The Washington bee., 1892-05-21
NATIONAL CAPITAL AFFAIRS.
Late News at the Seat of Government.
The Week in Con .ress.


The Senate at the instance of Mr..
Mcpherson passed bill making a con-
tingent appropriation of $4,000 to the
Princeton Battle Monument Association.
On Mr.. HOlman's motion, and by a
vote of 95 Is 90, the paragraph i'll the sun
dry civil bill appropriatilig $500, 900 for
the Philadelphia mint was stricken out.
The Senate passed the bill providing
for a survey of ship canal from Lake
Erie, at or near Erie, to the Ohio, at or
near Pittsburg. The bill to encourage
silk industry was taken up on Monday.
In executive session I. Jefferson Cool
idge was confirmed as Minister to France.
Mr.. Call, of Florida, created a sensa-
ton by offering a resolution, which was
referred to the committee on foreign re-
lations. requesting the President to open
negotiations with the government Of
Spain for the purpose of inducing that
government to consent to the establish
ment in the Island of Cuba of free and
independent republic. river and
harbor bill, as sent from the House, was
taken up, and amendments added in
creasing the appropriation 81, 1913, 143, and
the bill passed. An important debate
arose in the Senate over the naval ap-
preparation bill. Various amendments
were offered, and the debate took free
range as to the policy of large expenses
for the navy. Senator Hale, in charge
of the bill, stated $50, 900, 900 had already
been appropriated for new vessels for
the navy, and that it would require from
$50, 900, 900 to So, ,00, 900 to complete the
vessels already ordered. Mr. Mills spoke
in favor of free ships for commerce in
stead of building vessels for war.
MessrS. German and Mcpherson argued
in favor of coast defense vessels, and the
former stated that the expenditures Of
the government had reached a point
where they exceeded the revenues by
$50, ,000,0 900 to $23,O0O,OOO per year, but
that if the work on the new navy was
stopped the steel industry would be par
alyzed. "A letter from the acting Sec
retary of the treasury was laid before the
House by Speaker Crisp, showing the
estimated deficiency in the appropriation
for pensions for the fiscal year to be
1914, ,332, and recommending that the
deficiency be supplied by reappropriating
that sum from the unexpended balance
of SO, 834, ,O79 remaining to the credit of
pensions for the fiscal year 1991.-
Representative Hoar, of Massachusetts,
calls for an investigation into the extent
to which political influence affects EN-
plOyment in the government printing
office.-Senator Dawes has introduced
a bill to make October 12, 1892, ma
tiOnal hOliday.-A bill to exclude pOlit-
ical influence from the 81 900 fourth
class postoffices in the country was
agreed upon at the meeting of the House
committee on civil service REFORM
John Henry Smythe, formerly Minister
to Liberia, and Mr.. Dulles, of Arkansas,
two colored men, were heard by tho
House committee on appropriations in
favor of a proposition they advanced
that Congress appropriate 800 900 for
an exhibit at the Worlds Fair, illustra-
tive of the progress of the colored race
from 1868 to 1893. "A bill has been in
granting an American register
TO the Pacific Mail Steamship Company's
steamship China.