The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-02-17
Washington Letter.


An early extra session of the FItty-thlrd |
Congress now appears more certain than /
at any time since Congress met. Tx |
GOV. Campbell. of ONO, one of the |
proninent Democrats who We're IN |
Washiopton this week, who - be |
Geyed To enjoy the confidence of Presi- |
A intellect Cleveland. said while here; !
..Yes / think the chances of an extra !
session are good, II not almost certain. |
The silver law should be rcpealet, and
as IL will not be done at the present Ses-
sion, Judging from this week attempt
and failure, It must be- done by an eN-
ira session The Democratic platform
demands such repeal: a general Senu-
ment in this direction pervades the
Democratic party the silver question was
one of the main ISSUES OF the last cam
paign; the party stands pledged To Its
repeal and IL will keep Its pledges.
Gov. Campbell Acknowledged that he
could name several of the coming cab
net, but courteously declined To do SO
Senator Morgan introduced bill this
week that will simplify the proceedings
should the present negotiations result in
the annexation of Hawaii. The bill pro
VideS that whenever the United States
shall acquire dominion over any foreign
country or place, 10y treaty Of anueNa-
| ton or otherwise, the President, with
! the advice and consent of the Senate,
may appoint governor and Legislative
council for the same, whose acts shall
| be subject to revision or repeal 10y Con
! gress. MIR. Harrison has not vet Off
| cialiy recognized the Hawaiian commits
| SionerS, and >theIr negotiations are all
! with Secretary Foster. 1t Is believed
| that Mr. Harrison, who is knowIto fav.
! annexation, is waiting to hear what
| the representative of the depo5ed Queen
| may have to say before taking any otli-
| cial action In the meantime the State
Department is gathering information
about Hawaii and its financial condition
and prospects, in order that Congress
may act inteligently on the matter when
decision is reached 10y Mr.. Harrison.
The investigation of the money spent
in the United States by the agents of the
| Panama Canal company, now being
conducted 10y IA House committee, has
Just gone far enough to create IA general
demand for more information. 1t has
| brought out the fact that a great deal
more money was spent IN tins country
than the public had any idea Of, and
| that it was largely paid for secret ser
| vices of some sort, the receiver giving
no voucher for what he received. 1t Is
to be regretted that this investigation was
not started earlier in the session, as IL Is
feared that there may not be time be
tween this and the 4th, of March, beyond
which date the committee will have no
existence. as 10 ascertain the name of
those who received this money. The
reported sudden illness which has been
made the excuse for eX- Secretary IhOmp-
sons : not appearing before the commit
tee according to promise, has been un-
favorably commented upon, but, Col.
Fellows, chairman of the committee,
SAYS he believes ii is straight and that
Thompson will come as soon as he IL
able to travel.
Representatives Fithian, of Indiana;
Baker, of Kansas, and Lawson, of
Georgia, have united in a sharp mInori-
ty-repOrI against the bill providing for a
permanent census bureau, which has
been favorably reported by the House
census committee, of which they are
members. 1t says, among other things,
that the present census bureau II divided
into twenty five divisions, all but seven
of which should be eliminated; that
many of the statistics taken under the
last census are merely Implications of re
ports made by other bureaus of the
government; that the census bnreau has
been enlarged from time To time more To
create offices and salaries than for legItI
mate purposes; that consequently the
census has become "A tumble of figures
and irrelevant inquiries filling volumes,
which make their appearance So late
that they are only useful for waste paper;
and lastly, that the maintenance of II
permanent census bureau would he at
least treble the amount teStImated-S2UO,- r.
600 a year.
The House passed the Quarantine bill
this week, and it Is now in the hands of
Mr.. Harrison.
Mr.. Morton looked as though lac real
ly enjoyed presiding over the joint ses-
sion of the House and Senate held Wed
nesday to count the electoral votes and
officially declare Cleveland and Steven
son elected President and vice president
and he probably did Most men would
in his place.
If the amendments to the pension
laws, which have been approved 10y a
majority of the House Appropriation
committee, become laws the Pension Of
flee will be transferred To the War De
partment and be under the control Of
detailed army officers, and the payment
of pensions will be stopped to those hav-
ing an Income of as much as 5000 a
year; to widows who married soldiers
since 1870, and, except in cases of total
disability, to all alien non residents. NJ.