The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-02-09
AT WASHINGTON.

signify more tnan SoO,UOOoOO, passed.
the House, Thursday. by vote of 100 to
7. This is the largest majority any river
and harbor bill has ever obtained in the
House. The bill attracted little opposi-
ton and every effort to amend it in i'm
portant particulars failed. Saturday,
Feb. II, was set apart for paying tribute
to the memory of the late Mr.. Dingley
of Maine.
Friday, Senator Hale, chairman of the
naval affairs committee, fayorably re.
ported the following joint resolution
and 1t was adopted:
THAT the secretary of the navy is
hereby authorized to have erected in
the Colon cemetery at Havana, uba, a
suitable granite monument to the men,
DRY of the soldiers and marines who lost
their lives by the explosion of the u. S.
steamship Maine in the harbor of Ha-
vana on the 18TH day of February, 1895,
and whose remains are buried in that
cemetery, and TO suitably inscribe and
ipclose such monument; and the sum of
$4,000 is appropriated for this pur-
pose"
The inquiry ordered by the House of
Representatives as to what me mbers
had forfeited their seats by reason of
accel ting other offices, ended, Friday,
with finding by the judiciary commit
tee that Major General " heeler, a men,
Der from Alabama, Col. James r. Camp
bell of Illinois, Col. David q. Colson of
Kentucky, and Major Edward E. Rob-
bins of Pennsy lyania, had vacated their
seats in the House by accepting COM
missions in the army. At the same
time the committee decided that none
of the members of Congress serving on
civil commissions had thereby vacated
their seats in the House. 1t is said that
Gen Wheeler and his associates will
take no action for the present, as the
finding of the committee is yet To be
passed upon by the House The fact
that Mr.. Jenkins voted against unseat-
ing Gen. heller and the others may
lead to minority report, although no
notice of such was given.
The President has sent the following
nominations to the Senate: George
Marden of Lowell, Mass, assistant
treasurer of the United States at Boston !;
Charles K Darling of Fitchburg, United
States marshall for the district of Mas
sschusetts; to be brigadier general, Col
John II. Patterson, goth Infantry.
The commission to inspect the con
duct of the war, is devoting all its ener-
gies to closing up its report. The rough
draft is practically complete and copies
are being made of the document SO far
as it is ready. 1t may be signed by the
commission, Monday, and when signed
will be promptly placed in the hands OF
the President.
The House passed the census bill,
Monday by a vote of LAT to az This
bill makes the census bureau indepen.
dent of any existing department.
In diplomatic quarters the view pre-
walls that all foreign governments will
maintain strict neutrality in case of an
instruction in the Philippines but that
no formal proclamations of neutrality
will be issued, as these would be an in
direct recognition of the Filipinos as
belligerents.
The treaty between the United States
and Spain was ratified, Monday after
noon in the Senate by a vote of 81 to 27.
There were two sets of pairs, Cannon
and lson for, with White against;
Proctor and Wetmore for, with Turpie
against. senator Hale of Maine and
Hoar of Mass, enjoyed the dintinction
of being among the very few Republi-
cans who voted against the treaty and
against the strong sentiment of their
States.
For two hours or more the Senate,
Tuesday, had the resolution declaratory
of the policy of this government in the
Philippines under discussion, but no
vote was reached and the resolution
went finally to the calendar.
Tuesday large number of bills max
ing appropriation for public buildings
were favorably reported upon by the
House in committee of the whole.
The court martial sentence in the
Eagan case was dismissal from the
army, but President Mckinley has com
muted it to ak years suspension from
duty which covers most of the remain
der of time before he reaches the age
for retirement This was done the
President said in view of his gallant
conduct in battle upon more than one
occasion and of his long and honorable
term of service.