Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-01-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From Our Special Correspondence

~. ", jan. ", vi.
Inc members of the Senate Commit
zee on Foreign Relations made It yery
PLAIN to Secretary Olney at the meet.
ing OF the committee that he attended
upon The invitation of Senator Sher.
man. now Chairman of that commit.
'ee ana soon to succeed him at the
mead OF the State department, that
neither prejudice o a desire to get
even with the administration was play-
ing any part in the consideration of
the arbitration treaty; that Senators
were only after the fullest information
about those sections of the treaty. upon
which more than one construction
could be placed, and that when that
information had been obtained the
treaty would be dealt with according
to its merits.
The result of none of the Senatorial
contests gave more satisfaction to Re-
pdblicans in Congress than the re cleo.
ton of Senator Pritchard, of North
Carolina. There was q double salts.
faction. They were glad to see Sena.
tor Pritchard re elected, because they
thought he deserved to re, and because
1t was a singing defeat for Senator
Butler, the man who traded the Popu-
list votes to Sewall, and who has been
posing as the biggest headed rooster in
the Populist barnyard and otherwise
making a show OF himself.
This week has been almost entirely
devoted to routine business in both
branches of Congress, excepting the
time given up to the Nicarauga Canal
bill in the Senate. The Republican
members of the House Ways and
Means Committee are sticking steadily
TO the hard task of preparing tie tariff
bill-how hard this work is, there are
few who understand, outside of those
who have taken part in similar jobs.
Ex.President Harrison, ex.Attorney
General Miller and ex-Vice President
Morton were in Washington this week,
but their visit has no political signifi
canoe, as neither of them is now &C
lively In politics. The first two came
IN connection with a case they had be.
fore the Supreme Court and the latter
on business connected with his large
holdings of Washington real estate.
A petition signed by more than two
hundred members of the House, asking
that time be given for the considera.
ton of twenty two bills on the calen.
dar providing for the erection of pub.
lie buildings in various States, was
presented to Speaker Reed this week
by a committee headed by Representa-.
tive Hicks, of Pennsylvania. Mr. Reed
now has the matter under considera-
ton. Although he candidly told the
committee he was personally opposed
to appropriations of this nature while
the annual deficit is $5S, OOO, 900, and
that ne did not approve of passing bills
providing for public buildings and
leaving the appropriations to pay for
them to be made by other Congresses,
there is a possibility that no may grant
the request of the siguer of the petition
and set aside DIE or more days for the
consideration of these bills.
The silver Democrats are already
weakening on their program of pre-.
venting the confirmation of the nomi-
nation of gold Democrats for office.
Secretary Francis was confirmed with.
out a division, and the nominations of
ex Congressman Forman, who was the
gold Democratic candidate for Gov.
ernor Of Illinois, to be Commissioner
of Internal Revenue, and of William
Crow McCreery to be collector of the
First District of Missouri. have been ia
vorably reported and will probably be
confirmed. Some of the small fry nom.
nations will probably be permanently
hung up, because they have nobody in
the Senate to make a fight for them.
The House Committee on Public
Lands spoiled some Democratic stories
by promptly reporting back to the
House the Free Homestead bill just as
it was passed by the Senate. Chairman
Lacey presented a minority report ia.
voring the exception of lands the Gov.
eminent is selling as trustee for In.
dians.
Senators will not discuss the Della.
ware Senatorial muddle for publica.
ton, but it is a good guess to say that
Mr.. Kenney, the Democrat who claims
to have been elected to the Senate
from that State a few days ago, will
not be escorted to a seat in that body
on the day he presents his credentials.
Col. Du Pont thinks he has a prior
claim on that seat, and the Committee