Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-05-04
WASHINGTON GOSSIP
AND DEPARTMENT NEWS.

The President Will appoint Ralph B.
Lister Of the Colorado volunteers Sec
ond lieutenant In the regular army as
reward for meritorious service.
Admiral Howell has been relieved as
senior member OF the naval retiring
bonrd. He will be succeeded by Admi-
raj Schley, heretofore n member Of the
Naval Examining Board.
The President has commuted the
sentences OF Frank .Odell and William
Lamoreaux, convicted In Wyoming In
1880 OF manslaughter and sentenced to
the penitentiary for term of four
years. The President reduced the term
TO three years.
1t is said at the State Department
fhat the expiration on July oath of the
period allowed by the Dingley act for
the making OF reciprocity arrange
ments and treaties with foreign gov
ernments will not terminate the nctivi-
ties OF the department in that direction.
Senator Quay's friendsl announce
that they have absolute assurances
that he will be seated by the Senate
on the governors commission. a poll
has been made of the Senate and six
ty-seven votes were positively pledged
to Quay Dudley.' OF "blocks of five
fame" makes the positive assertion
that Quay will be seated.
Land Commissioner Hermann Is pre-
pairing to increase the force of rangers
In the forest reserves of Colorado ana
the West. The average increase Will
be about one-thlrd of the present force.
The object Of appointing the addition
al men is TO protect the forests from
Hrs. I~.~. .I.,tt t...,- n ~
ments Will take effect May 18th.
Senator Mcbride of Oregon has re-
ceived n letter from the adjutant gem
ernl, saying that General Otis has been
instructed to discharge every vOlun-
teer soldier who makes application for
discharge. and that 1t will hereafter
be useless toSmake, applications to, the
department for the discharge OF inff-
vidual volunteers. ms the entire matter
has been turned over to General Otis.
At the. request OF the secretary of
state the Treasury Department on Sat
urdny drew four diplomatic settlement
warrants for five million dollars each
in discharge of the treaty obligations
of the United States to Spain. The
warrants directed the treasurer of the
United States to pay these several
sums to his eXcellency, Jules Cambon,
ambassador extraordinary and plenl-
potentiary of France, representative Of
the government of Spain.
A memorandum has been prepared
mt the War Department comparing the
losses in the Spanish war with the first
year of the Civil war. The aggregate
strength of troops employed during the
war with Spain was approximately
10000, covering the period from May,
1898, to April, 1890. inclusive. During
this time the deaths from all causes
We're 6.l9O. or "a per cent. The mean
strength of the first year of the Civil
war was 27G,371 with an aggregate
loss by deaths of 10,159, being u per-
centage of 8.S.
In the United States Court an opln-
ion was handed down Monday in the
case of Oliver Wendell Holmes. Jr.. VS..
G. d. Hunt, holding that copyright on
n book, the contents of which have
been PUBLISHED serially without being
previously copyrighted, is invalid. The
case involved the copyright of The
Autocrat Of the Breakfast Table" by
the father of the plaintiff in this case.
The book was first published serlally
in the Atlantic Monthly in 1857, and
was not copyrighted until it was after
ward printed in book form.
The comptroller of the currency has
given out an abstract of reports of the
condition, April 10Th. of the six nation
nj banks in New Mexico. 1t shows
that since the date of the last report,
February 1st, the total resources de-
creased from $4.23O, 1856 to S4,159,S5o;
loans and discounts increased from
81, ,S36. $50 to S1.913,009: the cash re-
serve decreased from $202.O16 to S25i,-
Cos, of which the gold holdings de-
creased from S13S,GST to S114,937. The
Individual deposits decreased from S2,-
624, ,22O to $2,52S, 130, and the average
reserve held fell from 2S.32 to 25,G2
per cent.
General Otis cabled the War Depart
ment on the 29th that the conference
with the Filipinos terminated that
morning. He says that they wanted
three weeks in which to allow heir
. Congress to decide whether hostilities
should cease. The proposition was de-
clined. The representatives retired to
the insurgents lines. General Otis
says that the insurgents are tired of
fighting and are no doubt seeking the
best terms. It is. stated at the War
Department that the insurgent leaders
probably will confer and seek another
conference with General Otis, and the
general will no doubt grant general
amnesty. ss''@
The case of G ctain Conhlan may
he considered as finally closed. The
German ambassador. DIR. Won Holle
hen. called at the White House We'd
nesday afternoon and had confer
ence on the subject with the President
of such satisfactory nature that the
matter was regarded as settled. The
president explained the course the
Navy Department had taken in admin
istering a reprimand to Captain Cogh-
ian. 1t was also pointed out that the
: officer,s explanations of the incident
.1ntnd TINT his lltteranceS had been