The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-01-20
CONGRESSIONAL NOTES.

A bill appropriating $3.50, 900 for
public building at Tacoma, has passed
the Senate.
President Mckinley has signed the
bill prohibiting pelagic sealing in
Behripg sea.
The report that Secretary of State
Sherman will retire is again in oirou.
lation. The latest report makes Am
bassaor John Hay his probable sue.
oessor.
The Naval Personnel bill, now be.
fore Congress, proposes to allow seamen
the safe pension and retirement pri-
vileges AS are enjoyed by the privates
in the army.
Assistant Postmaster General Heath
is preparing an amendment to the ap-
preparation bills empowering carriers
in rural districts to receive cash and
obtain money orders for patrons.
President Mckinley is said to have
abandoned the attempt to make Judge
Paxson chairman Of the Interstate
commerce commission. Judge Nash
of Ohio is now slated for the place.
Senator Cullom says recent affairs
in China and the East have caused
many senators who heretofore opposed
Hawaiian annexation to now favor it.
He thinks the treaty will be ratified.
Senator Orville II. Platt of Connec.
ticut is slated for commissioner of in
snrance, a bill for the creation of
which is now before congress. Samuel
Fessenden will probably succeed Plat.
Representative johnson of North Da-
kota has introduced bill to repeal the
law which has just gone into effect
relative to pelagic sealing and the i'm.
portation of sealskins taken by pelagic
sealers.
Senator Mason will soon prepare and
introduce bill in the Senate provid-
ing for a special appropriation for a
oorn-meal exhibit at the Paris EXPOSE
tion. He hopes by this means to
second the efforts of our representatives
in Europe in widening the markets for
the abundant corn crop of the United
States.
The Postoffice Department has pre-.
pared advertisements which will soon
be issued inviting proposals for furn-
ishing adhesive postage stamps for the
Government for the four years begin.
ming July next. The issues advertiser
for include the ordinary stamps, news
and periodical stamps, postage due
stamps and those for special delivery,
The number required per year spproxi-
mates three billion.
Private secretaries to postmasteIs
will be one class of public servants
now under civil service protection
from whom the blanket will be with.
drawn soon. There are now twenty
five cities in which the postmasters
have secretaries and San Francisco is
one of these. The fact that in any
cities secretaries are on temporary ap-
pointment gave rise to the belief that
there would be change, and it devel.
oped that this practically has been de.
oided upon.
Among the questions which will
engage early attention in the Senate
are: The Hawaiian annexation ques-
tion, the claim of Mr.. Corbett to a seat
in the Senate from Oregon, the immi.
grant and the financial question. The
chances are that an early report ON the
Corbett case will be ordered, even
though it may not be favorable. 1t is
not believed that there will be any
serious antagonism to the immigration
bill, but there may be considerable
time consumed in speeches on the sub
jeot.
The naval authorities have long re-.
garded the provisions of existing laws
relating to the administration Of Jus.
tice as defective, in that naval courts
martial are not empowered to secure
the attendance and testimony of civil.
ian witnesses. 1t often happens that
important facts are exclusively known
by civilians and their testimony is re.
quired before almost every important
naval court-martial. 1t rarely happens
that witnesses that can avoid so doing
are willing to appear IN such cases.
Secretary Long has submitted to the
House Naval Committed bill to RENE.
dy the defect without giving the courts
undue authority.