The Red Cloud chief., 1898-03-04
CONGRESSIONAL CHAT.
WEEKS DOiNCS OF NATION
AL LAWMAKERS.


duccd bills To- correct the military re-
cord of John Minohan and for the re-
lief of Joscphus Merritt.
An unknown at Prescott. Ariz.. at
tempted to aS,aS,inatc Lieutenant
Cordicr of the Cuban army. who is
raising funds in Arizona.
Nebraska patents: Charles e. Alien.
Lincoln. valve for pneumatic tires;
stephen Il. AukCr. RuShvillc. gate; G..
{. Denny. Tckainan, watering trough;
u. a. karr. J.. kocnig and IA. Woods.
Omaha. railway signal; A.. T.. sullivan.
Malcolm. animal trap; II. i. Winter
'ytb. air scale.
long and somewhat exciting de-
bate over the question of river and
harbOr appropriations was prccipi.
tatcd in the house Friday last during
the consideration of the sundrv civil
appropriation bill. 1t was practically
agreed by all those who participated
that there would be no river and har-
Dor bill ut this session of congress-.
John little has been appointed post
master at Pembroke. Kcya I'aha coun-
~, vice A.. Bruce, resigned. and Rev
]" Virgins has been appointed store
keeper at the Omaha custom house at
5000 per annum Robert Major. Geo.
Kelly and William -. Morse have been
appointed laborerS in the Omaha pub
lie building at $40 per annum each.
The executive council of the Ameri-
can federation of labor. which has
been in session at Washington consid-
cred II number of rotinc matters and
discussed pending legislation affect
/ inp In Inrlnp infnt.,LtN ,.,G .nLAl,.nl
to give the New England strik, ~ all
possible aid. President Gompers was
instructed to undertake an organized
trip through the west and Vice Presi-
dent OConncll will go ON the same
mission through the south.
All the government departments were
closed February -. except the navy
department, where II few of the officials
assembled to closr the contract with
the wr,clIcr for the recovery Of the
effect, of the Maine and the vessel her
self. If that be possible. The signing
II the wrccking contract was the most
important event of the day. and this
concluded the officials went home to
enjoy II respite from the rush of the
past week.
The supreme court has denied the
petition for Il writ of cCrtiOra in the
case " John l.. Buckstatf and John T..
1t vs. Russell x To-, coming over from
the courts of Nebraska. The petition
for Il writ was submitted by Judge \.
:. TibbcttS of Lincoln ON the 18th ult.
The case has been pending ia the Ne
braSka courts for some time and is
familiar To the bar of the state. Briefly
told. it involves money claimed to Ia
due To McSsrs. Euckstaff and tt; from
Russell Il Co.. growing out of the sale
to the latter by the former of a paper
mill. which was brought in by the
trust and then closed. HuckStaff and
Ut claim that they have not received
all that was due them and have since
been trying. though Intellectually, to
recover by the aid of the courts.
At the close of office hours Monday
last u telegram caIuc To the navy de
partmcnt from Admiral Sicard at Key
West in the following terms: Court
of inquiry will session ut
Key West today. They must resume
session at Havana To obtain evidence
of divers after further work upon the
Maine The Important feature OF
this communication i the declaration
that the court will return to Havana
1t sets NJ rest amor that have beer
current for some days past that the
court was not to return "a Havana for
the reason that it had discovered the
cause of the sinking of the Maine,
which was not an accident. and that
they had consequently no further bust
ness in Havana.
Representative Cromwell rep. o.
has introduced the following rcsolu-
ton: That the secretary of the navy
he, and is hereby authorized. when
ever in his Judgment it shall! become
c~Spcdicnt for the best interests of the
country To do 50, secure options upon
and c~onsummatc the purchase of such
battleshipS. cruisers, rams, torpedo
boats or other form of naval vessels rs
are of the modern type and ready with
he necessary armament and equipment
for the same. rs. in his Judgment. are
necessary to pI<a the naval strength
of the country upon II proper footing
for immediate hOStiliticS with any
foreign power. with which the same
may bc threatened: and that for the
purpose of communicating such pur-
chase, there is hereby appropriated
the sum OF $50, 900, 900, to be Immediate
Is available.
SHOULD it bc proved that the Maine
was destroyed by an outside explosion
with the knowledge OF Spanish officers,
President McKinl " will demand an
indemnity of from $4,000, 900 to Slj,-
900. 900" This statement was made
by an officer of the navy department,
who is thoroughly conyersant with the
present Spanish situation, 1t was
decided ut II conference of the prcsi'
dent and several cabinet officers" he
continued. that the Spanish govern
ment was bound 70 protect the vessels
of II friendly nation in onc of its har'
burs. and that. If the Maine was de-
stroyed by II submarine mine or tor
pedo. whether with the knowledge of
officials or not, that government must
be responsible. The value of the YES
sci is estimated Mt IS, 0G0, 900. The resi-
is to be pal" To relatives of officers and
men who lost their lives by the dastruc
tion of the vessel"
Secretary Bliss has affirmed the
land Office decision in the case of Les