The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-01-06
CONGRESSIONAL NOTES.

CONGRESSIONAL NOTES.
John Moe Of California has beer
. named to be Third Lieutenant in tn,
revenue cutter service.
Congress will be asked to make al
appropriation of SIS, 900 to be expend
ed In investigating the best methods Of
farming in Alaska.
A proposition is being discussed t.
make thorough reform of the natarali.
zation laws on the lines OF the immi
grafton educational test bill.
General John W. Foster had brief
interview with the President recently
concerning the pelagic sealing bill,
which ia now before the Executive.
Assistant Secretary Howell has rem
dered decision in customs case in
which he holds that common goat hair
is entitled to free entry under the new
tariff law.
The bill absolutely prohibiting pela-
gic sealing and the importation Of seal :
skins in any form, also provides for
the seizure and destruction of skins
imported in violation Of the law.
The Senate has confirmed long list
OF nominations including six United
states Ministers, six consul generals,
twenty 1onsuls, other Federal officers
and large number of minor appoint.
ments.
Protests against the bill prohibiting
pelagic sealing have been made by
American merchants ON the ground
that II will injure trade. President
Mckinley has deferred signing the
bill on this account.
The President has nominated Joseph
). Spear, Jr. of California, to be sur.
veyor of the customs district Of San
Francisco. He will succeed William
y. English of Oakland, who has held
the office for four years.
The Klondike Relief bill has been
passed by both houses of Congress-.
1t appropriates 5000, 900 for the pur.
pose and authorizes the War Depart.
ment to disburse the fund. 1t also
provides that the provisions must be
purchased, not donated.
Senator Cockrell has introduced sew. |
eral bills prepared by the Marine hos.
pital Corps. One of them directed the
surgeon-General to appoint commits
sion OF medical officers Of his corps to
investigate the origin and prevalence
OF leprosy in the United States.
The Navy Department has aban-
doned its scheme OF utilizing life-sav
ing stations in the new coast line
signal system soon to be established.
on account Of the objection raised by
the Treasury Department. The prin.
opal lighthouses along the Atlantic
seaboard will be requested to manage
semaphores and other signal applia ices
and to transmit and receive messages
between the fleets and the Navy De-.
partment.
representative johnson of North
Dakota urged the President not to sign
me sealing bills, maintaining that as
1lpiomatic negotiations between the
United States and Canada with refer.
moe to the sealing controversy had
been practically terminated the bill
would avail nothing in furthering the
regulations and would be an Injustice !
2 the sealers of the United States. ,
Inc PRESIDENT gave no expression of !
lis Intentions, but it is expected that !
10 wiii sign the bill in few days.
Secretary Long has presented to
congress his bill for the increase of
ne navy. 1t provides for one sea- {
,oing coast liEe-of.battle ship, primar-
~ for service ON the Pacific Coast.
eslgned to carry the heaviest armor s
no most powerful ordnance upon dis. a
iacement of not less than II 900 tons.
have the highest practicable speed a
no 10 cost, exclusive of armament, ]
OF to exceed 3,7oO,0 900. The bill t
rovides also for six sea-going torpedo. d
oats Oh about lis tons displacement. i
cost, including armament, not ex. a
eeding I'll ,125, 900, and three torpedo.
oat destroyers of about 800 tons dis. h
laoement, each to have maximum Il
oeed OF thirty knots. and to cost, in d
luding armament, not more than :,
Soo 900. The battle-ship aud NOT n
'ore than two of the torpedo boats n
10 not more than one of the torpedo a,
sstroyers are to be built on the Pa. .,
nc Coast and the remainder ON the q
tlantic Coast. =
A recent Cabinet meeting was de. ,,
tied almost entirely to discussion Of y
Q operation of the civil service law. "
ne resolution adopted by the Senate. ', "
ling upon the executive heads of y
Q several departments of the Govern a.
ent concerning the application of y
, civil service to their departments