The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-06-12
THE REFoRMER RRATTLEBoRo. VT. FRIDAY JUNE IT, 1896
WASHINGTON NOTES.

The President Saturday vetoed the
it contained 81, 600, 600 Item for the
payment of the French spoiation
claims, which was appropriated under
the findings of the court Of claims to
which the subject was referred in
1889, and because Of another item of
STA, AS for a warship contract during
the war for which the contract price
1886. 600 was paid at the time with
500, 600 extras and u receipt in full
given by the contractor. This latter
job, passed by reckless Congress, is
the same one that was up during Har
rison's time and he vetoed a bill to
even allow it to go to the court of
claims.
Friday Senator Proctor introduced a
resolution providing for the distribu-
tion Of the appropriation bills among
the various committees of the Senate
as was proposed early ia the session
though he does not expect the resolu-
ton be considered at this ession.
The French spoilation claims have
now been before Congress nearly 100
years and appropriations to gay them
have twice before been vetoed, by
Presidents Polk and Pierce. They
originated in French depredations n
our commerce in 1889, and our gov
ernment finally abandoned them in
the treaty with France IN consider
alton of her relinq uishment of similar
claims against US. The veto is based
chiefly on the ground that there was
state Of war between the countries at
the time, as was decided by the attor-
ney general at the time, go that neither
country really had an enforceable claim
against the other. Cleveland quotes the
opinion Of the supreme court that pay
men is within the category of pay
ment by way of gratuity-payments of
grace and not fright" And he thinks
in the present condition of the treas
ury and in view of the fact that the
original claimants have been dead for
years and the claims are in the hands
of claim agents, he will not approve of
any grasuity business Just now.
The House promptly sustained the
veto, only 80 votes in total Of 209 be
ing cast for repassage OF the bill,
and by this act the House labelled it
self very clearly.
Senator Morgan started Saturday on
another Of his diatribes against Cleve-
land in speech on his Competitor res
olution, demanding that If the arrest
ed men are not promptly surrendered
by Spain, the President should be re
before lie had finished his speech
Sherman invoked rule 30 requiring it
to be delivered in secret. Then Sher
man and Lodge explained that. as
of the sub committee on for
aigD relations they had conferred with |
President Cleveland and we're salts
fed that he wss using all due dill
igence in protecting the rights OF
American citizens. and it was not |
necessary for Congress to do anything |
more. Then the Senate shelved the
resolution and declared finally the well
purpose Of Congress not to
10 anything more about Cuba at this
session.
The agreement regarding the post
,ffice appropriation bill put stop to
further consolidation OF post Offices.
Unless they are within six miles of the
central Office, but leaves in force all
existing arrangements for consolida-
ion.
The Senate Wednesday passed the
Jill increasing the pay of letter car
'iers, raising the maximum at first
lass offices from $1,000 to $1,000 and at
smaller officers from $500 to $1,000.
Both houses adjourned at p. IN.
Wednesday.
The conference report on the Indi
ina appropriation bill was accepted by
10Th houses Tuesday, postponing for a
ear the abolition Of the contract
chool system.
1t was decided Tuesday by the Sen
tie finance committee that the inves
igation of her bond sales sh ould be
public. Secretary Carlisle has sent in
lis reply to the resolution. He shows
hat the trouble began back in June,
80, ten months before he took offic e
nd in the fiscal year the exports of
odd reached the unprecedented sum of
los, $50. OLA, nearly all withdrawn
rom the treasury; in the LAST three !
months before the change of admins
ration. they were $50. 700, 100, and
here was deficit in the revenues at
he same time, amounting in four
months to IS, $40, $40. He explains the
allure in the first bond issue, the dis
ppointment in seeing the bond pur-
hasers turn round and draw the
old out of the treasury, and says that
,as the reason for the resort to the
'elmont Morgan syndicate with the
ext issue, and besides the emergency
'as so pressing that there was no time
, 20 through the preliminaries for