The Press., 1898-11-17
Washington Letter.
Washington Nov. IA

Will have majority of the next house. It has been regarded as improbable ever since the close of the war that congress will be able at the coming short session to act upon all the legislation made nec- essary by the war, in addition to the reg ular appropriation bills and routine busi- ness, but it was thought that an extra session would depend largely upon the control of the next house. Had the re- publicans lost it the administration would have done everything possible to avoid an extra session, by trying to push through at the short session all the Legislation needed to carry out its policy, colonial and otherwise. Now no haste will be necessary, and should the present senate not meet the administrations expecta- tions in acting upon bills that go through the house, the president will doubtless feel that an extra session of congress will do as he wishes, as his party will have 8 large majority in the senate after next March. The administration will there- fore be indifferent as to an extra session, knowing that if the last session of the present congress doesn't act upon needed legislation an extra session of the next congress will.
 Things look little threatening in con- nection with the peace negotiations at 1 Paris. That is, from the European point of view. Nobody in Washington con- siders the cablegrams about Spain's being encouraged to expect European interven- tion as anything more than European newspaper talk, paid for with Spanish money. In fact, at the last cabinet meet ing, Secretary Hay was instructed to have our peace commissioners inform the Span | ish commissioners that it was beyond the power of any European nation or combi- nation of nations to modify our demand for the Philippine islands-a demand that this government Is prepared to back with force, if it becomes necessary. The Span- ish commissioners were also given a straight tip to the effect that this country was growing tired of the delay, and that if they failed to act much longer the ne- gotiations would be broken off by this government.
 Admiral Schley and Mrs. Schley are in Washington. In order to avoid annoy ances they are at the home of friend in- stead of at hotel. The admiral declines to say one single word about the thinly yelled slurs at him in the official report of Admiral Sampson, or to add anything to what he had said in his own official re- port. He showed some annoyance when his. .attantion was called to the controversy over Which political party he belonged to, and said that he had no politics had only voted once in his life; that he be- longed to the country, and that his first and highest duty was always to serve the administration which yas in charge o1 the country. Those are model views for an army or navy officer, too.
 The annual report of Adjutant General Corbin, just made public, says of the na- tional guard: "While the yearly state encampments have been productive of positive good in imparting practical in struction to the troops participating, the experience of the recent campaign has demonstrated the absolute necessity of camped troops to the actual necessities ol active service by making the men, while in camp, dependent for their subsistence on the army rations to be furnished by 1 and cooked by the troops in precisely the same manner as on actual service in the field. An organization ordered to state camp for military instruction, relying on a caterer to furnish the necessary food can never acquire that self-reliance which characterizes the regular soldier on active duty, for without previously received in- structions in preparing food, the natural result, when called into service, will be poorly cooked and wasted rations, which failing to strengthen the physical man make him liable to febrile and stomach troubles incident to service in all kinds of weather, under distressing, but una- voidable, conditions.
 The Canadian-American commission which held series of sessions last sum mer at Quebec, is now doing the same ir Washington. Anything like an agree ment upon the matters in dispute between the U. s. and Canada definite enough tC be put into a treaty is still 8 long ways off. It is expected that the commission will sit in Washington for a considerable time, although the assembling of congress will make it difficult for Senators Fair banks and Faulkner and Representative ! Dingley, three of the five American com missioners, to give much of their time to its meetings. The other two American commissioners are Hon. John w. Foster ex-secretary of state, and Hon. John A Kasson, who is a special diplomatic agent for this government in the negotiation O reciprocity treaties under the Dlngley tariff law.
 In view of the failure of other govern ment experiments, the cynics are disposed to poke fun at the announcement that thu board of ordinance and Qualifications o the war department have deciden to spend $25, 1000 experimenting with flying ma chimes.
 l T..c O-her Way Around.
 The loyalty of the Scottish highlandel
 to his kilt is picturesque thing. Ht
 will never admit that it makes hin
 cold, and highlanders who were suffer
 ing from cold in the ordinary dress o
 civilization have been known to substi
 tute the kilt for it in order to gel
 warm, though this would be much like
 removing ones coat and waistcoat ant
 rolling up one's shirt sleeves for th'
 same purpose.
 | It is said that a stranger, seeing {
 soldier in full highlander uniform shiv