Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-07-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From Our Special Correspondent,)
WASHINGTON, d. c., July 0. 97.

WASHlNdTON, d. ", July u, w.
The Republicans OF the House did
not give the Democrats any opportu.
nifty to interpose any obstacles when
the tariff bill was returned from the
Senate, which passed it by a vote of 3S
to 28. They had their own quorum,
and as soon as the bill was received
Representative Dingley's motion t
disagree to the Senate amendments
and to send the bill to conference was
promptly adopted. 1t is not possible
to say at this time how long the bill
will remain in conference, but Senators
and Representatives, who are in posi-
tons to know express the opinion that
an agreement will be reached inside of
ten days, and possibly much sooner.
President McKinley's special mes.
sage Recommending legislation for the
appointment OF a currency commission
to report needed changes is no new
departure. 1t is exactly in line with
the views he expressed in his inaugural
address.
The Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations this week favorably reported
n resolution authorizing the President
to take such measures as he may deem
necessary to obtain indemnity from
Spain for the wrongful arrest of two
naturalized American citizens by
Spanish authorities at Santiago de
Cuba in 1895. The resolution plainly
intimates that force should be used, IL
necessary, to compel Spain to pay the
indemnity which she has refused in
these cases.
The treaty for the annexation Of
Hawaii will probably be reported to
the Senate at the present session, but
members of the Committee on Foreign
Relations are reticent as to whether an
attempt will be made to get a vote on
it at once.
Senator Teller will be called q dema.
gogue if he makes a few more speeches
like that he made just after the Senate
had by a vote of fifty seven to nine
laid Senator Aliens tariff amendment
to pay a bounty on American beet
sugar On the table. Because nine
populist and silver Republican Seua.
tors voted against laying the amend
ment on the table Senator Teller made
a pretense of holding the Republicans
responsible for the failure of the tariff
bill to provide for the payment Of u
bounty on beet sugar, when he knew
very well that it was the Democrats
who had stood in the way of the bounty
amendment. Here are the plain, I'M
vanished facts. The bounty amend
ment was originated by Republicans
and was approved by q Republican
caucus, but when it was offered in the
Senate MIR. Jones, of Arkansas, the
Democratic leader, and Mr.. Teller, who
aspires to the leadership of the Repub-
licans, publicly served notice on the
Republicans that they would prolong
the tariff debate indefinitely if the
amendment was insisted upon. Then
the Finance Committee withdrew the
amendment, and it was again offered
by Senator Allen. The Republican
Senators held a caucus and although
strongly in favor of the sugar bounty
decided that it would be wiser, in view
of the enormous loss of monev every
day that the tariff bill was delayed, to
allow the sugar bounty to 90 over to
the regular session than to extend the
tariff debate weeks in order to get a
vote on that amendment at this session.
In accordance with that decision the
Republican Senators voted solidly to
table the amendment, not because of
their opposition to it, but because they
were anxious to get the tariff bill
passed.
Secretary Gage this week issued regu
lations to govern the submission of
plans by architects in the competitions
the Government will hold whenever a
new public building is to be erected.
Under them at least five architects will
be requested to submit competitive
plans, specifications and drawings for
each building, with the understanding
that all of them may be rejected if not
satisfactory to the Secretary. The
successful architect will not only hav We
his plans bought by the Government,
but will be employed to supervise the
construction of the building. The fret
buildings under the competitive plan
will be at Camden, N. j., and Norfolk,
Va. 1t is hoped that this method will
result in a marked improvement in the
architecture of public buildings.
According to the latest version of the
matter, it was more because it was not
informed Of the negotiation of the
treaty before it was made public that
the Japanese Minister got mad then
because of the treaty itself. The
Minister had been especially directed
by his government to keep track OF any
negotiations looking to annexation,
and his failure to get the information
to japan before it was sent there as a
matter of public rews has given him
a b~lackeye at home which may even
result in his being recalled in disgrace.
He sought to help himself by the word.
ing OF his protest, but Secretary Sher.
M q N q a IN thnsn4 hll, l.-