The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-12-24
WEEK I'M WASHINGTON.

WEEK I'm WASf1aNu1ONs
rxDAY. DEC. 13--The attention OF oiiicsais
hero is attracted by the stories coming from
ali rar,s of the country indicating that en-
listtnents are roiag on of parties OF men TO go
80 Gaia To lola the insurgents in their
struggle against the Sraniards These en-
iistmeuts are ia direct violation OF the nen'
tralitv laws and are prohibited under severe
penalties. For accepting Q commission 10
serve against Spain, a ceaatry VIII which
the United States is now at peace. the peeaits
prcscritcd br Section 52Sl, Revised statutes,
is S.. 600 fine and Ia rec years imprisonment,
while for enlistment 10 serve against Spain
or hiring anyone to enlist the pena.iy rs
.imcst rs iaeRry, being maximum OF 81,
fine asd three years imprisonment Inc
enforcement OF these laws naturally iaits
within the functions of the United States
officials TO whose knowledge the attempt at
Infringement is brought. bat if the move
ments continue on q large scale, rs reported,
it was stated today that probably the DE
psssment of Justice will send instructions OF
a srecial character to all of its agents calling
their attention TO tho proclamation ISSUED by
the President last Spring and enjoinins unon
them a strict enforcement of the neutrality
laws
doypAy. DEC. IA dispatch from the
SPANISH Minister of Foreign Affairs reached
tine Legation here. Il states that " Mscee's
death took place in loyal fight at Punta
Bravo and was caused BIZ our soldiers bullets
This is evidently proved by the letter written
br the son of Gomez in which he states that
he killed himself in order not 20 abandon
thc BODY of his General. The handwriting
of tho letter has been verified. and also every
detail of the fight, time and circumstances
when Maceo and the son al Gomez we're
wounded. Ali these details have been pub
lisheG in Europe by teieyrams from potn
Spanish and foreign correspondents Mr.
Du Bose. the Secretary of the Legation,
speaking for the Minister, said the officials Oh
the Legation hoped TO discover the origin OF
the report of Maceo's assassination and trace
Ii to a certain Cuban resident of Jacksonville,
Fla-The Secretary of the Treasury sent TO
Congress estimates OF deficiencies in appropri-
atiens amounting to S6.63l .632. required to
meet urgent demaads Of the Government FOR
the service of the current and prior fiscal
years The deficiency in each Department rs
given rs follows. Legislative, $500, Treasury,
81 4Ga. $40: War. S3el6 500; Navy, $780, 600 !;
Justice. $-34 100 Some of the LANCER items
are: Wax. Notifications, S2500.0o0; Navy.
construction and repair, $500 coo: Depart
ment of Justice, support of prisoners United
States courts. $sl0.000: Treasury. Fish Com
missien, $23 000; Legislative, conveying
votes of electors for President and Vice
President $500
TUESDAY. DRc. 17.-Senator Mitchell. of Ore
CON, introduced q bin ia the Senate 10 amend
Section 1854 of the Revised Statutes. That
section, as passed in 1865, provided that per-
sons honorably discharged from the military
or naval service by reason Of disability re-
smiling from wounds or sickness incurred in
the dine Of duty shah be preferred for APP
pointments to civil Offices, provided they are
found 10 possess the business capacity neces-
sary for the proper discharge of the duties Of
such Offices Mr.. Miicbelfs amendment
gives q preference to all honorably dis
charged persons from the military or naval
service without regard to the reason for such
discharge, provided they served 80 days OF
m5re in the civil war or ia any Indian war.
DEC. 1s.-Reprcsenfafive Mon
dell, of Wyoming, intredneed bill to appro-
pirate S., 600 FOR the erection of = monument
upon tile battlefield known rs Massacre Hill.
near old Fort Kearny, where there was an
exhibition of bravery unsurpassed IN history.
On this spot. where Mr.. Mondell proposes ia
erect monument in honor OF brave soldiers
Col Fetferman, OF the United Stairs Army.
and Sc men. on Dec. 26. 1866 fell fighting "a
the last against the hopeless cd ds of thousands
of Sioux warriors under the notorious Chief
Red Clond-
THURSDAY, DEC 1.-THE extent Of the Ar
fnenian nassacres is indicated ia report e
the State Department by United States Con
srl Berghoatz at ErEeroum. wherein be says
The number of Armenian children nndel
IL years of age made orphans by the massa
eres Of 1896 is 10000. ing to the esti
mates Of the missionaries. The question o.
what shall be done with these orphans is re
reiyipg the attention of the Christian wcrld
The American Board of Commissioners Il
giving the matter serious thought. German
charitable or religious societies are preparip,
10 establish industrial orphan asylums a
Oorphs Cesarea, and elsewhere. The Kmisers
weih Deaconcsses OF Germany have mad
provisions fox receiving Armenian orphans a
Smyrna. The British Government or 1,
Ambassador at Constantinopie has initiate,
movement looking toward settling nnm
Der OF widows ard their children on the Islam
of Cyprus In Ezeroum there are ] 50 widow
with 200 children ia ErsiugSn. 100 widow
with $50 children. and at Bail0onrt, IL
widows with 500 children. The widows &
Bai'bourt are ia particularly distressing Gil
cumstances. not male adult remaining.
FRIDAY. DEc. 1G.-Amendmenss 10 the Pickle
pension bill. which passed the House LEI
session. aud is now pending before the Sen
ate. were considered AZ joint meeting q
the House aud Senate Pension COMMITTEES
Several GAR officers and other veteran o,
CARNATIONS addressed the committees askin
70 have stricken from the hill and enacted !
independent law the first section which PR
vides that persons otherwise entitled TO per
sion shall not be disqualified because of prie
service in the Confederate array. They ais
asked that the pension laws shall he cor
strued literally. and claimants not require
20 furnish proof that excludes all reasonsb
doubt. but only to establish claims by q "a
preponderance of proof; also, that all pei
sions restored after redUction or discontin,
ancc shall date from the reduction or di
continuance. A new section is asked thu
dependent parents Of all dead veterans, i,
stead Of those who died from wounds q
ceiscd in the service, be reusioned at 9
month. These proposals. we're presented
Past National Commander Robert b. Bea,
and Gen. Nuihoiiand, of Philadelphia.
committee appointed by the GAR. for Il
purpose. Commander S. S. Yoder, of Il
Union Veterans League. sxked for Q
amendment TO supply artificial limbs TO VI
Grams who have lost an arm or leg by acs
dent si1ce tae Wat, e Government expens
SATURDAY, DEC. 19.-The report OF Publ
Printer Benedict pays considerable attenfi.
10 the question of safety of the Printii
Once Building over which there was SO mu.
: public anxiety at the time Of the Ford
Theater disaster. he says: The peri,
embracing the past fiscal year aad tine prese
fiscal year up 10 date has witnessed witho
moments abatement of work The full col
pletion of the additions to tine working spa
OF the office that were recommended by Z
and ordered by Congress. the completion
She new west ~iug and other Eoors and
direction Of the Chief Engineer Of the Arm
besides the carrying out of many impro,
menis ia the various divisions Of the off
encb as providing better light, improy
facilities for cleanliness a;d Tor promoti
The comfort aud convenience Of the employ
IN many respects. lam happy to say that
apprehension 70 the loss OF life from in
crre ssusssisass II reyacrec g,,iess Crpur