Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-12-23
NO WOLCOTT REPORT
The Senator Win Make a State.
ment After the Holidays.
RELIEF FOR The KLOyDIKE MINERS.
Both Houses Pass Measures Appropristing
Money for the Sufferers In Alaskn-No
Aggressive Action by Democrats
-POpulists Hold u Caucus.

sion appointed by President Mckinley
to secure. II possible, the cooperation
OF foreign countries in an international
conference upon the silver question,
said in the senate yesterday that the
committee had not made report to
the president, and it was uncertain
when report would be made. Nego-
tiations for bimetallic conference,
he said, are still pending, but Mr. VOL
colt assured the senate that the CON-
mittee had no intention of prolonging
its effort beyond tine point where rea-
sonable hope of success should exist.
Mr.. Wolcott promised to explain fully
the work OF the commission in speech
] to be delivered after the holiday recess
A resolution directing the secretary
OF war to send supplies to Americans
and other sufferers in the Klondike
region was passed, Mr. Pritchard, OF
North Carolina, chairman of the civil
service investigating committee, deliv.
cred a brief speech upon the execution
of the civil service law as developed by
his committee.
Mr. Frye, of the commerce commit.
tee, favorably reported, and the senate
passed, bill directing the secretary
OF the treasury to purchase or con-
struct suitable vessel for revenue
cutter service on the Yukon river in
Alaska, to cost not to exceed $40, 900.
Mr.. Allison, Of the appropriations
committee, reported favorably the
house joint resolution providing for
recess OF congress from December Is,
1897, to January Is. 1898. The resolu-
ton was adopted.
THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, Dec. l7.-The house
yesterday passed a bill appropriating
$4,000 for the relief of people who
are in the Yukon river country, and
also the bill passed by the senate
Wednesday to prohibit pelagic sealing
by American citizens. The former bill
encountered practically no opposition.
As passed, the sum carried by it is to
be expended under the direction of the
secretary Of war for the purchase,
transportation and distribution of sub
sistence stores. 1t provides that these
subsistence stores may be sold at prices
fixed by the secretary of war or do
mated where the people are una BILE to
pay for them. 1t empowers him to
purchase reindeer and employ drivers
not citizens of the United States, and
afterward dispose of the reindeer.
Representative Ray, of New York.
introduced bill regulating absolute
divorces and declaring marriages void
in certain cases in the District of Co.
lumbia and the territories. The OBJ
ject is to make the divorce laws enact
ed by congress conform to the law of
New York as the highest grade of the
state codes. and to install the proposed
uniform marriage and divorce law to
be obtained by constitutional amend.
ments The law Is intended to cover
cases In Oklahoma.
Representative Smith of Illinois. by
request, introduced bill to permit the
naturalization of Amercanized Chi
nese Of good repute, resident in the
United States for ten years, who have
discarded the Chinese dress, adopted
that of this country and who speak
English. The Chinese Equal Rights
League of America, composed of about
5000 Chinese residents of the United
States, has submitted a memorial to
congress in support Of the bill.
NO AGGRESSIVE ACTION.
WASHINGTON, Dec. FL eading dem
ocratic members Of the house of repre-
sentatives say no aggressive action is
anticipated to carry out the declara.
tions of the recent democratic house
caucus on Cuba, finance and bank
ruptcy. The caucus action will be al
lowed to stand as showing the policy
of the minority. 1t is said, however,
that 1t would be useless to force the
Cuban question before the house, as the
rules would not permit the minority
to bring the question to vote. They
are more hopeful of giving expression
to the caucus action on finance. The
majority will doubtless bring forward
financial measures on the lines sug.
gested by the president and Secretary
Gage, and the democratic caucus policy
will be given effect by the casting Of
the solid democratic vote, numbering
1875, against these measures. On the
bankruptcy question it is expected
that the minority will frame bank.
ruptcy bill, calculated to meet the eau
Gus declaration for wise and just"
measure Of this character, The bill,
when framed, will be offered as sub
stitute to the one to be urged by the
committee on judiciary after the holt
days.
P0PULIsTs HOLD A CAUCUS.
WASHINGTON, Dec IA caucus of
the populist members Of the house
was held at the National hotel last
night The following resolutions were
adopted:
Resolved, That 1t is the sense Of this caucus
that we will resist oil efforts to so modify the
existing civil service law as to enable any party
that may be In power to tll the different posi-
lions in the civil service with partisans
Resolved, That we are opposed TO and will
resist all efforts to destroy our greenbacks and
treasury notes, whether It be by direct legsla-
tion or by the subterfuge Of refusing to issue
the same except In exchange for gold.