The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-02-09
COAST INTERESTS,
Efforts 10 Establish the Gun
Foundry in California.
opposition Of the Senators From Oregon
= and Washington.
Lands Reserved for the Lick Observatory.
Meeting Of the BGhrins Sea Commits
SiOn-PenSi0nS and POStOnlCeS.
Special to THE MORS1SG CALL.

Special to THE MoRS1NG CALL
WAsHINGToN, Feb S-SenatOr Squire Of
Washington, Chairman of the Senate Com
mittee on Fortifcations and Coast Defenses,
has notified the Senators interested that
meeting Of the committee will be held on
Friday next for the purpose of considering
bill to establish a gun foundry on the Pa
2ifc Coast Senator FELTON, will appear be-
fore the committee on that day and present
some data that he has collected concerning
the proposed foundry. 1t need not surprise
Callfornians if the foundry is located at
some point in Oregon or on Puget Sound,
for Senator Squire, as Chairman of the COM
mittee, will, of course, exert great influence,
and it may naturally be expected that lie
Will try to have the foundry established In
the State Of Washington. Senator Dolph,
who was formerly Chairman of the
committee, viii, of course, try To have
the foundry located Mt some point
q Oregon. near Portland, probably. He is
now a member of the committee. being
second 10 Senator Squire. Senator FELTON,,
Oeng R new member of the committee as
we'll as anew United States Senator, cannot
ne expected to have as much to say con-
cerning the project, but he says he will
appear before the committee and do his
almost to locate the foundry at Benicia.
lie anticipates that he will have formidable
lpp Onents in Senators Squire and Dolph,
both being OH members OF the Senate 1t
matters very little, however. what action is
taken by the Senate, for it is pretty certain
that the bill will never pass the House Of
Representatives while Holman is Chairman
of the Committee on Appropriations. The
latter has intmAted that he will never con-
sent to make large appropriation for the
purpose Of establishing gun foundry any
where, Representative Mckenna, while
/ hopeful at tirst that he might be able to
secure small appropriation to begin the
nrUject has now come to the conclusion
that the Democratic House VIII not be will
ing to appropriate a cent for this purpose.
AN OREGON BOAT RAILWAY.
Another bill Of great Importance TO the
Pacific Coast, ana one making large ap-
lTOpratOn, is the one for the construction
OF beat railway at the DalleS and Cello
Falls and Ten-mile Rapids OF the Columbia
River and for the Improvement OF Three
mile Rapids. II provides that tie sum Of
under The direction Of the Secretary Of W al
IN the construction OF q boat railway and Uf
the necessary marine apparatus ana appil-
Jnces in connection Herewith Tor the Dur-
pose OF transferring boats and their carEOeS
over and across the distractions to nayga-
ton 1T the Dalles and Cello Falls ana Ten
mile Rapids on the Columbia River, either
in he slate OF Oregon or the State OF Wash
? .lGt01, as nay be determined most eX-
/ pedient by the secretary of War, and in the
| Improvement of Ihree-mle Rapids; such
| improvements TO be made in accordance
with the recommendations plaHs and Speci-
ticatiOns Included IN the report Of the Board
of Engineers Of the United States ap-
pointed by the Secretary of War In par
suance of the act Of Congress approved
August Is, 1888; the appropriation 10 be I'M
media'ely available and TO cover the whole
cost Of the proposed Improvements. This
bill was introduced IN the Senate by
Mitchell December 10th and was to-day
favOrably reported from tie Committee on
| Transportation Routes to the Seab0ard.
/ Like the bill TO establish a gun foundry on
the Pacific Coast the measure may pass the
Senate, but not the House Of Represent
atiye. while there is Il Democratic majority.
IMPROVEMENT OF TIE COLUMBIA.
Senator Alien reported a bill from the
Commerce Committee appropTiatlng $4,000
for the purpose of constructing a dam be-
hind Hayden Island, in the Columbia River,
opposite Vancouver, for the purpose OF
passes behind said island into the main
channel. and for dredging such main chan
mel at the foot OF Hayden Island; provided
that in such appropriation shall be included
not to exceed $4,000, TO make the survey
and estimate the cost OF the said work.
LICK OBSERVATORY LANDS.
Tie House Committee on Public Lands
reported favOTably Representative LOuds
| bill, which provides that the following
described land in township numbered 7
south and Range east, Mount Dlablo me
ridian, be reserved from sale or disposal
under the general laws OF the United
States, 10 wit: The northwest quarter Of
Section 8 east half of Section 4, northwest
quarter of Section d. northwest quarter Of
0uthwest quarter OF Section 4 that IN ad-
/ dition TO lands heretofore granted TO the
! Lick Observatory of the Astronomical De-
| partment of the University Of California,
! so much Of said land as is not already
granted or disposed Of by the United States,
! to wit. the northwest quarter of Section 3,
! the east half of Section 4, the northwest
/ quarter of Section 1, the northwest quarter
| OF the southwest quarter OF Section 4, be,
| and the same is here by, granted 10 the Re-
/ gents Of the University Of California and
| their successors in trust, for the use and
benefit of the Astronomical Department Of
! the University of California, provided that
/ if the land herein granted shall be used for
any other purpose than the site OF SAID OBJ
! seryatOry and necessary purposes In con-
necti0n herewith the same shall revert to
the United StaleS.
THE BEHRING SEA COMMISSION.
| The Behrlng Sea Joint Commission, con-
/ sisting of Sir Baden Powell! and DIR. Dawson
! OF Great Britain and Professors Menden-
| hall and Merriam of the United States, met
| for the first time this afternoon, and made
| preliminary arrangements for series OF
! sessions on the general subject of the seal
! hunting industry. These meetings will be
! held at the State Department, beginning to-
/ morrow, and Will be secret.
/ The meetings are for the purpose OF COM
! pairing the results of the Investigations OF
! the Commissioners made independently last
! summer, with view 10 the formulation OF
/ joint report which may be accepted by the
! Board of ArbitratOTs. when appointed, as
! final on all questions touching the character
/ and extent Of the sealing industry. Mean
/ while arrangements are being made for the
! settlement OF the question Of jurisdiction
! over the Behring Sea by arbitration, and 1t
| is expected that n treaty to that effect be-
tween Great Britain and the United States
! VIII be in shape for submission TO the Sem
ate for ratification next week.
A NEW LAND-LOAN SCHEME.
The creation Of "Natonal Union Loan
! Fund is the object of bill introduced to-
! day by Representative Otis OF Kansas. This
| fund is to consist of $1,000, 900. or as much
| as may be necessary; legal-tender paper
money is to be issued by the Secretary OF
! the Treasury, and interchangeable at par
with other kind Of lawful money of the
| United States. Any State desiring to avail
itself of the benefits of the act may do so by
the adoption Of a joint resolution setting
forth that the State agrees to pay to the
! United States per cent per annum on all
! sums drawn and retained by 1t, ana DroVld-
ing for the loan of the money to its citizens
upon reasonable security at interest not eX-
ceeding 3 per cent. The Secretary is to
honor the request for loan to the extent OF
90 per cent of the assessed value OF the
real estate situated within the State.
COMBINATIONS MADE.
The Senate in executive session to-day
made the following combinations: Re-