The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-02-28
FOR TWO NEW EMPHASIZES
PROVISION MAYBE MADEF THEM
 IN NNAVAL BILL.

Action of House of Representatives De-
 pends Largely Upon Finding of Court of
 Inquiry Into Cause of Maine Disaster
 Scheme in the House by Which Action
 on Hawaiian Annexation May be De-
 ferred.
 Washington. Feb. 27.--The house leaders have been straining all their ergies to expedite the appropriation bills with a view to an early final ad- journment and they are succeeding be- yond their most sanguine expectations. Not in a quarter of a century have the appropriation bills been so far advanc- ed the long session as they are at this time. The naval bill is practically com plete save for the provisions for dry docks and new ships. On both these propositions the developments of the next few days are expected to control the action of the committee.
 The Maine Disaster.
 If the board of inquiry into the Maine disaster should render finding which portends strained relations with Spain the most liberal provisions will be made both for drydocks and ships. If the disaster was not due to accidental cause aboard ship, it is almost certain that two new battleships will be pro- vided for, one recommended by the sec retary of the navy and one to replace the Maine and that at least the new drydock recommended will be authoriz- ed. In case the Maine disaster Is found to have been caused by accident it Is probable no provision for battleships will be made in the new bill The com action of the house takes upon the re- port of the court of inquiry. With the appropriation bills and the immigrat- tion bill the consideration of which has bet set for March 15 out of the way
 nothing remains to prolong this session of congress save the question of the annexation of Hawaii or war. The leaders on both sides looking ahead eliminating both. those subjects as | probabilities or possibilities of delay agree that appropriation bills having been passed congress should be ready | to adjourn early in May.
 Hawaiian Annexation.
 1 Speaker Reed gives no concealment
 of his personal opposition to annexa- | tion of Hawaii and several other very prominent republican members like 1 Cannon of Illinois, Walker of Massa-
 chusetts, Johnson of Indiana are out 1 spoke. Some of the others, like Chair man Dingley of the ways and means committee, have made no public decla- rations upon this subject, but are be- | lieved to be in sympathy with the op- ponents of annexation. A large ma- l jority of the republicans, however, are | of course, in favor of the administra- l tion's policy many of them enthusias-
 tically so. Chairman Hit, of the for
 eign affairs committee, Is placed among
 the supporters of annexation, but it is probable that the real brunt of the bat tie, if the contest is transferred to the ! house at this session, will be borne by General Grosvenor of Ohio and Gener- l al Henderson of Iowa, both of whom
 are enthusiastic in their support of it.
 As stated the indications all point to a energies to expedite the appropriation 1 enemies of annexation at both ends of
 the capitol to hurry through the appro- | priation bills and adjourn before action
 can be had on the joint resolution in | the senate