The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-03-20


muncatcd to congress IN specli
message. II he determines 20 rccogniI
the insurgents il would be 4 couftls
on his part 10 make congress acqualnl
cd with his intentions while, on "a
other hand he il said 10 feel il hi
duty 60 lay before the two houses III
insurgents should he deem il impoiti
to do SO. More than week ago Coa
sui General Williams AZ Havana wa
requested 20 furnish the state depart
ment with a full and exact account 0
the situation in the island from tn
time that Gen. Weyler took command
II il shall be shown from the cores
pondencelthat the insurrcction is likely
to be short .lived lthis government vii
carefully abstain from any recognition
of the Cubans. If, ON the other hand,
it shall be shown that the latter arc in
crcasing in strength and enthusiasm
and that Gen. Wcylcr purposes pursue.
ing policy of determination, the pre-
sdent's action then, 1t is asserted,
will not be long delayed.
The house Tuesday passed the bill
amending the customs.a administration
act Of 1880, which has worked so well
but IN which experience has shown
some chance for Improvement. Under
the amended act the Gecjsl, of
the board OF appraisers as to any mat.
tiers Of fact shall be final. An appeal
To the courts is permissible only
upon questions Of law,
Representative Grout for the second
time at this session was called TO the
chair by Speaker Reed last week
Thursday.
\ bill has been introduced in the
house providing that pensions shall
not be reduced or discontinued except
for fraud, clerical error or mistake OF
fact Where the first is charged, the
pension may be suspended until an in
vestigation is made and decision rem
dercd. Where the second is charged,
the person making the charge shall
file statement of fraud in writing
and within 50 days of that date the
commissioner shall give 30 days notice
of hearing on the charges, and the
pensioner or his attorney may be
present and question all witnesses. If
all tho charges are sustained, the pen
sion shall be aunuled, otherwise the
pensioner shall continue 10 receive his
pension.
Senator Lodge made vigorous
speech Monday in support of the bill
to prohibit the immigration of persons
unable to read and write. The bill is
that prepared by Robert
Treat Paine, Jr., and other officers Of
he migration restriction league and |
simply shuts out of the country those .
Who cannot read and write English or
heir own language. Mr.. Lodge pre- |
ented some Of the statistics gathered /
~ the league, tending 10 show that |
he restriction upon illitcracy would /
fleet very small percentage Of the
turdy races of the north, but it would
hut out a considerable proportion of
he Poles. Hungarians and SicillianS.
lis speech was little more than aresume
/ the material gathered 10y the league,
nut wound with an appeal in favor Of
the integrity of the race,
hitch was attentiyely listened to.
Cannon, the new Republican senator
rom Utah, went for, Secretary Hoke
ninth Monday in a speech on the bill
y reference to the Uintah and ,
Indian reservation in
Itah He declared that the secretary
ad no right TO set up his individual ,,
pinion against the plain provisions of :
nc law. He protested, in the name
the people of the west, against the
curse of the secretary.
The senate committee on territories 5
ade a favorable report Friday on the ,
iii TO admit New Mexico as state.
In the Alabama contested election !
use the house voted Friday by 10 to
to give Mr.. Aldrich his seat. He {
as escorted to the bar amid wild APP p
ause ana was sworn in by Speaker
eed
The House committee ON naval y
fairs decided Tuesday upon the J
ost liberal policy of naval construc 4
on since the war, providing for four A
little ships and - torpedo boatsssat a Q
st of $50, 000,000 The senate com |.
ittee on Notifications has already +
ported a bill providing FIR the OK :
nditurc of $50, 600. 200 within seven c
airs for coast defonses Either or "
It'll of these plans are likely to carry, ii
uch to the disgruntlemcnt of Speak Al
Reed who has been calculatingsnn a o.
cord of economy.
Senator Vest delivered himself of :. n
speech Wednesday on Cleve- b,
ads home mission address, holding Dc
e president up to scorn and ridicule b.
: his Islander the people who tn
,lazed the pathway of civilization p
the wild and Woolly west" The "a
was afforded by the bill r. -
out Utah Indian lands regarding IN
lich he claims Secretary Morton has oh
fed the will of congress. co
The House passed blli Monday to "
Iiherately throw away SIS, 600, 600 by ~
oviding that all bona fide settlers on ~, ~
, public lands in Oklahoma shall m,
given patents after five years resi- or
ace on their homesteads without an
sing the price per acre required by tr'
:. Secretary Smith says that the WI
has agreed to pay the -,
lians SIS. 900, 600 for these lands, p, 20
| that the amount due from settlers lie,
81. % to 522.50 per acre is over SIS. OPP
/, 900. A more outrageous piece OF ira
kessness has not been seen in len
shington for many II year. ~
he House commerce committee has H.,
pared Nicaragua canal bill under no
lch the government shall guarantee ov,
0, 600, coo of bonds, take as sccuri- IA,
sl0O, 600, GOO Of stock and have 10 of sto
u directors tatl
he Bayard resolutions consuming ppaa
/ for his speeches in England ,h RI,
inst protection and the public de- an,
'alization it has wrought, came mp VIII
The House Wednesday. Chairman i,nl
t OF the foreign affairs committee nii
Cousins of Iowa spoke in support , ,in'
them. the latter winning the M, M,
orical triumph Of the session and of
living an ovation as he closed. iioi
:. McCreary of Kentucky defended u Ia
Bayard, and referred again To the abb
of FanBurcn. who became prosi lnc
rs result Of Il similar attack Wy
Drlnnr nf Mncenrh ttrn.t. .,..r, y