The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-22
He Says Hostile Fleet Could Enter
Any OF Our Largest SeapOrts with
out the Slightest Danger.
APAIST CHARGES REJECTED
MIR. M,KENNA's NOMINATION. TO BE
JUSTICE CONFIRMED.
appointment of Mr.. Hess and Other
Indiana Postmasters Also Ap-
proved by the Senate
Special to the rnalanapoIIs journal.

| Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2l-Nelson A. Miles.
general of the army, ranks as a military
| genius, but he does not shine with especial
briliancy as a lobbyist He is just now
very much interested in securing the pass
| age of the fortifications bill, and some OF
the statements which he has been making
| to hurry along congressional action are
startlingly indiscreet when it comes to in
discriminate distribution. He has assured
members of Congress, in conversations dis
| tinguished for great earnestness, that our
| seacoast Is entirely unprotected and that
| hostile fleet could enter any of our
| largest seaports without the slightest dam
| ger. He has said that, while our coast
! fortihcations are adorned with the best cam
non in the world, they are of no account
because stocks of powder or projectiles are
| entirely exhausted and the War Depart
ment Is without means of providing addi-
| tional supplies. He has informed congress-
men that except at Fort Monroe and Fort
| Foote, down the Potomac a few miles
from Washington, none of the forts has any
ammunition. He praises the navy and says
| that it would be able to render good de-
fense, but he again and again and in many
ways calls attention of the lawmakers to
cial cities which lie on the seaboard. He
furthermore adds that this deplorable con-
dition of helplessness IS known to every
nation in the world, and that we are at the
mercy of any country that might decide to
raid us from the seas.
The committee on banking and currency
having concluded its hearings extending
over many days on the question of revising
the currency, will begin next Wednesday to
| consider the question of report on some
| one of the numerous propositions submitted.
| The members of the committee differ widely
| as to the outlook for affirmative action,
some of those in leading position declaring
| that the hearings have demonstrated that
it will be impossible to secure a majority
| for any one proposition. Others are more
| hopeful, and say that composite measure
| embodying the essential features of the
| Gage bill and monetary commission bin is
| likely to command sufficient votes to be re-
ported There is a general agreement that
none Of the bills before the committee will
be reported in their present form. There
| are seventeen members of the committee,
five of them Democrats. Members favorable
to the monetary commission bill say they
| hope to get seven votes at the outset, and
| later to secure the additional votes neces-
| sary. Some of the members counted in this
| seven say, however, that they will not vote
| for the BILL The situation within the COM
mittee is conceded to be very complicated
In view of this condition number of men,
| bers hope to have the question generally
| put asides for the present and bill re-
| stricted to the three recommendations Of
| the President reported This also arcuses
counter objections, so that there is little on
which to base predictions of the outcome.
| The physicians of the country are up in
arms against Senate Bill 1868, which is en-
titled "a bill for the further prevention of
cruelty to animals in the District of Co
lumbia." The medical profession regards
this measure as the entering wedge of the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. and they believe If it
| is allowed to become a law it will be
| great detriment to experimental medicine.
| Physicians everywhere have been urged to
| put the pressure on their congressman, and
they are doing it, as the receipt Of a great
many letters testify. The anti-vivisection-
| lists, on the other hand, are putting forth
| strong efforts to secure the legislation they
desire.
The proceedings which have been COM
menced to have Hallet Kilbourne, of this
city, declared insane and placed under re-
| straint is a dramatic finish to the career
| OF man. who has been more or less Of a
| national character for a third of a CEN
| tury. Kilbourne will be remembered as
having been leading spirit in a colossal
real estate deal engineered by 'Boss''
| Shepard when the latter was dictator of
| the national capital. He and Shepard made
| several millions of dollars in paper profits
which were swept away in the panic which
| began in 1873. lie was subsequently able
| to maintain himself in good style and was
always considered one of the high flyers
! Of Washington and a member of the fast
| set, whose headquarters was in John CHAM
| berlin's. Recently, however, he reached
the end Of his rope, and It has come to
| light that he attempted suicide on two
or three occasions within the last fortnight.
| He says that he has played the string OUT
and wants to quit and upbraids his friends
| and family for trying TO prevent him. Dur
| ing his career he has made and lost great
sums of money, and has been the associate
and friend of about everybody who has
come to Washington in thirty years, who
was worth knowing. Mr.. Kllbourne lived
near Elkhart, Ind, for several years;
about the time of the breaking out of the
war and made his first appearance in wash
ington as Lincoln elector from Indiana
w. L. Golding who was recently NOM
lHdlcu lOT mayor OF NldFiOns luQ.s Dy lNb
Republicans of that city is spending a
few days in Washington. l.. C. Lillard. OF
the same city, is here also. They are both
delegates to the lumbermen's convention,
which is holding session in the capital
Petitions for and remonstrances against
the passage of the anti-scalping and immi-
grafton bills continue to pour in on In
diana congressman. Aside from these pa
pers there is nothing in the mail of the
representatives from that State to indicate
that the people are excited over measures
pending before Congress.
President Noyes. of the Washington
Board of Trade, has appointed as delegates
to the Monetary Convention. TO be held in
Indianapolis next Tuesday and Wednesday.
the following gentlemen: C. ]. Bell. John
Joy Edison, b. H. Warner. F. c. Stevens
M. NJ. Parker, S. w. woodward, K. S.
Parker and A. r. Pardon.
A letter received from Senator Turley OF
Tennessee, has had the effect of causing
the Senate committee on privileges and
elections to delay its report in opposition
TO the seating of Hon. II. w. Corbett, OF
Oregon. as senator from that State. on tha