Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-03-04
OUR NEW PRESIDENT.
WASHINGTON NOTES.

The Senate indulged in a novelty last
Sunday; it held session that day, and
the galleries We're crowded Quite
number of bills were discussed during
the day and some appropriation bills
passed.
On Wednesday of last week, the
Presidents appointment of J. NJ. White
to be Post Master at Evans City for
four years was confirmed.
The war fever dominated the Senate,
last Thursday; the conduct of the war
in Cuba by the Spaniards and their
treatment of American citizens was de-
bated and the galleries were demonstra
tive; and in the House war resolution
was introduced.
The fifty fourth Congress, which ex
pired at noon to-day, will be held re-
markable principally for what it has
failed to accomplish. In the number of
bills and resolutions introduced it was
a record breaker. In the House alone
over 10, 400 bills and 3, 100 resolutions
were introduced and referred to COM
mittees Only fraction of these pass
ed the House, and fewer still became
laws. The principal business aside
from the passage of appropriation bills,
was limited to the first session, the net
results of which were the enactment in
to law of the bills creating the commits
sion to determine the true line between
Venezuela and British Guiana; prohib
fsa1-1 1ffN,-I
permitting appointments in the army
and navy of former United States Off
GERS who served in the rebellion; max
ing one years residence in a territory
necessary for a divorce; incorporating
the National Society of the Daughters
OF the Revolution; defining the penalty
for interference with railroad trains
and persons riding thereon and substi
tuting salaries for fees to United States
marshals and district attorneys. Aside
from the foregoing measures the re-
naming bills, excepting the immigra-
ton bill and the joint resolution for
monetary conference, were of no gener-
al interest. This Congress was also re-
markable for its failure to pass single
hill providing for public h1aildinss
The House Gale contained 100 bills
of this class, including the Senate bill
for custom house in New York city.
Speaker Reed, however, in his determ
ination to reduce the expenditures to
the lowest limit consistent with the
necessities of the government, set his
face sternly against all legislation of
this kind Notwithstanding, the pre-
sent Congress is the third in American
history in which the appropriations
have exceeded billion dollars
The investigation now being conduct
ed by the Senate Committee on Public
Lands may lead to scandal involving
Mr.. Cleveland, although every patriotic
American will hope not The investi-
CATION is of a land patent recently issu
ed by Secretary Francis to Mr. Perrine,
Mrs. Cleyeland's step father, and his
associates. The patent covers %, 900
acres of land in Florida, and if it has
been legally issued the present occu-
pants of the land will have to move or
to make terms with Mr.. Perrine The
original grant of this land was made to
DR.. Perrine, father of the present Mr.
Perrine, and his associates, in 1S41, and
the contention of the settlers ON the
land, who are represented by ex-Con-
gresham Brookshire, of Indiana, is
that it was forfeited by failure to oc-
cupY it within the legal limit The odd
part of the issuing of this land patent
is the manner in which it has been
hurried along since Mr.. Francis became
Secretary of the Interior, and the ap-
parent anxiety of Assistant Attorney
General Lionberger, who was put in of
fee by Secretary Francis, to get the
patent issued for the land before the
close of the present Administration.
The Committee may find the transac-
ton all right, and that the relationship
of Mr. Perrine to Mr., Cleveland has
not figured in the matter at all, but
there is a lot of ugly gossip about it
just now and it will probably get into
court anyway
The Smart Alecks" who have been
industriously circulating reports as to
the intention of the House Committee
on Coinage TO smother the Senate bill
authorizing President Mckinley to ap-
point delegates to any international
monetary conference called by any
other nation, or to be called by himself
if in his discretion he sees fit to call ii,
got knockdown blow when that Com
mittee reported the bill favorably to
the House with two amendments, one
broadening the authority of the Presi
dent by authorizing him, if he sees fit,
to appoint one or more special commits
sioners or ENJOYS to negotiate with
other nations for the calling of such a
conference, and the other repeating the
Act of 1895 for the same purpose, so as
to prevent any complications that
might arise from two acts on the same
subject
On Tuesday, President Cleveland
sent to the House af Representatives
his message vetoing the bill to restrict
immigration. 1t is a long message and
concludes as follows
"A careful examination of this bill
has convinced me that for the reasons
given and others not specifically stated
its provisions are unnecessarily harsh
and oppressive, and that its defects in
construction would cause vexation and
its operation would result in harm to
our citizens,