The Red Cloud chief., 1898-03-18
CONGRESSIONAL CHAT
WEEKS DOlNGS OF NATION
AL LAWMAKERS.
5 General Resume Of the Most Import
ant iabors of the House aud senate
Executive and Departmental Actions
cotcd Briefly.

cotcd Briefly.
Three new battleships of the staunch-
est type afioat have been authorized
Ivy the house committee on naval af-
fairs and the provision for their con
struction was inserted in the naval
appropriation bill. The new warships
provided for will be of the finest pat.
tern. 1t will be two years doubtless.
before they can Ice placed in commits
sion. One of them, the committee
decided. should bear the name Of the
i'll fatcd Maine. The appropriation
for their construction was not fixed,
being referred to the subcommittee
on appropriations. which will report
To the full committee soon. The cost
il l. expected, will bc about 5000. 900
each. though for the fiscal year
covered by the bill the expenditure
may not exceed two millions each.
The president does not propose to
spend a. more of the $50 900. 900 that
has been placed in his hands than is
absolutely necessary, and he is de-
termined that as much of il as he i,
required to spend to place the country
~ =" ''Ii'ltivl NliulI W. IN
pended within the limits of the United
states. lie has given instructions to
Secretaries Long and Alger to have
separate books kept and separate nc
counts rendered for all disbursements
from this emergency fund. so that it
shall not be refused in II way with
the regular appropriations. and he
spent two or three hours with thcm
and with Secretary Gage is consider
ing the details. This money is avail
able until the LIST of next January, and
on that date or ~ soon after as pos
Siblc he wishes to- be able to present to
congress II detailed statement account
ing for every dollar in such u manner
~ his most critical opponent will APP.
prove.
In Il ,pirit of patriotism. with clo-
pucnt words ringing in their cars. cv-
cry member of the house of representa-
tiveS responded 10 the presidents first
call TO meet the Spanish situation bv
casting his vote for a bill placing in
President Mckinley's hands $50. OOO.-
600 to he expended at his discretion
for the national defense. Party lines
were swept away and with n unani-
nous voice congress voted it, conf
dcncc in the administration. Many
members who were paired with absent
colleagues took the responsibility OF
breaking their pairs. an unprcccdent-
cd thing in Legislative annals. in order
that they might go on record in sup
port to maintain the dignity and hon
or of their country. Speaker Reed.
who as the presiding officer, seldom
votes only in ease of Il tie. had his
nnuip ,.n1I.I nnl ..,tnl IN. Ii. n,..,.
rs Il representative. The scene of en-
thusiasm which greeted the anouncc-
mcrt az the vote-aycS 81. nays none
has seldom been paralcllcd in the
house.
Colonel Myron VI. Parker. one of the
leading business men of Washington.
who accompanied senator Proctor in
his recent visit Ia Cuba, said that the
Americans OF the Stand had no doubt
that the disaster to the Maine was
caused through Spanish agency. lie
said there was absolutely no differ
cncc of opinion among the Americans
rs To the cause Of the disaster having
been AN cNtcrnal explosion. The in
S%urgcntS. Colonel Parker thought.
were in better shape than ever before.
and would be able to accomplish their
independence in time. The Cubaus.
as Il rule. he believed would be clad
to see the island come under the Amer
lean flag and would do what they
could to bring ahout that result. The
colonel reiterated his statement that
the situation of the rcconccntradocs
was dcplorablc in the extreme. They
were confined in narrow limits and
practically lett To Starvr. The gcncr-
| nAit 4 nf thn App.pi.un n,a,l, hnrr.,..,
was beginning to be felt aud the cN-
trcmc distress was gradually being re-
licycd. lie spoke in the highest terms
of General Lee and the work he WAS
doing. and also of Consul Baker, who
has made great personal sacrifices for
the starving people within his district.
The state of affairs between Spain
and the United States up to Tuesday
Is as follows: Scnor Polo V Bcrnubc.
the new minister from Spain. declares
in I'm interview that his country does
not want war and will try to avert
such Il calamity. lie also Processes to
believe that the scheme of autonomy
for Cuba will prove a complete success
WUrlikc preparation, at Washington
are believed To have had II most marked
effect in Spain and to have Golc much
wv hE' N''uilIp l'uN'' nv pbNtIIl-
mcnt ut Washington has about con
Guided negotiations for the purchase
of two warships from Brazil. Sccrc-
tary Alger will form n new department
of the army 10 be known rs the depart
mcnt of the south. 1t will include the
southern portion Of the department of
the east and Texas, and will be
under the command of General Graham.
Headquarters will be at Atlanta, Ga.
Orders have been issued for manning
all Notifications on the Atlantic and
Gulf of Mexico and all work for the
coast dcfcnscs has been ordered
rushed Men are working night and
day in a%rscnals and armories on
trollcd by the government. Ncwspa-
pers of Madrid cnll upon the Sagasta
government to stop the panic there by
II clear statement rs to the conditions
in Cuba and SPANS international
affairs. Reports from Shanghai say
the proSpect of trouble between the