Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-05-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
FspHs.AI CORRESPONDENTS or THE Morrror
Washington, Mag 9th, 1898.

President McKinley's recommends
ton for Congressional action in honor
of Commodore Dewey's great victory
in many respects the greatest in
annals of naval warfare-was
promptly acted upon. Chairman Bou
telle, of the House naval committee,
has reported joint resolution of
thanks to Commodore Dewey, and
bill creating an additional rear admiral
in the navy. The latter will enable
the President to promote Commodore
Dewey. Immediately upon receipt
of his official report Of the battle of
Manila harbor, Secretary Long in the
name of the President cabled to Com
modore Dewey promoting him to Act
ing Admiral, and rendering him the
thanks of himself and of the people
for his great achievement.
The more the official report of Com
modore Dewey is studied the more
wonderful his victory appears. He
entered Manila harbor, protected by
mines, heavy shore batteries, a feet
of eleven ships, mounting about one
hundred guns and carrying about
1000 men, and destroyed all eleven of
of the ships and captured all the bat
teries. And the most wonderful part
of this wonderful exploit was that not
single man on an American ship
was killed and not a single ship mate
rally injured, and only half dozen
men were wounded.
Troops are to be sent to garrison
the Philippine Islands just as soon as
the ships to carry them from San
Francisco can be got ready About
10000 will go.
News of an important victory is
hourly expected from Admiral Samp-
sons fleet, although its exact where
abouts is secret known only to the
officials. The general belief is that it j
is on a double errand-to whip the
Spanish feet, if it can be found, and
to capture Porto Rico. The army is
also likely to move on to Cuba any day
Senator Sewell's acceptance of the
commission of major general in the
volunteer army, to which he was NOM
mated and confirmed at the same
time that Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, Gen. Jo-
seph Wheeler, Gen. James III. Wilson,
and the seven brigadier generals of
the regular army were, is not certain,
and will depend upon the opinion of
Attorney General Grigg, to whom the
matter has been referred las to wheth
er the commission can be accepted
without vacating the seat in the Sen
ate now held by General Sewell. If it
cannot, the Senator will decline the
commission, and the general impress
sion is that it cannot.
The House has made record at
this session of which republicans, who
have controlled and directed it's
course may well be proud. 1t has
passed 20S bills that have become
laws, and about 200 other bills that
are now on the Senate calendar The
war measures-the 500, 10000 appro-
priation, the armed intervention res
olution, the declaration of war, the
volunteer army bill, the bill for reor-
revenue bill, the bill appropriating
s36,000,00O for the expenses of the
army land minor war bills-have prob
ably not taken more than a week of
the time of the House altogether, so
promptly have they been disposed Of.
z The opponents in the Senate of the
annexation of Hawaii having made it
practically certain that the annexation
treaty would fail to receive the neces-
sary two thirds if pushed to a vote in
the Senate, the machinery for secur-
ing annexation by joint resolution has
been put in motion, and the House
on Foreign Relations will this week
favorably report the same, and, if the
opportunity occurs will at once push
it through the House. President
Mckinley would be justified in taking
possession of Hawaii as a war meas
ure, even if the present government |
of Hawaii had not formally rendered
the islands to the United States, and
he may yet do SO, but he much pre-
fers that annexation should come |
through Congressional action.
Some decidedly interesting infor-
nation is contained in "advance
sheets of Consular Reports" issued |
daily by the Bureau Of Foreign Com
merce Of the State Department. For
instance, that the island Of Luzon, on