The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-15
Construction Authorized of Eight
New r svenue Cutters, Not to Exceed
the Aggregate Cost of s2,O25, 600.
SENATE NAVAL COMMITTEE
GETTING READY TO INVESTIGATE
THE LOSS OF THE MAINE.
Kansas Law to Bar Out Fever-Infect-
ed Cattle Upheld by the United
States supreme Court.


WASHINGTON, March 14.--During its
session of three hours to-day the Senate
passed considerable number of bills from
the general calendar. among the number
being one authorizing the construction of
eight new revenue cutters, not exceeding in
aggregate cost the sum of 81 OBS, 900. The
national quarantine bill was made the reg
ulat order of business, and will be taken up
probably on Wednesday,.
beautiful, tender and touching prayer
was delivered by the chaplain at the open
ing of the session to-day in memory of will
liam e. Spencer, journal clerk of the Sem
ate, who died last Friday morning.
bill extending for one year the time
within which the Pittsburg & Mansfield
Railroad Company is authorized to con-
struct bridge across the Monongahela
river was passed.
A resolution offered last Thursday by Mr..
Chandler. authorizing the committee on ma
val affairs to send for persons and papers
in the course of the investigation of the
Maine disaster, was adopted.
Almost Immediately afterward Mr. Allen
inquired of Mr.. Chandler what the naval
affairs committee had done regarding the
investigation of the Maine catastrophe as
provided for by his resolution of several
weeks ago.
Mr.. Chandler said that as yet the commit
tee had taken action regarding the in
vestigation. He could not speak for the
committee, but expressed the opinion that
its policy would be to await the action and
findings of the naval court of inquiry. He
called attention to the interesting fact that
naval courts have no authority under the
law TO compel witnesses to testify or to
punish them if they should refuse. He
thought therefore, that the naval commit
tee, in making its investigation ought to
be empowered to force testimony from wit
nesses or suffer penalty for refusal
is the senator advised as to whether the
naval affairs committee will make an in
vestigation of the Maine disaster?' in
quired Mr.. Allen.
Il am not prepared to speak for the COM
mittee," replied Mr.. Chandler. 1.-THE reso-
luton, / take it, places an injunction OH the
committee to conduct an investigation, and
the resolution agreed to a few minutes ago
is in line with that injunction. This is
subject which do not think ought to be
discussed in public. / desire to commend
the senator from Nebraska for his patriotic
restraint in refraining from discussing this
natter
preparation bill was presented by Mr. Quay,
and was agreed to. Proceeding under unani-
nous consent, the Senate passed the follow
ing measures: Amending an act to permit
the use Of tho right of way through public
lands for tram roads, canals and reservoirs;
ermanently locating the capital of the Ter
ritory of New Mexico at Santa Fe; granting
to the Kettle River Valley Railway Com
pany right of way through the north half
of the Colville Indian reservation in Wash
ington and relating to leases on the Hot
Springs reservation.
At this point Mr. Lodge of the foreign re-
latiOns committee, called UP the joint reso-
luton for the relief of August Bolten and
Gustave Richelieu. The resolution, as re-
ported from the foreign relations committee
is as follows: THAT the President of the
United States be- and he is hereby empow
cred to take such measures as, in his judg-
ment. may be necessary to obtain the in
demnty from the Spanish government for
the wrongs and injuries suffered by August
Bolten and Gustave Richelieu, by reason of
their wrongful arrest and Imprisonment by
Spanish authorities at Santiago de Cuba in
the year 1895; and to secure this end he is
authorized and requested to employ such
means or exercise such power as may be
necessary" The resolution, to which objec-
tion was made few days ago, was passed
without debate.
Other bills were passed as follows: To re-
fer certain claims for Indian depredations
to the Court of Claims; to incorporate the
National Florence Crittenden Mission: TO
provide for the disposal of the abandoned
Fort Shaw military reservation in Montana
under the homestead, mining and other land
laws of the United States; TO pay Hattie A.
Phillips, widow of John p. Phillips, 700 for
services rendered by John Phillips in bear
ing dispatches from the commanding officer
at Fort Phil Kearney to Fort Laramie, in
December, 1856, after the massacre OF the
United States soldiers under Lieutenant
Colonel Fetterman, by the Sioux Indians,
and by whose services the garrison at Fort
Phil Koarney, then. surrounded by Sioux In
dams. was rescued and saved from ami
hilation; to authorize the secretary of war
to loan tents to the citizens committee of
Cincinnati FOR use during the thirty-second
Annual Encampment of the G. A R.; TO
pay the heirs of the late John Roach $3.50, l5l
ton, ETC., of the gunboats Chicago, Boston
and Atlanta; to provide for the appoint
ment of a commission under the direction
of the secretary of war for the preliminary
survey, with plans. specifications and APP
proximate estimates of cost thereof, for the
construction of ship canal of approved
width and depth, fl 5m the lower shores of
Lake Michigan to the Wabash river.
At the suggestion IF Mr.. Foraker, of
Ohio, the bill for the Incorporation of the
International American Bank was called up.
The bill provides that the bank shall have
8 capital If $5O0O,000, which may be in
creased to $50, .000 and that its main Of
with branches in Mexico. the West Indies
and IN Central and South America. Obtec-
ton was lSade to consideration of the bill,
but 1t was read for information, until Mr..
Cockreil, OF Missouri objected even to that.
A bill to increase the pension of Mrs.
I.etitia Tyler Semple. daughter of Presi-
dent John Tyler, to $50 a month was passed.
as was also the joint resolution relative to
the appropriation for the Rouge river, Mich
igan.
Mr. Hoar called up resolution reported
vIding for the submission to the legisla-
lures of the various States of a proposed
amendment to the Constitution of the