Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1897-02-13
WASHINGTON LETTER
MR.. MURRAY'S CLAIrI.
The Immigrs tion Bill
Amended.
The NE WSPAPER LAW
Senate Committee on Elec
tiODS Decided on Mr..
McKenny.
(From Our Regular Correspo nd ent)

(From Our Regular Correspo nd ent)
WASHINGTON, Feb sth, 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. Repre-
sentative Murray, the colored member
from South Carolina, has announced
his intention to enter q protest against
the counting of the vote of that state,
on the ground that the state has not
constitutionalrepubl form OF gov
eminent. MIR. Murray says he has
made up his mind TO this course in de- |
ference to the wishes of his constitu- !
ents and without consulting with the
republican leaders in Congress. If his
protest, which must be made in writ
ing, be signed by one Senator, it will
be necessary to stop the countingof
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
q Senator.
IMMIGRATION BILL
The immigration bill will have TO go
back to the House, as the Senate re-
jected the conference report on the
oil and further amended it by provid-
ing that illiterate wives and minor
children of immigrants who can meet
the requirements of the bill may be
admitted. 1t was stated that Mr..
Cleveland had said that he would veto
the bill il it we're rent TO him
with the clause which would have adj
mitted the husband who could reed
and shut out his wife and children
over fifteen years of age who could not
left in it. 1t " as also that clause upon
which most of the opposition to the
bill IN the House was based conse
Quently the bill is now reasonably GER
tam to become law.
NICARAGUA BILL.
A confert rec with Speaker Reed and
other repu blican leaders of the House
having convinced The Senators whS
have advocated the Nicaragua Cana
Bill that the bill would not even b,
considered by the House at this SEES
sion, no matter whether the Senat,
passed it or not, those gentlemen hav,
decided to drop the canal bill ant
allow it to join the great aggregation
of legislative might-have-beens.
ARBITRATION TREATY.
Senator Sherman has announced hi
intention to endeaVor TO get the Sen
ate TO take up the Arbitration treat
for consideration at once, but Their
are several reasons which make
doubtful v neither the Senate will dur
ing the present session devote enouR
time to the treaty to dispose of it. TIL
session is rapidly drawing 80 close
and besides the appropriation bill
there are q number OF other lmpol
tant measures upon which the Senat
ought to act. In addition there is
growing opposition TO the treat
among the silver Senators.
CANADIAN COMMITTEE.
Two members OF the Canadian 60
eminent, the Minister OF Trade al
Commerce, and the Minister OF MariI
and Fisheries, arrived in WashingtC
authorized to offer certain trade co
csssions in exchange for duties lc
enough in the new tariff bill TO sIlC
Canadian farmers to dispose of the
products in the United States just
time to learn that the Ways and Mea
the agricultural schedule which pI
scribes duties high enough to prac
cally shut the canadian farmers out
our market. They will endeavor
secure q reconsideration on the part
the Committee By offering special
ducements in the way of concessiC
to certain of our goods and produ
but the Committee had already &
over the matter very carefully 6
been convinced that Canadian com
tition was running our farmers, in 8
tions Of the country, without being
any special benefit to anybody exc
the Canadians, under the low dutie
the present tariff bill, and il 10
likely to change.
SCHEDULE RATES.
In their zeal to give their papers
news of the progress that 10 Dt
made on the tariff bill some well m
ing Washington correspondents
been making a great deal of unnece
ny trouble for the committee by 81
ing the rates left in schedules
have been informally considered
thecommittee to their papers with
statement that they had been detii
ly agreed upon. Neither Chair
Dingley nor any other member oil
Committee will consider any duty
nitely decided upon until the 81
bill lie ready to be reported. The
not wish to be commended or
demned for fractions of the bill bu
the whole measure, which vii
made public when it is completed
SENATOR KENNKY SEATED.
The Senate Committee on Elec
having decided not to reopen
DUPONT case, no objection was !
to the swearing in of Senator KeT
when his credentials we're prese
although Senator Chandler too
vantage OF the occasion to state hi