holman will be Chairman
OF the Committee on Appropriations
IN breaking precedent, which has
usually made the Chairman of these
two committees members of the Com
mittee on Rules, and appointing Messrs
Mcmillan and Catchings as the
Democratic members of that Commit
tee, Speaker Crisp has pleased those
members who believe that the first
named Chairman have influence
enough over legislation as heads of
their committees, withou: being also
on the Committee on Rules.
Representative Gates, of Alabama,
offered a resolution, which was referred
to the new Committee on Rules, pro-
viding for the appointment OF a stand
ing committee of fifteen, on order of
business, of which the Speaker shall
be ex-Otlicio chairman, which shall
have jurisdiction of the order in
| which business shall be considered,
having regard to fairness and
equity among the several committees
and to the transaction OF public busi-
ness.
1t was this week announced that the
treaty of commercial reciprocity which
has been i'll course of negotiation some
weeks between the United States and
the British West Indias. and British
Guina, had been concluded, and the
Presidential announcement of the
details will be made Jan. L.
The political status OF Senator Kyle,
of South Dakota, has been practically
settled this week. The Republican
caucus left him out of its committee
assignments, although it provided for
Senator PETER, and some of the Sena-
tors said that Mr.. Kyle had asked to
be taken care of by the Republican
caucus. This Mr.. Kyle denies. At
any rate it was the Democratic caucus
that gave him his committee places.
In answer to direct question of how
he would vote on political questions
Senator Kyle said: "Shall 1 vote
with the Democrats Well, l do not
anticipate many situations here
which will call for straight party
vote. l have not forgotten, however,
that my election was brought about
by Democrats, and l went to honor
those to whom honor is due"
Senator Quay's reported retirement
FROM the Senate has string tied to it.
He says: am not a candidate for
reelection to the Senate, nor do l
expect to be when my term expires,
but if the position is rendered me by
the legislature OF Pennsylvania 1 will
accept it," Mr.. Quay appears to have
taken a lesson from Mr.. Blaine.
War with Chill is again being per-
sistently talked up by naval officers.
These would-be heroes are asserting
with much positiveness that if the
government OF Chill has not given a
satisfactory answer to the demands OF
this government by the time Congress
comes together after the Christmas
recess, Mr.. Harrison will send special
message to Congress reciting the facts
and recommending that war be de-
clared in order to enforce our demands.
The source from which much of this
sort of talk emanates, raises the sug-
gestion that the administr alton is
feeling the pulse" of the public on
this subject.
Senator Hill, OF New York, was
given just as good committee assign
ments by his colleagues as if he had
been here since the opening Of the
session. AS he made no requests nor
expressed any preference, it was pre-
sumed that he had no choice as to
what committees he was put upon.
MIR. Harrison did recognize the
Democratic party in his nominations
for six of the new Circuit Court
Judgeships sent to the Senate this
week, by giving it two of the Judges.
Following are the nominations: First
district, Judge w. L. Putnam, of
Maine, who was once Democratic
candidate for Governor OF that State,
and who was appointed a member of
the Canadian Joint Fisheries Com
misaion by Mr.. Cleveland; second
district, Judge Nathaniel Shinman, of
Connecticut; third district, George
M. Dallas, of Pennsylvania, who is an
able lawyer and a Democrat; fourth
district, Nathan Golf, OF West Vir-
ginia, who was for a while Secretary
of the Navy under Hayes; sixth dis
trict, w. II. Taft, of Ohio, who is
Solicitor General of the Department of
Justice; seventh district, Judge w. A.
Woods, OF Indiana, who as Judge of
the United States District Court for
the district of Indiana, earned some-
what notorious reputation on account
of his decision in the "blocks of five"
case.
Warren Truit, OF Oregon, has been
nominated United States District
Judge for Alaska.
Representative Mills, who has been
quite ill, is somewhat better, but is
still confined to his room. DEN.
FRANKLIN county is without a bank,