The herald., 1897-03-04

| o'clock the first conference report on tns
naval bill, reporting a partial agree
| ment, was agreed To.
| Mr.. Hopkins of Illinois (Rep) moved
the concurrence In the senate amend
ment still in dispute to fix the price of
| armor plate at $500 per ton, the house
| provision having fixed thep rice at $40O.
| The motion carried.
| Mr.. Robinson of Pennsylvania (Rep.)
made the point of no quorum and after
some wrangling it was decided to take
| a vote at O'clock when more members
| were present.
| The agreement on the Notifications bill
was reported and agreed to and at GAO
/ the house took recess until $3.50 After
the recess there was more discussion OF
the cost of armor plate. which resulted
finally in the acceptance of the senate
amendment reducing the price to $500
a ton. This action was taken by vote
of 131 to 81.
Mr.. Boutelle, chairman OF the naval
committee, who had made fight against
the armor plate amendment and had
been refused unanimous consent to
speak few minutes, moved to accept
the other senate amendments, which he
said included nothing important ex-
cepting three torpedo boats and prac-
tice for the Annapolis cadets This mo-
ton was agreed to and the naval bill
thus disposed of.
Then the Indian bill conference re-
port was presented and the house voted
to accept the senate amendment on the
school question and mineral lands and
the bill was disposed of so far as the
house Is concerned.
The District of Columbia appropria-
tion bill was reported by Mr.. Grout Of
Vermont. who stated the conferees had
settled all differences. The report was
agreed to.
This left but two appropriation bills,
the sundry civil and the deficiency to
be finished so far as the house can act,
and at 1920 the house took recess
until IL o'clock tomorrow.
SESSION NOTES
The vice president today received the
following telegram. dated at Boise City,
Idaho. and signed by thirty members
of the Idaho legislature:
The undersigned members of the leg
islature of Idaho now in session re-
spectfully protest against Henry Heit-
field being sworn in as senator from Ida
ho for the reasons set forth in the pro-
test heretofore filed, and because proof
of fraud, bribery and corruption in the
relation of said Heitfield, as more fully
appears from an affidavit of Represen-
tative H. s. JONES, which has been for
warded.
The telegram was referred to the COM
mittee on privileges and elections.
THE GREAT CANAL.
The president today sent to the SEN
ate correspondence on file at the state
department relative to the Nicaraguan
canal. Probably the most important
part of the correspondence Is a COM
munication from Minister Baker to Sec
retary Olney, dated February 1886. in
which he details an interview with
pr-nc al t.,
which the latter stated that he had
taken the opinion of commission of
three lawyers, who agreed that the
Maritime Canal company had forfeited
its concessions by its failure to do any
work for many years. Mons. Zelaya
then expressed to Minister Baker the
hope that the United States would take
up the enterprise. He said it could be
very easily arranged to have the con-
this country. as he had reached the con-
clusion that only a great government
could put the work through.
II asked the president" said Mr.. Ba-
ker, 'if his government had at any
time an offer from any foreign country
to take hold of the enterprise on condi-
tior. that the present contract should be
gotten rid of. He frankly said it had
not"
odhtt d0dS tidt ic biilS
statement at President Zelaya's request,
in order that his position may be under
stood at Washington. The correspon-
dence includes several letters from Mr.
Blaine when he was secretary Of state.
ACTS IN FORCE.
The president has signed the follow
ing acts: To establish an additional
land office in Montana; granting life
saving medal to Daniel E. Lyon of Port
Huron, Mich; to provide for the re-
moval of the International bank of
Kansas City, Kan, to Kansas City, Mo-;
to vacate Sugar Loaf reservoir site in
Colorado and restore the lands to entry;
to prevent the importation of impure
and unwholesome teas; to define the
rights of aliens to hold real estate in the
and prevent trespassing on
military parks.
The bill to provide for holding court
in Utah has become an act without the
signature.
The international monetary confer
ence bill is now law, President Cleve-
land signing it this afternoon.
The president has signed the bill to al
low bottling of spirits In bond, in which
distillers are greatly interested
At 2:30 am. the conference eport on
the sundry civil appropriation bill was
agreed to and the house took recess
for one hour.