The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-03-25

WASHINGTON, March s4.-The indica.
lions at present do not point to a pro.
sraoted fight In the Senate over the re.
organization Of the elective officers. If
the statements of some of the Demo-
cratic Senators can be taken as an index
to their feelings on the question, thew
will capitulate without much of q strup-
gle. There appears not to be a consum.
ing desire to enter into any protraoted
debate that will prolong the present
extra session beyond the time when the
President will have notified the Senate
that he has no further communication
to make, and certain we'll known Sens-
tors have said that they intended to
leave the city regardless of VIII ether
there was reorganization or not.
The Republicans say they will insist
upon the strict following of precedents
and II they have the strength to stand
up for that resolution 1t looks as IL thew
would be able to force the Democrats to
hold of until the commencement of the
regular session. Senators on both sides
OF the chamber are preparing to leave
the city and it is not unlikely that i'm.
mediately after tho decision of tho con.
tested election cases there will not be q
quorum of Senators in the city.
Senator Vance, chairman Of the com.
mittee on privileges and elections, who
is preparing the minority report of the
committee in the cases of Senators ap-
pointed by the governors of the States
OF Montana, Washington and Wyoming,
h a
will not be long but will present
reasons why the minority of the COM
mittee do not believe the certificates of
these governors arc sufficient authority
upon which to seat the Senators in
question. 1t will contain MANY refer
ences to past decisions of the Senate in
cases where the question raised here
has been passed upon In an incidental
way.
Hosr, who prepared the majority re.
portaavoring the seating Of the SEN
ators, has completed his work. It ia
probable that both reports will be
printed and will be laid upon the Sea-
ators' desks when the Senate convenes
Monday. In that event the debate
relative to these cases may be pre-
cipitated at once. There is a desire on
the part OF the Senators who expect to
participate in this discussion to get at
1t as soon as possible for the reason that
IL is thought the debate will run along
the better part of next week, IL the Sem
ate were meeting daily. With the
present numerous recesses from Monday
to Wednesday and then to Monday. the
debate may be strung out an indefinite
length. One prominent Senator on the
Repu elican side said to-day that he be-
lieved the Senate would not adjourn
until the middle of next month unless
daily sessions were held.
THE COMMISSIONER OF PENSIONS.
WASHINGTON, March 24-Cleveland
saw few visitors to-day, the regular
cabinet meeting interfering. To one of
his callers. Representative Enloe, of
Tennessee, he made the important
statement that he would appoint 'sno
demagogic politician" to be a commits.
sfoner of pensions. 1t is inferred from
this significant announcement that the
Prosident will appoint to the Office of
commissioners of pensions q man more
closely connected with business than
with politics. In fact, he has expressed
his intention to divorce the office from
politics and to select com missioner
who will conduct 1t purely on business
principles.
A number of names for appointment
to the ommissionership have been pre-
sented to Cleveland, and 1t is said he ia
proceeding warily in the hope of select
Ing man who can keep his skirts clear
OF the unpleasant notoriety which has
come to the Office in recent years.
SMITHS FIRST LAND DECISION.
WASHINGTON, March 24.-Secretary
Hoke Smith to-day rendered his first
land decision. 1t was in the case OF
the Southern Pacific Railroad Company
and involved the question OF the right
OF that company to lands within it's
granted limits and the limits of the
grant to the Atlantic and Pacific Rail-
road Company. basing its claim on the
ground that the latter company never
complied with the requirements Of its
grant in the matter OF locating it's road
and the forfeiture of its grant in 1886.
The Secretary holds, however, that
the Southern Pacific company had &C.
quired no title to the lands in question
under its grant The decision operates
to open these lands, aggregating many
thousands Of acres, in Southern Cali
fornia, to settlement and entry. The
commissioner of the general land Office
was accordingly directed to take such
steps as may be necessary to restore
them to the public domain.
THE Az wIELDER AT WORK.
WASHINGTON, March 24-Fourth As
sistant Postmaster General Maxwell's
first day in Office resulted in the APP
pointment Of forty fourth. class post
masters, and of this number five were
to fill vacancies caused by the removal
of incumbents.
A Commercial Treaty Signed.