The San Francisco call., 1898-03-15
Senate Passes the Bill to Construct Revenue
 Vessels.
Report of the Naval Court of Inquiry Awaited in the
 Maine Investigation.
Passage of a Resolution to Seek In- dennnity From Spain for Injury
 Done to Two Americans.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office, Riggs House,

SdlI OlilSCy 1siSoo AAON'N'
 Washington, March 14
 During it's session of three hours to- day the Senate passed considerable number of bills from the general cal endar. A bill was passed authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to have constructed eight vessels for the reve- nue cutter service, as follows: one 10 take the place of the steamer Seward, cost not to exceed s160,000; one to take the place of the McLane, cost not to exceed $160,000; one to take the place or the Colfax, cost not to exceed Sloo,o0o, one to take the place of the BoutWell, cost not to exceed $160,000; one for ser vice on and in the vicinity or the Co- lumbia River bar, Pacific Coast, cost not to exceed $250, ,000; one for harbor service at Philadelphia to replace the steamer Washington, cost not to eX- ceed $45, 000 one for harbor service at Boston to replace the steamer Hamlin, cost not to exceed $45, ,000; one for har- bor service at New York to replace the Chandler, cost not to exceed $45,0OO.
 A resolution offered last Thursday by Chandler of New Hampshire, approving the course of the committee In the 1nVes- ugation of the Maine disaster, was adopted.
 Almost immediately afterward Allen of Nebraska inquired of Chandler what the Naval Affairs Committee had done re- garding the Investigation of the Maine catastrophe provided for in his resoIu- ton of several weeks ago.
 Chandler said that as yet the commit tee had taken no action regarding the in- vestigation.. He could not speak for the committee, but expressed the opinion that it's policy would be to await the action and findings of the. Naval Court of h. quiry. He called attention to the inter esting fact that naval courts have no authority, under the law, to compel wit. nesses to testify or to punish them ii fore that the Naval Committee, in mak- ing it's investigation, ought to be en- powered to force testimony from wit nesses or to make them suffer pen atty for refusal
 "Is the Senator advised as to whether the Naval Affairs Committee will make an investigation of the Maine disaster?" inquired Allen.
 II am not prepared to speak for the committed" replied Chandler. ''The reso- luton, I take it, places an injunction upon 1 the committee to conduct an investiga- tion, and the resolution agreed to a few minutes ago is in line with that injunc- tion. This is a subject which l do not think ought to be discussed in public. l desire to commend the Senator from 1. Nebras ska for his patriotic restraint in re- training to discuss this natter The conference report on the army ap- propriation bill was reported by Quay (Rep) of Pennsylvania and was agreed
 Proceeding. under unanimous consent. the Senate passed the following meas ures: Amending an act to permit the use of the right of way through public lands for tram roads, canals and reservoirs; permanently locating the capital of the Territory of New Mexico at Santa Fe; granting to the Kettle River Valley Rail- way Company a right of way through the north half of the Colville Indian Reserva- tion in Washington; and relating to leases on the Hot Springs reservation. At this point Lodge of Massachusetts of the Foreign Relations Committee called up the joint resolution for the re- lief of August Bolton and Gustave Riche- lieu.
 The resolution. as reported from the Foreign Relations Committee, is as fol- lows:
 That the President of the United State be and hereby is empowered to take such measures as in his Judgment may be necessary to obtain the indem- nity from the Spanish Government for the wrong and injury suffered by August Bolton and Gustave Richelieu through | their wrongful imprisonment by the | Spanish in Santiago de Cuba in the year 1895, and to secure this end he is author ized and requested to employ such means or exercise such power as may be neces- Sary''
 The resolution was passed