Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-04-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Written and compiled for the HERALD

he has not fully recovered from the attack
of the grip from which he has been
sufferer for several weeks, and it can be
positively stated that the President has
no more ardent supporter in his contro-
VERSE with Lord Salisbury. concerning
Behring Sea matters, than ] Secretary
Blaine.
The situation continues critical, owing
to the failure OF Lord Salisbury to say
definitely what his government proposes
to do, and while neither the President
nor any member of his cabinet anticipates
war with Great Britain they recognize
that hostilities may result from the or
ders issued to the Commanders of the
Naval vessels of the two powers, which
will soon be IN Bshring sea. IL is certain
that the Commanders of the U. s. vessels,
which will include some of our strongest
fighting ships, will be directed to seize all
vessels engaged in taking seals illegally
no matter what flag they fiE, and 1t
NAV lie that the British commanders OF
war vessels. which according to the latest
information have already began to
gather in the vicinity of the sealing wa
ters. will be ordered to protect sealing
vessels flying the British flag. Here lies
the danger. If Great Britain will keep
her fingers out of the muddle there Will
be no trouble, even if she persists In dc
clining to renew the modus vivendi. Ii
Is this uncertainty that is causing this
government to prepare for trouble as Iar
as it may under the circumstances.
The Senate has informally sgreed to
ratify the arbitration treaty, but owing
to the unusual precautions to keep tne
proceedings of the Executive sessions Oh
the subject secret there is doubt as 10
vbetber the ratification will be on con-
dition that the modus viyendi be renewed,
or be without conditions.
The House Census committee has gwen
considerable attention to the proposition
of establishing a permanent census
bureau. and has heard arguments on the
subject from a number OF gentlemen, In
GLIDING Superintendent Porter, and it has
invited General Francis A. Walker, VINO
was Superintendent of the Tenth Census
TO give the committee his ideas on the
subiect at as early day as may suit his
convenience.
A Joint caucus of republican Senators
and Represent atives will be held Thurs
day night. The only business that VIII
be brought before the caucas will be the
selection of the members of the Congre-
sional Campaign committee.
The Paddock Pure Food bill, which
was recently passed by the Senate, Will
be favorably reported to the House by the
committee on Agriculture.
The President is deeply interested Id
the su.cess of the G. A. r. encampment,
which is to be held here this year, as bis
special message to Congress in favor OF
the bill approprlatIng 100000, one-haIf
TO be paid from the revenues Of the De
trict of Columbia, shows.
A National organization to be known
as the Henry Clay Club, has been organ
lied here. It's motto is, 1.-THE protection
of American markets and the elevation OF
Americans" and its purpose is to unite
those persons who are believers IN the
fundamental principles so ably advocated
by Henry Clay, and to encourage the
promulgaton and adoption OF those
truths which were the inspiration OF his
lite work. Literature is to be distributed
and branch clubs organized in the mining
and manufacturing sections of the South,
and arrangements have already been per-
footed for sending the following eloquent
gentlemen to that section to make
speeches Hon. Chauncy ". Depeu, E1-
Senator Evarts, and Representatives, Reed
and Burrows.
The story that the President had said
that lie would not allow his name to be
presented to the Minneapolis convention
has again been started. There Is no
truth in it. He has never said that he
would be or that he would not be
candidate.
The Bland bill for the free coinage Of
silver is postponed until next December
Mr.. Bland admitted this afternoon with
obvious reluctance that the bill is dead
for this session. Many influences COM
bined to bring about this result in the in
formal conferences Of Sunday and Sunday
night. As result of these influences,
which found their strength in the unwill
ingness of Democratic Presidential candi-
dates to place the party In Congress on
record any further than has already boon
done, Speaker Crisp announced that be
would not call meeting oftbe Committee
on Rules to consider resolution to fix an
hour for q final vote on the free coinage
bill, and would not vote for such 1880
luton In the committee itself unless be
were petltoned to do so BY majority Of
the Democrats of the House. Although
large majority of the Democratic members
is unq1estionably i'll favor OF the free
coinage of silver, enough political inSu-
ence has been brought to bear upon them
to make it evident, even to Mr.. Bland
himself, that the necessary signatures to
such petition cannot be secured simply
because of the wish to postpone the pass
age of the bill until after the Presidential
campaign.
The Behring Sea Treaty.
RATIFIED BY THE sBNATE--LORD SAILS
AURY's PROPOSITION ACCEPTED.