The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-08-09
CAPITOL NOTES,
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6.-Within
Is minutes from the time the house
caucus petition was circulated today,
so members had signed and the caucus
had become certainty, Members
who had not wanted to sign last week
were now anxious TO do 81. The petit
ton requests Chairman Holman to
CO. the caucus to consider what &C
tin, if any, shall be taken in order to
secure the early passage OF tariff
bill. The petition is rot the
one formerly circulated By Rep
resentative Springer, although the
latter is interested in the new move.
The call was in response to petition
signed by SO members of the house.
Among the signers were Springer,
Bynum, Black of Illinois, Hooker,
Geary, Deforest, Brickner, Washing
ton, English, Bailey, Peterson, Sper-
ry, Allen, McNagney, Martin, Nc
CURE and Capehart. The petition
had been circulated by Mr.. Bynum of
the ways and means committee and
the success of the movement was Sc
cured in half an hour after the petit
ton was started. Members gathered
in the lobby and talked eXcitedly for
and against the caucus. Mr.. Warner,
Repu blican, and others friend"
ly to the administration de-.
nounced it a. "tOre in the rear. u
Neither Speaker Crisp nor Chairman
Wilson has been consulted as to the
caucus and it was recognized. as
directly in opposition to their wishes.
Representative Cultivate, an associ>
ate of Speaker Crisp and member OF
the committee on rules, said: "The
caucus is not endorsed by the commit
tee on rules nor the conterees. Is is
evidently move against the house
conferees. Members of the rules com
miJtee will probably enter the caucus,
but | expect the cOnferees will prob
ably remain in view OF the fact that
he proceedings of the caucus would
he equivalent to vote of want OF
confidence
the opinion that the caucus would
prove boomerang. He believed that
Mr.. Wilson and the CDnierees would
enter the caucus and undertake to
carry it. With such utginQ loyalty
to the house conf ices Mr. Strauss
did not think an antagOnistiC resolu-
don would pass Mr.. Strauss said
alao that he expect 4 the caucus
would bring out some startling facts
which would insure the cOnterees
| support from the house.
Messrs. Springer and RyuUm make
~ conCealment of the fact that the
caucus is for the purpose of ending
the deadlock by adopting the senate
bill, In this connection they quote q
statement mac t by Senator Mills tC
the effect that "furthel house resist.
snce meant the killing OF all tariff
legislation
RUSSIA REACHING OUT.
WASHINGTON, Aug. AS having
bearing upon the present war ovel
COres the special efforts being made
by Russia to complete the great Siber
ian link from Ifkutsk to Lake Bal
kalsi, the whole line along the Amour
river is to be finished before the yeal
1901. The minister of finance wa:
granted q credit of l,2l5,000 roubles t
carry out the preliminary work o
surveys to forward material
Consul General Jones at st. Peters
burg has made special report tn the
state department. noting the
points OF au important memoria
on the subject submitted by
the Russian minister of finance
He says that last fall it became evi.
dent that the most essential Siberian
sections of the line as far as Irkutsf
could be completed by 1895 or tive
years ahead of time. Therefore, il
was resolved to accelerate the con-
struction OF the remainder as follows
First-The building of the trans
Bak;al line is puthed so that it may
be opened for traffic in 1898, at the
time of the completion OF the centra
section and the connecting line from
Irkutsk to LAX Bskial.
BILLS SIGNED.
The president has signed the follow
Ing bills: To extend the time during
which the life saving service shall be