The herald., 1897-04-10
TO BLOCK
BUSINESS
Unless Committees Are
Appointed
SIMPSON MAKES DIRE THREAT
TO DEMAND A QUORUM EVERY
SESSION
SIMPSON MAKES DIRE THREAT
Senatorial Advice to Mckinley Care
fully Laid on the Solicitation
on Sealing Questions
Press Special Wire.

| Associated Press Special Wire.
WASHINGTON. April 9.-Represen-
tative Simpson of Kansas declares that
he will carry into effect his threat to
block any business which the house may
! attempt to do by unanimous consent be-
fore the speaker has appointed commit
tees. He says he will also call for quo
rum to approve the journal each time
the house meets. There is no legisla
ton for the house In prospect until the
tariff or appropriation bills are returned
to it by the senate except the smaller
matters of routine business, which are
l.6ely to arise and which have been con-
sidered recently by unanimous consent.
Should the additional measures for the
relief of the sufferers by the Mississippi
floods be brought forward, Mr.. Simpson
proposes to compel the presence of
quorum and the action of committee
on them or the adoption of a special rule
for their consideration.
The Democrats do not intend to abet
Mr.. Simpson in his obstructive tactics.
FILED AWAY
The senate resolution protesting
against summary proceedings between
the Spanish officials in Cuba against
the captive insurgent leader Rivera, has
reached the state department through
the White House. Senator Sherman re-
garding 1t as merely declaratory of the
sense of the senate and offered in an ad-
visory rather than mandatory spirit, has
dlad nd {c ko1 ~ rrxr
out its suggestions and lodge a protest
with the Spanish government. particu-
larly in view of the information he has
received that Rivera is not to be shot.
THE SEAL HERD
Charles H. Hamlin, ex-assistant sec
retary of the treasury, who has been re-
tanned by the government as counsel to
assist in the conduct of the negotiations
with Great Britain looking to a perma-
nent settlement of the Bering sea seal
ing question, said today that his posi-
ton would be~simply advisory to ex-
Secretary John w. Foster, who will have
general direction of the negotiations.
Mr.. Hamlin will return to Boston tomor-
row to resume his law practice, but will
come to Washington from time to time
for consultation with Mr.. Foster. The
sealing regulations under the Paris
award were put into operation in 1894
and were to run five years, or two sea-
sons longer. The apparent decrease in
the number of female seals during the
last two or three seasons has reached
such proportions that it is feared two
more seasons of indiscriminate slaughter
by pelagic sealers will have practically
destroyed the industry. The British as
we'll as the American investigators have
reached this conclusion and 1t Is the pur-
pose of the United States to bring about
a new agreement by which both coun-
tries shall take active measures to pre-
serve the seal herds for all time to come.
It is expected that Mr.. Foster will give
his entire time to the question until
final settlement Is reached.
VETERANS PLANS
Secretary Bliss is carrying out the
policy Of the administration in restoring
to the classified government service war
veterans who are held to have been i'm
properly removed from office by the
last administration. Today he rein
stated Captain Henry c. Potter of Ohio
to his old position as chief of the mineral
division of the land office. and Captain
George Redway of California as chief
of the accounts division of the general
land office.
THE TARIFF BILL.
The Republican senators who are act
ing as a subcommittee of the senate
committee on finance in the preparation
of the tariff bill, are inclined to postpone
the date Of the presentation of the bill
to the senate little beyond the limit
originally fixed by them. They express
the opinion that 1t may be two weeks
from the present time before it will be in
shape to be reported. Some OF them post
pone the time until two weeks from next
Monday. The committee is making very
satisfactory progress with the bill, ami
many of the schedules have received
final attention, among them being chem
icals and cotton None of the more puz-
zling questions, however, have been dis
posed Of The committee has deemed
it wisest to leave the rates on WOOL su-
gar, hides, wool, lead ore, lumber and all
the other important subjects until the
simpler matters can be determined
They take the position that they can set
tie the disputed points more satisfac-
torily after the other features Of the
bill are thoroughly digested and the
probable revenue determined. Many Of
the smaller items accordingly have beer
decided upon. While no detailed in
formation can be secured, 1t is under
stood that many reductions in duties
have been made. The disposition of the
committee is to make quite general re-
duction, but this is found to be a task not
easy of accomplishment, because Of the
insistence of senators upon having the
strongest protection of the articles in
which they are particularly interested
There are, indeed, many demands for in
crease, and some Of these are so press
ing that the members of the committee
are finding themselves considerably en-
barrassed between desire to satisfy sen.
ators whose vote will be essential to the
success Of the bill and their conviction