The Red Cloud chief., 1898-02-18
CONGRESSIONAL CHAT
WEEKS DOINCS OF NATION-
AL LAWMAKERS.
A General Resume of tho Most Import
ant Iabors of the House and Senate
Executive and Departmental Actions
Noted briefly.


900 to construct Il steel steam light
house tender for use on the great
lakes, to be specially fitted for steam
ing through heavy ice.
The senate committee on appropria-
lions completed consideration of the
f~ortitication appropriation bill. The
committee recommended increases
which double the figures of the bill as
passed by the house.
Patents have been granted to Nc
braskans as follows: Luther Baird,
Omaha. washing machine: Silas G..
Dean. Norfolk. window bracket: Anna
5. Fridolph, Wayne, washing machines:
John VI. Lucas. Lincoln. pneumatic
tire; Oscar VI. Miller, Benedict: comb
nation wrench: Samuel A. Rhodes. Me-
Cam. wire tightcner: Joseph n. uurl,
Stcinaucr. fire escape.
Petitions have been introduced in
congress by the Nebraska delegation as
follows: by Senator Allen for citizens
Of Nebraska protesting against the
anti-scalping bill. papers relating to
various pension bills. and by Repre-
s%cntativcS STROBE, Mercer and stark.
petitions from the normal school of
Lincoln praying for the enactment of
legislation to prevent violations of the
anti-cigarcttc law.
senator Allen has offered an amend
Hiont to the diplomatic and consular
appropriation bill the Morgan rcsolu-
ton for the recognition of the bcliger-
cncy Of Cuba. lie said he hoped it
would he speedily acted upon by the
committee on foreign relations. SO
that il would not be defeated in the
senate by Il point of order. senator
Cannon of Utah and senator Mason of
Illinois also had amendments and are
after Spain's scalp.
Acting Secretary of War Mciklciohn
has submitted an abstract of the mill
tia force of the United States accord
ing to the latest returns received at
the adjutant-gencral's Office. The alb
stract shows that there are in NebraS-
ka seven men on the generals staff, in
GLIDING the general. forty-iive in the
cavalry service, tifty-two in light bat
teries and l.O5i in the infantry. II
shows also that there are lOl .99G men
in the state all available for militia
duty.
Representatives of the Cuban iunta
at New York have given out copies of "a
letter signed Enrique Dupuy de
LONE who is minister of Spain at
Washington. and addressed to Jose
Canalcjas, who went to Cuba last Sep
temhcr as Premier Sagasta's personal
representative. In this letter the
Spanish minister refers tO President
Mckinley rs weak and catering to
the rabblc" and as Il low politician,
who desires to stand we'll with the
jingocs of his party II is pronounced
a forgery by de LONE. but the mem
bcrs of the junta claim it genuine, and
that the original vas stolen from Can
a~lcjas.
The house will take up this week
the bankruptcy bill reported from the
committee on judiciary. The measure
is in the nature of a substitute for the
Nelson bill. which passed the senate
and provided only for voluntary bank
ruptcy. The house bill provides for
both voluntary and involuntary bank
ruptcy and is u modification OF the
Torrcy bill, which has been discussed
for Il number Of years past in congress
Judge STROBE has been working hard
with General Henderson of the judici-
AIRY committee for several months past
and urging that the house he afforded
an opportunity to vote upon a bank
ruptcy measure. lie has taken great
interest in the subject and has present
ed a number of arguments to the com
mittec on behalf of the people of the
west who are DESTROYS that II law
should be PASSED which would relieve
them of obligations which they are un-
able to pay In full but which they are
SOLICITORS to meet so far rs they can
and receive a clear bill of financial
health thereafter.
The policy of the administration
concerning the de LONE incident can
be stated briefly and dctinitely-and
on authority not open to question-as
follows: The president is awaiting the
full report of Minister WOodford, who,
in the brief report already made, stat
ed that further details will be for
warded. So far as the personal illu-
sions of the late minister to the presi-
dent are concerned the incident is nm
doubtedly closed. No demand has
been, or will be. made. according Ia
the present intentions, for a disavow-
al of them, though should it be made
it would be regarded as a graceful act.
But the differences in the letter which
bring into question SPANS good faith
on questions of reciprocity. and infer
entially autonomy for Cuba, If not
d~isavowed voluntarily, may become
the subject of further diplomatic cor
respondence, though rs to this matter,
as has been stated heretofore. the
president viii await Minister Wood
lords fuller adviceS before anything
is decided upon. This feature of the
minister's letter is entirely disasso-
ciated from the personal aspect which
resulted in his retirement. It is conf
IDENTIFY expected by this government
that Spain will take early opportunity
to disavow the statements of its late
representative so far rs they tend to
commit Spain to a policy which leaves
its good faith open to serious doubt.
1t Il felt to be most desirable that this
government should have no doubt as
to SPANS real purposes and feelings
on those vital questions which have
been subjects of negotiation, or ARE
likely to become such. in the immedi'
otc future.
Secretary of the Treasury Gage has