The herald., 1898-01-16


to congress today for an appropriation
Of $4,000 for improvements in the bat
terry Of the cruiser Chicago, and accom-
panying 1t is strong report Of Assist
ant Secretary Roosevelt, in which he
points out some weaknesses of the
navy. Mr.. Roosevelt says the Chicago
is being rebuilt at a cost considerably
greater than her original contract
price, and says the department will be
inexcusable IL 1t turns out a new ship
with defective guns for her main bat
terry. 1t will be expensive to put four
new guns aboard the Chicago, but no
more than per cent Of the total expen-
diture on repairs.
CIVIL SERVICE CANVASS
WASHINGTON. Jan. 15.--The can
vass of the Republican members of the
House on the question of changing the
civil service laws, which has been con-
Quoted by the Republican Steering Com
mittee, is about completed. OF the 202
Republican members of the House, the
canvass Is said to show that majority
varying from eighteen to forty Is favor
able to change in the law according to
the degree of change proposed This
last factor leads to some difference Of
opinion as to the result of the canvass.
Representative Pearson of North Caro-
lima, member Of the committee, places
the number of Republicans who can be
depended on at 112. Mr.. Evans of Ken
lucky, another member of the commit
tee, places the number at 1876. Those
who have made the canvass say that in
a number Of cases entire State delega-
tions are shown by the canvass to favor
change in the law, notably North Car
olina, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Vir-
ginia and New Hampshire. The Mime
sofa count shows all but one for a
change; Pennsylvania shows that
twenty-five out Of twenty-seven are
counted in the canvass for change in
the law.
Beyond completing the canvass, the
opposition to the civil service law Is
taking no active steps for the present,
the purpose being to wait until the reg
ular Civil Service Committee Of the
House takes action on the bill before it
proposes modification of the law.
MORE JAILS NEEDED
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.-Attorney-
General McKenna sent to Congress,
through the Treasury, a recommends
tion for urgent deficiency appropriation
for the courts aggregating over half a
million dollars. The principal item called
for is $4,000 to establish sites and erect
United States jails in the Northern and
Southern districts of the Indian Terri
tory at Muskogee, South McAlister and
Ardmour.
The Attorney-General says 1t is ap-
parent the buildings now utilized there
for jails are far from satisfactory and
complaints due to their utter unfitness
are constantly arising. ...,
There are no buildings in the Terri
tory possessing even to a remote ex-
tent those qualifications which would
render them suitable for the detention
and safe-keeping Of prisoners, accord
ing to the Attorney General and the eff
forts Of the department to have prop
erly equipped buildings erected by the
residents Of the Territory have been in
effectual.
FREIGHT ON BULLION
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.-The sub
committee Of the senate committee OF
appropriations considering the urgenc.
deficiency appropriation bill, decided to
day to eliminate the provision inserte,
by the house requiring owners of bull
lion to pay the transportation on
from the assay office to the mints.
BILLS INTRODUCED
WASHINGTON, JAM 15.--The follow
ing bills were introduced In the hous,
today: BY Mr. Bromwell, Ohio, to make
all employees on the public engineering
works entrusted to the engineering de.
partment except in employ Of con.
tractors, appointive by the officer of the
corps in charge; by Mr.. Lewis of Wash.
ington, to establish the eight-hour law
in all states and territories; by Mr.
Sauerhering of Wisconsin, prohibiting
the false branding of goods; by Mr.
Sullivan Of Mississippi, requiring rail.
roads to honor tickets which have beer
transferred; by Mr.. Mcguire of Cali
fornia (by request), to prescribe the
manner of holding elections for repre-.
sentatives In congress.