The Press., 1895-12-26
Washington Letter.
Washington, Dec. g,

Washington, Dec. 23, 1895.
 Washington has not passed through such an exciting week for long time as the one just closed. Following President Cleveland's Monroe doctrine message was a regular deluge of star-spangled banner war talk, which hasn't entirely subsided yet but is much quieter. Just as con- gress disposed of the first message, for time, by authorizing the appointment of a committee to ascertain the boundary line between Venezuela and British Gui- ana, no small task when it is remembered that neither Venezuela nor England has succeeded in doing it during the more than half century the dispute has been pending, President Cleveland produced greater panic in congress than the alleged unloading Of American securities by the British did in Wall street by sending in second special message, declaring the f. nancial condition of the country one of peril, and virtually demanding that con- gress should not take Christmas recess until something had been done to relieve the situation.
 Mir. Cleveland did not get as much abuse for the financial message as he got praise for the Monroe doctrine message,
 
 own party friends. They accused him of trying to take advantage of the war scare to force his financial policy down their throats. If it had rested with the Senate alone MT. Cleveland's financial message would have been ignored and the usual recess taken, but the house is afraid of the politics in so doing, and will go through the motion of being in session, although it will be difficult to keep quorum after tomorrow. It is generally understood that the ways and means committee are to report and the house to pass a bill amending the tariff by raising the duty upon a number of articles. The impression here is that the message was merely a notice that the ad- ministration intends to issue more bonds, as it is certain that it expects no immedi- ate relief from congress,
 With sixty senators voting, the silver men had majority of twelve. The vote on the question of referring to committee Senator Aliens resoi: tion directing the finance committee to inquire and report upon the expediency of the opening of the hints of the United States to the free and unlimited coinage of gold and silver at ratio of sixteen to one, and in addition thereto issue an adequate vol ume of full legal tender notes, and in the interests of national safety withdraw the issue power of national banks and retire all bank currency, was twenty-fOu for and thirty-six against. The resolution was then adopted without a division. While their majority would probably not be quite so large on a full vote of the senate, there isn't the slightest doubt that the silver men have a substantial ma jority of the senate, nor that this majority will insist upon concessions be- ing made to them before allowing any financial bill to go through the senate.
 It has been known by the officials of the state department for some months that movement was on foot among the South American republics for a con- certed and emphatic expression in favor of the Monroe doctrine, entirely inde- pendent of the United States, although it has not yet proceeded far enough to de- eide what form the expression shall take. The idea is to show the world that the South American Republics are opposed to European encroachments upon tffls hem- isphere.
 At conference of agriculturalists held several days ago, MT. David Lubin, of Cal, presented his scheme for the enact ment of law for the payment of an ex- port bounty upon all agricultural products sent out of the country, and the confer- ence approved it. ~..
 This is what General Miles, the con- mander of the United States army, says If war should break out at the present time all we would have, with 8 few excep- tions, would be lot of obsolete guns on rotten carriages, which would fall over before they could be made of service. The country is in a deplorable condition for defence. There are only three mod ern high powered guns in position in this country. Two of these are at the en- trance of New York harbor, and the third is at San Francisco. It would take two years and $60, 1000, ,OOO to put our coasts in condition of proper defence" While this statement is correct nobody seems alarmed about it, notwithstanding Sena- tor Chandler's bill to appropriate $1OO,- 100000 for strengthening the military armament which has been introduced in both branches of congress, and Senator Squier's bill appropriating $97, ,0O0, ,OOO for coast defences. One reason for this is that few people regard war as prOba- ble, and another is the faith of the off, cials in the secret torpedo system of the government,
 Speaker Reeds friends insist that he did not make his committee assignments with view to pushing his presidential prospects. Of course they ought to know, but all the same it Is worthy ot note that the chairman of every house committee that is likely to play an important part either in forwarding legislation or sup pressing legislation during this session is a strong friend of Mir. Reeds.