Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-02-24
THE DEATH OF RICARDO RUIZ
To Be Investigated in the Senate
Chamber.
STATEMENT OF THE FACTS.
Concerni9 Us Arrest, Imprisonment and Death
.Ssked From the President.
oPElSaG OF INDIAN RESERVATION
sS ttlement Calls Forth Bitter War of
Words Civil Service Law Throws
the House Into Spirited Debate
Naval Appropriations.

Washington, Feb. 23.-In the senate to-
day resolution was offered by Mr.. Mills
| (dem., Tex) and was agreed to, request
| ing the president to furnish a statement
| of the facts concerning the arrest, i'm
| prisonment and death of DR.. Ricardo
| Ruiz in a Cuban Jail.
| The yice-president laid before the ssn-
| ate a report from the secretary of state
as to the persons claiming to be Ameri-
can citizens, who were captured on board
the Competitor Referred to the commits
tee on foreign relations. The report con-
tains nothing new, Secretary Olney stat
ing that practically all the information
callsd for by the resolution" had been
submitted to the senate Jan. %, last, and
that since that date nothing had taken
place of consequence either in the way
of information received or correspond
enee exchanged.
Practically the entire day was con-
sumed in discussion of an amendment
in the Indian appropriation bill for the
opening to settlement of the Uncompah-
| gre Indian reservation in Utah, contain
| ing over 1000, 900 acres.
| Th= amendment was resisted by Mr..
| Villas (dem., Wis., principally on the
| ground that it was in the interest of rich
| corporations who were engaged in the
| business Of extracting aSphaltum and gill
senite of which there are large and val
| liable deposits in this reservation. Be-
| fore abandoning the fight, Mr. Villas pro-
posed an amendment looking into this
which were then to be leased for twenty
five years, a royalty of so much per ton
to be paid to the government. This WAS
fought by Mr.. Brown (rep., Utah) as
entirely at variance with the mining laws
of the country, and with the interests
of the people. 1t was defeated; and
then the original ana sndment somewhat
modified, was agreed to- That one par
agraph was the only paragraph which
the senate made in the Indian appropria-
tion bill. 1t was laid aside at 4;40 and
| the senate proceeded to the consideration
| of executive business and shortly af-
| terward adjourned until tomorrow at II
| a. m.
IN THE HOUSE.
The house. late this afternoon, ran un-
expectedly into an interesting and pos
| sibly significant discussion of the civil
| service law. 1t came about by the con-
sideration of bill to amend the re-
yised statutes, so as to give the gov
ernors of the territories the power to
remove as well as to appoint territorial
officers.
1t was participated in by a dozen men,
bers or more, nearly all of whom critics.
ed and condemned the civil service law,
it finding it's only defenders in Repre-
sentatives Brosius Gep. of Pennsylva-
nia), and Walker, of assachusetts.
Mr.. Grosvenor, (rep. of Ohio), denied
| the law as a "Sinuous infamous con-
| spiracy upon the government" and ex-
| pressed the opinion that tide was ris-
! ing in this country which would sweep
| bureaucracy from power.
Mr. Bailey, of Texas, democrat, de-
| seribed the system as a humbug, and
! said the reason why the democratic party
| did not repeal the law when it had the
| power, was that it did not have enough
| sense.
Mr. Brosius deprecated the sentiments
| of Mr.. Grosvenor and of the republican
| applause which their utterance evoked,
| saying that, in view of Major McKinley's
| we'll known attitude toward the merit
| system, it seemed to him "a flashing
| of a sword in the heart of the president
| elect"
The bill that started the debate was
| passed.
| Most of the session was spent in CON-
| sderation of the naval appropriation bill.
Mr.. Barrett, rep. of Massachusetts),
criticised the bill for its failure to make
| appropriation for what he deemed to be
| one of the most important parts of the
| service, the construction of dry docks,
and he moved an amendment authorizing
| one to be built at the Boston navy yard
! to cost not exceeding 81 100000 He made
4 an extended speech in support of the
| amendment which was followed by a
| long and somewhat acrimonious discus
! sion, but 1t was finally defeated, only
| about half a dozen members supporting
| it. The bill was passed exactly as IL
| came from the committee on naval af-
| fairs.
Senate bills were passed granting a
| pension to the widow of the late Gen.
| Thomas L. Casey, chief of engineers, with
| an amendment reducing the amount from
| SIS to $50 per month; also authorizing the
| Montgomery, Hayneville and Camden
| Railroad company to build a bridge
across the Alabama river between Lower
| Peachtree and Mary Bluff.
| At SIS p. m. the house adjourned until
| tomorrow
AN IMPORTANT ARREST.
JaoI,con Miec Feb cttu ro-