The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-02-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondence of the WING.

Regular Correspondence of the WING.
WASHINGTON, Feb. s, 1897
The most important event OF this week in
| Congress will be the counting of the electoral
vote by the two Houses of Congress in joint
session. Representatives Murray, the colored
member from South Carolina has announced
his intention to enter protest against the
counting Of the vote OF that State ON the
ground that the State has not a constitutional
republican form of government. Mr.. Murray
Says he has made up his mind to this course
in Difference TO the wishes of his constituents
aud without consulting with the Republican
leaders in Congress. If his protest, which
must be made in writing he signed by one
Senator, it will be necessary to stop the count
! ing of the votes until the House and Senate
in separate session shall decide the validity
of the protest. SO far as known the protest
has not yet been signed by Senator.
*A*
The immigration bill will have to 20 back
to the House, as the Senate rejected the con-
ference report on the bill and further amended
it by providing that iiterate wives and minor
children Of immigrants who can meet the re-
quirements of the bill may be admitted 1t
was stated that Mr.. Cleveland had said that
he would veto the bill if it were sent to him
with the clause which would have admitted
| the husband who could read and shut out
his wife and children over fifteen years of
age who could. not read left in it. 1t was
also that clause upon which most of the
opposition to the bill in the House was based:
consequently the bill is now reasonably GER
tain to become law.
*.*
A conference with Speaker Reed and other
Republican leaders Of the House having con-
WINGED the Senators who have advocated the
Nicaragua Canal bill that the bill would not
even be considered by the House ut this ses-
sion, no matter whether the Senate passed it
or not, those gentlemen have decided to drop
the canal.bill and allow it to join the great
aggregation of legislative NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
-
Senator Sherman has announced his inten-
ton to endeavor to get the Senate to take up
the arbitration treaty for consideration at
once, but there are several reasons which
make it doubtful whether the Senate will,
during the present session, devote enough
time to the treaty to dispose of it. The ses-
sion is rapidly drawing to close. and besides
the appropriation bills there are number of
other important measures upon which the
Senate ought to act. In addition there is u
growing opposition to the treaty among the
silver Senators.
Two members OF the Canadian government
the Minister of Trade and Commerce and the
Minister of Marine and Fisheries, arrived in
Washington authorized to offer certain trade
concessions in exchange for duties low enough
in the new tariff bill to allow Canadian farm
ers to dispose OF their products in the United
States Just in time to learn that the Ways and
Means Committee had informally agreed to
the agricultural schedule which prescribes
duties high enough to practically shut the
Canadian farmers out of our market. They
| will endeavor to secure Il consideration on
the part of the committee by Offering special
| inducements in the way of concessions to
certain of our goods and products. but the
committee had already gone over the matter
very carefully and been convinced that
Canadian competition was running our farm
ers, in sections of the country, without being
of any special benefit to anybody except the
Canadians, under the low duties of the pres
ent tariff BILL and it is not likely to change.
In their zeal to give their papers the news
OF the progress that is being made on the
tariff bill some well meaning Washington
correspondents have been making a great
deal of unnecessary trouble for the committee
by sending the rates left in schedules that
have been informally considered by the COM
mittee to their papers with the statement that
they have been definitely agreed upon.
Neither Chairman Dingley nor any other
member Of the committee will consider any
duty definitely decided upon until the entire
bill is ready to be reported. They do not
wish to be commended or condemned for
fractions of the bill but for the whole meas
ure, which will be made public when it is
completed.
The Senate Committee on Elections having
decided not to reopen the DUPONT case. no
objection was made to the swearing in of
Senator Kenney, when his credentials were
presented. although Senator Chandler took
advantage of the occasion to state his belief
that the seat belonged rightfully to Col. Du-
Pont, belief. it is needless 10 say, that is
shared by every Republican Senator, and
which was voted by them at the last session
when the Populists joined the Democrats and
refused by bare majority to allow Col. Du-
Pont to be seated.