The Portland daily press., 1898-02-24
ESPECIAL TO TIE pRRss.l

ESPECIAL TO TIE PREss.l
Washington. Feb. 23.-The House this
week is considering the Sundry Civil ap-
preparation bill, one Of the largest and
most important of thirteen or fourteen
great appropriation bills which provide
the half billion dollars or so that are re-
quired to run the government of the
United States for year. 1t is expected
that it will pass the house the latter part
of this week OF the first of next, and will
be the tenth Of the bills sent to the Sen
ate. There will be left three more for
the House to act on, the naval, the post
office and post roads bill, and the general
deficiency, which is sort of raking after
the art, taking up odds and ends in the
closi ng days of the session. Ii there
should be a river and harbor bill that
will make the fourteenth. but Congress
seems to have settled down to the IDEA
that there will be no legislation for rivers
and harbors beyond this session beyond
the neutrality-suspicious. made tor carry
ing on the contracts entered into under
the provisions of the last river and mar
Dor act. The naval committee is now
considering II6 naval Dilis Oho -h1' |Ob
telle and his associates are not ready yet
to say exactly when it will be brought
into the House. Thsre are many puz-
cling questions to be solved in its franz
ling. There has been movement to
have the government build an armor
plant of its own and go into the business
of making armor for the battleships.
There seems little likelihood that the
government will readily embark on any
such enterprise when the armor re-
ouired can be bought at SO much better
advantage of private makers. But
great prejudice has arisen against some
of the private makers on account OF al
leced frauds, and this has helped on the
M ovement to have the government go in
to the business. Then all over the coun-
try there are lot of ambitious towns
tn at would like to be the site OF such
government plants and they have helped
the matter along. But the enterprise is
SO big and of such doubtful utility that
the naval committee will undoubtedly
not look with favor on it. The commit.
tee also have before them the question OF
what additions are to be made 20 the
navy by this bill, and also what is to be
done about recovering and repairing. or
replacing the Inflated Maine. Inc SEN
| ClmG0C OF L06 CouHulN Juop i1O" PACo
alb " in favor of substantial increase OF
the navy. Those parties who got profit
able contracts in constructing war ships
fo r the government are at all times in
favor of a large navy and of such foreign
pol lev as will make large navy neces-
sary. This is natural and TO be expect
ed. but in ordinary times their influence
is offset bv the prudence and disinterest-
ed Indictment OF the whole country. But
ius now. with the feeling of the country
inflamed by what has happened to the
Maine and with the suspicious incident
thereto. the naval committee will have
difficulty in keeping from being carried
off it's feet by demands for more extern
sive building of vessels than will really
be needed Mr.. Loud, of California,
who is chairman of the committee on
post offices and post roads. does not in
tend to bring in his appropriation Dill
until after the Loud bill, so called, in re-
lation to sample copies and their priv
leges n the mails. has been considered,
which will be about the first of March.
The Senate is disposing of appropria-
tion bills with rapidity and have almost
kept up with the pace the House has set.
IF thew continue it is thought that an adj
iournm ent may be reached by the first
Of Nav. Certainly the business of SEES
sion has not been so well advanced at
the corresponding time for many years.
On the other hand there are many SUBJ
iects which promise delay.
Cuba and Hawaii are the two ques-
tions which have in them the greatest
notentiality Of long consideration. The
treaty for the annexation of Hawaii,
which the Senate has been considering in
secret session since the first of Deem
her is believed to be beaten. 1t is not
| thouqht now that it can command the
necessary two-thirds vote for ratification
although it undoubtedly has majority.
| The friends of the treaty are of course
| expected in such event to present joint
resolution which can be passed through
| the two branches of Congress and be
signed by the President But although
there is probably majority for the res
olution in the Senate, it may be doubtful
whether the majority will be large
enough to effect the passage this session.
| In the House there are large number
| of strong and influential men in both
narties who believe that the acquisition
| of Hawaii would be very bad thing for
I y,
exercise strong influence on the situa-
ton. The debate on the joint resolu-
ton would have to be public, and would
undoubtedly reveal many facts which
would make the American people pause
before committing themselves to the
scheme.
Speaker Reed has taken steps to see il
the officers of the state department can
not obtain the privilege of having the
body of young William Fl. Tinsman OF
Deering brought home from Havana,
where it is buried with the bodies OF
other victims of the explosion on the
Maine. The difficulties that have pre-
vented the bringing home of any bodies
so far arise from the great heat of the
climate and the sdefective facilities for
embalming in Havana.
BODIES IDENTIFIED.
Gloucester, Mass, February 23.-The
bodies which We're picked up at Dolliver'
neck yesterday were identified today as