Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1899-02-23

less than was asked for in the estimates
Of the Navy Department. n
The bill forthe reorganization of the
Navy, generally spoken Of as the WA
val Personnel Bill" has Jared much
better than the Army reorganization
bill. It has been passed by both House
and Senate and is now before a Confer
ence committee. owing to several amend.
ments added by the Senate, with the
probability of becoming law before
the close of the present week. ,.. -...
Ruling out the Appropriation to pay
Spain $780, 100000, as a part of the Sun
dry Civil Bill, on point Of order, had
no special meaning, and will not pre-
vent that appropriation being made.
Two bills for that purpose have already
been introduced, one by Chairman Can,
non. of the Appropriation committee,
which is the one that will pass, as brief
as it could possibly be made, and an
other by Representative Gillett Of Mass,
which after providing for the appropri
alton, adds as a second section the
McEnery resolution, which was adopted
by The Senate last week. H '
The Senate Committe on Education
and Labor appear to DO afraid that the
eight hour bill is loaded. 1t has re-
ported the bill without recommends
ton, something that no legislative com.
mittee should be allowed to do, and
suggested amendments exempting from
the provisions of the bill, contracts for
the purchase Of the ordinary supplies
Of the government and contracts fer
purchase of materials in the open mar
ket. The bill was evidently reported
only because majority OF the commit
tee feared to do otherwise, but it was
held back until its chance for being
acted upon, is not one out of possible
100. The men who demanded this leg
islation have been buncoed. That is
lust about the exact truth But the re.
porting of the bill will enable such
members of the committee as desire tc
claim that they did all they could tc
put it through.
Speaker Reed is credited with hav-
ing knocked out the Nicaragua Cana
bill, when it was offered in the House
as an amendment to the Sundry Ciyi
bill, and shut out on point Of order
but the Senators who favor the canal
have fixed up little game that Mr.
Reed will not find it easy to beat. They
have had the bill added to the River
and Harbor bill, by the Senate commit.
tee on Commerce, as an amendment
which places it away beyond the reach
of points of order in the House. That
the amended bill wifi pass the Senate Is
certain. Then the House can either
vote to accept the Senate amendm euts,
including the canal legislation, or ask
for a conference. In either event there
seems no chance for Mr. Reed to kill
canal legislation without killing the EN-
tire River and Harbor bill, and he is
too wise man to attempt to do what
he knows would be more apt to bring
failure than success. The friends OF
the canal are more hopeful now than
they have been at any time during the
session that the necessary legislation
will be secured. although there are
many quaking knees in the House for
fear that the canal amendment may re-
suit in killing the whole River and Har
Dor bill.
The Presidents appeal to Congress
for Pacific cable is met in way by
Senator Fryes amendment to the Sun
dry Civil bill, for the payment of 800,
100000 year for 20 years by the gov.
eminent for the use of a Pacific cable
to be laid and controlled by private
corporation, but it would seem to be bet.
ter policy for the government to spend
those 100000 in laying the cable it.
self than to pay it just for the free use
If the cable for government messages.