The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1898-03-24
AT WASHINGTON.

The government receipts from inter
nal revenue Monday were S721 $50; Gus
toms, S403, 239; miscellaneous, $685..
oil; expenditures, 1,20S, 900.
At the opening of the session of the
House Saturday Mr.. Dngley, the floor
leader of the majority, offered the bill
reported from the Ways and Means
Committee, providing for the free entry
into this country of guns, ammunition
and other naval supplies and war ma
terial purchased abroad until Jan. /,
1899 He explained that the committee
had unanimously reported the bill 1t
was asked for by the secretaries of war
and navy. Some of the Democrats under
took to poke fun at Mr.. Dingley by ask
ing him why these supplies should be
admitted free of duty if the foreigner
paid the tax Mr.. Dingley replied
rather sharply that it was perfectly
understood that where articles were
purchased abroad and imported the
purchaser paid the duty.
Despite expenditures for ornaments
and other extraordinary pay ments, the
treasury continues to gather in gold by
the hundreds of thousands every day.
The gold reserve has passed the S170,-
OO0,0 900 mark.
The House Monday, unanimously
passed the bill for the relief of the sur
vivors and victims of the Maine disaster.
The bill reimburses the surviving officers
and men for the losses they sustained to
an amount not to exceed years sea
pay, and directs the payment of sum
equal to years pay to the legal heirs
of those who persisted. There was
quite spirited debate over an amend
ment suggested by Mr.. Cannon to give
the survivors each years pay out of
hand instead of attempting to reimburse
them for actual losses Some old alleg-
ed scandals in connection with the re-
endorsement of the survivors of the
Samoan disaster were raked up but the
debate in the end was saved from a
rather sordid tone by beautiful tribute
paid to the gallant dead by Mr.. Cousins
of Iowa, in a short but eloquent speech.
The remainder of the day was occupied
in the consideration of the old claim of
John Roach, the shipbuilder, for 1881 :
600. No action was taken upon the
claim.
After the transaction of some routine
business in the sen tie, Monday, Bacon,
Ga, introduced an amendment which
he announced lie would offer to the
resolution providing for the annexation
of the Hawaiian islands to the United
states. The amendment provides that
the resolution shall not be effective I'M
til the question of annexation shall have
been submitted to the qualified electors
Of Hawaii and passed upon affirmatively
by them. The amendment is the same
which Mr.. Bacon offered to the Hawaiian
treaty.
The Senate, Monday, confirmed these
nominations: John Daland to be col.
lector of customs, district of Salem and
Beverly, Mass. Webster Street, chief
justice of the supreme court, territory
of Arizona.
Secretary Long issued an order Mon
day that the Amazonas, the cruiser re-
Gently purchased from the Brazilian
government, hereafter shall bear the
name of New Orleans" in honor of the
principal city of Louisiana, and the
Abrouan, recently purchased in England
from the Brazilian government, here
after will be known as the AL.
bany in honor of the capital of the
Empire State.
The naval appropriation bill, ~hi' h
was reported to the House, Tuesday,
carries total of $35, 093, 050. an increase
over last year of $3,764. 432 and over the
current estimates of $2,5 1924.
After the cabinet meeting, Tuesday
the following statement was given from
an official source: at was understood
at the cabinet meeting Tuesday that the
report of the court Of inquiry would
be here, Thursday or Friday, that it is a
very voluminous document; that proba-
bly, 1t will not be given to the press and
to Congress before Monday; that the
President will require that much time
for Its proper consideration.