Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1896-02-15
WASHINGTONLETTER
Caucus Nomination. Will
Not Occur.
THE BOND sALE-NIOARAUGUA Ca
NAL.
hat Boundary Commission Prize Fight
ing Legislation.
evrom Our keguIar Oorresp0nden. }

(Erom Our Regular Correspondent }
WASHINGTON, Feb 10, 1896.
The caucus of Republican Senators
which nominated Mr.. w A Shaw, OF
Spokane Washington, TO be Secretary
of the Senate; Mr.. III. l. Grant of n.
c., to be Sergeant-at-Arms, and Mr..
Alonzo Stewart of 10 a. TO be Assis-
tant DoOrkeeper, authorized Senator
Sherman to Cal up the question of the
election of these officers whenever he
sees fit, but be is not expected to do
so until assured that they can be elect
ed. In other words, until certain that
at least one populist viii vote with the
republicans That leaves matters in
an indefinite shape. Senator Frye has
been unanimously elected President
pro tenn but when the other republic
can officials can be elected nobody
knows. 1t may be tomorrow; it may
be not at all
The outlook for the House tariff bill
isnot encouraging, no matter whether
Senator Quay's resolution, to recon-
NIT the free coinage substitute. which
the Finance committee last week re-
ported. TO the committee. &c adopted
or not. III adopted there is nothing TO
show that Senator Jones. of Nevada.
who holds the balance of power, will
substitute to be report ed from the
pmmittee. And If it isn't adopted.
th re is little hope of getting the tariff
bill through the Senate.
rHE FREE COINAGE SUBSTITUTE.
The House will this week refuse to
concur IN che Senate free coinage sub
stitute for he House bond bill, and
the substitute will be sent to confer
hsr - is ltE e.1w In in,
The syn iicate represented by Mr. j.
PierpOnt Morgan will get about one
third of that bond issue simply be-
cause its b d for the entire issue was a
tiny fraction higher than that put in
10y the syndicate represented 10y anoth-
err New York banker.
Whether MIR Morgan make mis- close
shave by reason OF advanced informa-
tion-he probably oid-is a Ques tion,
but the mo, important fact nected
with VT Morgan's bid was that al
though the market quotation for these
bonds was little lower than il was
last year when he made that private
deal with Nr. Cleveland for the $62 900
COO bond issue, and that these bonds
will have one year less To run, his bid
for these bonds was about seven cents
on the dol ar-$7 600 600 in alt-in ex-
cess of the price he paid for the same
bonds one year ago.
A PECULIAR PROPOSITION
Has the Senate a right through "A se-
iecJ cOmmi tee Co investigate the
election OF members OF "A State Legis la
which elects a u ) Senator2 That is
the problem which has been referred
10 subcommittee OF the senate Elec-
tions Committee, and the answer w Ill
probably determine what action the
committee will take upon Senator Al
lens resolution for investigation of the
Alabama Legislative which preceded
Senator Morgan asst election TO the
Senate.
The vote of forty to twenty eight. by
which the Senate referred The resOlu-
tion providing for the distribution OF
several of the regular appropriation
bills among commit ee-theV nov al
go TO the Appropriation committee
TO the Committee on Rules with in
structions TO report back on the frs
day of the next session, was a grea
compliment to Senator Allison, who il
chairman of the Committee on Appro
priations There is little doubt that
majority of the Senate would hav,
voted for the change had it not beer
for the fear that such action by tn
Senate at this time would have bee
construed by some people as refiec
tion upon Senator Allison
BAD FOR THE CANAL PROJECT.
The report of the Nicaragua Cana
Commission is not encouraging Z
Copgre ssional action on the canal a
least, not on the lines heretofore pro
posed. In addition 30 nearly doub bin
the estimate of the cost ia is construc
tion, the report says plans must b
changed or il cannot be constructs y
al majority of both branches O
Congress favors the construction {
the canal, but they are far from agree
ing as TO just how it should be don,
This will result in delaying anythin
like positive action.
Justice Brewer President of th
Venezuelan Boundary Commission h.
made public statement denounciu
the stories published in SO Sationi
newspapers about the luxury and e,
travagance of the Commission. Ju
tice Brewer says, and his word hi
never been doubted. that instead
being extravagant the commission hi
been very economical, and that he e.
poets it to continue to be economic
until it's work is completed.
BILL AGAINST PRIZE FIGHTING.
Delegate Catron of New Mexico. h
received many congratulations for [
cleverness he displayed in pushing /
bill against prize fighting in the ter
tories and the District of Columb
through the House and Senate wit
out delay or even a single adyeI
vote. The bill became law as SO
as it reached Mr.. Cleveland, who (
once agreed with congress
There is no doubt about the leadi
position Maine holds in this Congre
With Senator Frye President pro Il
of thu <anata Sanator HoIo Hho,
man of the Printing Commit,
Speak Reed presiding over House, a
Repres entatives Dingley, Bouteile a
Milliken Chairman of three imports
House Committees, sure Maine m
be said to be lin it 3"