The Washington times., 1895-02-22
CLOAK ROOM AND GALLERY.

A bit of inside history leaked out yester-
day in connection with the bill to form an
international commiss ion, consisting of
representatives from the United States,
Great Britain, Russia, and Japan, TO visit
Bering Sea, to inveatigate the method OF
killing the fur seals and to report generally
upon the subject of pelagic sealing
Statistics at the Treasury Department
show that under present conditions the
Canadian poachers are reaping rich har-
vest, and that the slaughter of the seals
was greater during the past season than at
any previous time.
1t now appears that before the bill was
reported from the Ways and Means Commit
tee, the British minister. Sir Julian Paunce-
fote, had quietly Notified Secretary
Gresham that her majesty's government
would not only agree to be represented
upon the commission, but would gladly
assist the United States in preserving this
valuable industry from the rapacity of
the poachers. He requested, however,
that this knowledge be regarded as a state
secret
He said that if the fact were know n In Can
ada that Great Britain favored the commits
sion, the British foreign office would be
deluged with protests from Canada, since
1t is obviously to the interest of Canada that
no change in the present arrangement be
iA1duc- ne SttTtIdTy
that If the clause for the commission were
completed before the Canadians knew what
action the British government would take
II would then be too late for the Ottawa oy-
ernmcnt to make its complaint felt The
secret was carefully guarded for few days,
but it leaked out yesterday, as such matters
usually do.
Mr.. Wilson, of West Virginia, who has the
measure in charge, stated last night that
he would call it up in the House after the
general deficiency bill is disposed of, prob
ably tomorrow. So far as the admins
trative and diplomatic features of the bill
are concerned, no Congressional action is
necessary. An appropriation, however,
TO pay the expenses of the commissioners
is needed, and it is for this reason tha the aid
OF Congress has been invoked, inasmuch as
the contingent fund of the State Depart
ment is not sufficiently large to meet the
necessary expenses.
The Speaker is daily importuned by men,
bers to grant them recognition during the
last six days of the session, which are known
as suspension days. Mr.. McGann, of Hi
nois, the chairman of the Labor Committee,
has been promised recognition for the bill
reported from his committee, which pro-
vides for the arbitration of disputes be-
tween the managers and employees of rail-
ways subject to the provisions of the inter-
state commerce law.
This bill. he says, has received the indorse-
ment OF the engineers, conductors, firemen,
and telegraphers. Mr. McIiann has no doubt
that it will pass the House by practically
unanimous vote, and that, too, without
material delay. If he can pass it through
the House on Tuesday next he is constrained
to believe that action by tie Senate will not
be delayed, and that it will become a law
before the close of the session.
1t is estimated that the present Congress,
like the two which preceded it, will be
"billion-doIar" Congress. The last Con-
gress exceeded this limit by nearly $50 .000,-
600, and the present Congress, tits believed,
viii fall short of that figure by only few
millions. But for the fact that the naval bill,
which passed the House on Wednesday, car
ries practically no appropriation for new
ships, the appropriations for the present
Congress would nearly if not quite equal
those of the Fifty-second Congress.
A prominent member of the House Appro-
priations Committee said yesterday that
the appropriations for all succeeding Con-
crosses will average $1,000 900, 900 or
more. The growth of the country, he said,
is so phenomenally rapid that the national
appropriations are increasing yearly al
though this increase is offset to some extent
by decreases in the pension budget and from
other sources.
Congressman Hit, of Illinois, was noti-
fled yesterday that his friend, Prof. Gold
win Smith, of Toronto, will arrive in
Washington within few days to remain
until May. 1t is Prof. Smiths usual custom
to spend the early spring months in Wash
ington, where he has many friends among
the scientific and literary set.
While here he will complete the second
volume of his history of the United States,
which deals mainly with our social and
industrial conditions.
Prof. Smith is an ardent annexationist
He believes it to be the manifest
destiny of Canada to fall into the arms of
the United States, and he does not think
this consummation will be long delayed, not
withstanding the viruient opposition of the
Tory clement in the Dominion.
Holiday Excursion Tickets to Baltimore
via Pennsylvania Railroad.
The Pennsylvania Railroad will sell on Fri
day, the 22d instant Washingtons birthday,
excursion tickets to Baltimore atrate of 81. .25,
good TO return until February %, inclusive
Tickets will be good on all trains in both direc-
tions This will afford Washingtonians an ex-
ALL ~-.-fa - MA.