The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-16
AROUND The CAPITOL.
Consideration of Private Bills Makes
Dull Day In House.
Bill Introduced For Purchase
of Cuba.
Committee on Pacific Gable Holds Important
Session.

Washington, Jan. 16.-Yesterday was
private bin day. andthe house proceed
tngs were exceedingly dull and uninter-
esting. The widow of the late Major
General John Gibbon was the bene-
hciary of one of the bills passed, carry
ang 500 per month. and the widow
OF Brevet Major General w. A. Nichols
OF another, carrying $75 per month.
The free homestead bill, which came
back to the house with senate amend
ments, was referred, under a ruling of
the chair, to the committee on public
lands.
At the evening session of the house
IL private pension bills were reported
with a favorable recommendation.
Among them Were bills granting pen
sion OF $50 per month to the widow of
General Green Cay Smith. and $75 per
month to the widow Of General Henry
A. Morrow. The last mentioned bill was
advocated by Representative Mercer,
who had the amount increased from $50
10 the amount named.
Representative Spencer Of Missis-
sippi introduced bill which follows:
The secro ary Of state is hereby au-
thorized to oiier to the government of
Spain sum Of money, not to exceed
500, 100000. for the purchase of the island
of Cuba.
And the sum of $4,000, or so much
thereof as may be necessary to defray
the expenses of pending negotiations, is
hereby appropriated"
The Pacific cable project was consid-
cred again yesterday by the house COM
mittee on commeSce. which listened to a
rat mt
behalf OF the Pacific Gable company OF
New Jersey, in which he is associated
with Colonel Spaulding of Honolulu,
Ogden Mills, James j. Hill, Abram S.
Hewitt and other capitalists.
General Swayne urged the house COM
mittee to recommend the senate bill,
which authorizes the postmaster gen.
eral to contract for a cable from the
Pacific coast to Japan, by way of the
Haw allan islands. with an annual sub
sidy not exceeding 100000. A bill has
been reported to the house for subsidy
of 100000 year to the Pacific Cable |
company of New York, i'm which James |
Scrymser and j. p. Morgan are inter- |
ested.
The recent colonial conference, which |
decided upon the project of q British |
cable from Vancouver to Japan, by way
Of Australia and Honolulu, General
Swayne said, endangered the success of
an American enterprise. unless immedi-
ate steps were taken by congress. He |
urged the house to adopt q plan which |
would insure competition for the sub |
sidy. believing that no bill giving a sub |
sidy to a particular company would |
succeed while 1t was known that other |
responsible parties desired to bid. That |
Fart Of the project of the Scrymser COM
pany which contemplates a cable from |
Japan to China, General Swayne held to |
be unnecessary, because two estab- |
lished cables fill that field now Nor did |
he believe a cable could be finished to |
Honolulu within year and japan with |
In 1S months, as that company offers to |
do. He offered in behalf of the corpora
ton which he represents to deed Colonel |
Spalding's concessions from the Ha-
&aiian government to the successful bid
der under any bill which provided for
competition.