Abilene weekly reflector., 1898-01-13
HAWAIIAN TREATY.
Motion offered for Conducting the
Debate with Open Doors.
PETITIONS ABOUT CIGARETTE LAWS.
The Civil Service Law Debated In the House
-Reducti0n OF the Pork Inspection
Oklahoma School
Fund Bill.

merrill, OI CnlcaSO, delivered t1e luvO'
cation at the opening Of the senate
yesterday. A bill was reported favor.
ably from the Indian committee pre-.
venting railroad companies from
charging more than three cents mile
for passengers through the Indian
territory.
A resolution looking to the filtration
of the water used in the city OF WASH
ington caused Senator Hale, before it
was referred to the District of Colum-
bia committee, to say that in no part
of the United States was there city
whose citizens are so imposed upon and
abused as to the water supply as are
the citizens of Washington. "We are
confronted with bad, foul water,' said
he, 80 filthy indeed as to make it dan
gerous to drink, and irksome even to
take a bath"
At 1850 p. M, on motion of Mr..
Davis of Minnesota, chairman of the
committee on foreign relations, the
senate went into executive session to
consider the Hawaiian annexation trea-
ty. Immediately after the treaty was
called up, Senator Pettigrew offered
his motion for conducting the debate
on it with open doors, which was an
tagonized by Senator Davis, chairman
of the committee on foreign relations,
and others, the principal portion Of
the debate for the first two hours of
the session being upon this motion.
1t was contended on one hand that
there was no reason for observing
secrecy in presenting the question be-
cause, as was alleged, there was no
point involved which could not have
been thoroughly canvassed before and
which might not be discussed by the
world at large. On the other hand, 1t
was held that the Chinese question,
which would necessarily enter into the
discussion, might prove to be some
what delicate. A majority of those
favoring open doors are opposed to
ratification, but not all of them are on
that side of the main controversy
Senator Cockrell presented a number
Of petitions from different associations
in Missouri asking that cigarettes
when sent in original packages in a
state shall become subject to the laws
thereof. Rushville, Monett, Freeman
and Lancaster united in the petition.
THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE oppo-
nents of the civil service law had much
the best of the debate in the house
yesterday, so far as the number of
those engaging in it was concerned.
Nine of the II speakers were of the op-
position. The friends of the law are
very anxious to shut off further de.
bate, and in this will have the co.
operation of Speaker Reed and the
rules committee. Mr., Moody, who has
charge of the bill, gave notice that he
would test the sense of the house to-
day on motion to close debate. The
Immediately sent word to
all in their ranks to be on hand, and
they say they will have no difficulty
in defeating the motion.
Mr.. Peters, Of Kansas City, Kan, and
Delegate Callahan, of Oklahoma, were
instrumental factors in getting the
committee on agriculture to insert a
clause in the appropriation bill reduc,
ing to five cents per carcass the cost Of
Of pork intended for export.
Indirectly this will save the farmers
and stockmen of the southwest thou
sands of dollars for at present the
government inspection will run as high
up as 30 cents carcass, and while the
packers pay this, the toll inevitably |
comes out of the pockets Of the man
who raised and sold the pig. Mr..
Peters also succeeded in getting an
amendment appropriating $3.50, 1000 ad-
ditonal for the bureau of animal in
dustry.
If the bill introduced yesterday by !
Delegate Callahan is passed by both |
houses. Oklahoma will soon have
the largest school fund Of any com
nonwealth in the nation. The bill
provides that in the western half of
the territory-the arid section-where
hundreds of acres of government land
IS available for pasture land only, that
which is not settled on shall be turned
,ver to Oklahoma for Leasing purposes