The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-03
RIVER AND HARBOR BILL
MEASURE APPROPRIATING S3O,OOO,-
900 PASSED BY HOUSE.
President Urged to Appoint DIR. j. III.
Librarian of Congress.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.-The river and
harbor bill, carrying slightly more than
$50 O00, Geo. passed the House to-day by a
vote of 160 to Z. This is the largest majority
any river and harbor bill has ever obtained
in the House. The bin attracted little OPP
position and every effort to amend 1T In i'm
portant particular failed. Saturday, Feb.
II, was set apart for paying tribute TO the
memory OF the late Mr.. Dlngley, OF Maine.
1t is stated that the name of DIR. James
H. Garfield, president of the Ohio State
University, was to-day presented to the
President for appointment as librarian of
Congress. 1t is also said that DR.. Garfield,
while not in the usual sense a candidate
for the appointment, has been suggested for
it and will be strongly supported by leading
educators, Librarians and public men. DIR.
Garfield is about fifty years old, a graduate
of Williams College and has for many years
had national reputation as an educator.
He served successfully as professor of his
tory and political economy in Kansas State
University, chancellor of Nebraska uni
VeISity and president of Ohio State Uni
versity In 1880 he was president of the Ma
tional Education Association.
The question of retaining Hawaii's coins
and silver certificates was considered to-
day bye the House committee on coinage.
Representative Hit, of Illinois, and Judge
Frear, Of Hawaii explained the need Of this
step. The Hawaiian silver amounts TO
about 81, 100000 and the silver certificates to
$4,000. A curious feature developed was
that liberal specie payment prevailed each
numbered silver certificate having a cor
responding numbered silver coin in the
Hawaiian treasury for its redemption. 1t
was stated also that the only full legal
tender in Hawaii was the United States
gold coin Hawaiian and American silver
being legal tender only up to So
Secretary Hay and Senior Godoy, the
charge of the Mexican embassy, to-day
exchanged notifications of the supplemental
treaty extending until Dec. "a of the present
year the provisions of the treaty providing
for the definition of the water boundary be-
TWEEN the United States and Mexico.
The newly created colonial board of the
War Department will meet in this city for
organization next Monday. The rooms in
the Lemon building used by the commission
investigating the conduct of the War De-
partment have been assigned to the use of
the colonial board and are now being pre-
pared for its use. The nature and extent
of the duties of the new board have not
yet been finally determined.
The last of the supply of postage stamps
issued in commemoration of the Omaha ex-
position has been disposed of from the Post
Office Department and all that remain of
that immense series are now scattered about
the pOstOtfices throughout the country. On
the last order on the department for these
naming stock on hand at the department
sent out to fifteen postoffices The total
value of this final order was $1,O4S656.
The President sent another batch of brevet
nominations to the Senate to-day. In the
list appears the name of Charles A Wikoff.
Twenty-Second Infantry (killed in action at
Ell Caney), to be brigadier general.
The Senate committee on commerce to-day
authorized a favorable report on the joint
resolution extending the thanks of Congress
to those men who engaged in the expedi-
lions to Point Barrow in 1898 for the relief
of imperiled whalers. The resolution COW
Bear, under command of Captain futile,
and the overland party of Lieutenants Jar
Wis and Berthoif.
The Senate committee on Indian affairs
to-day decided to report favoraAly the bill
for the ratification of the agreement with
the Turtle mountain Indians to cede their
reservation in North Dakota The agree
ment provides for the payment of 81, 0O0 coo
TO the Indians in installments of $4,000 per
year. -
Representative Tawney, of Minnesota, to-
day introduced resolution providing that
on Feb. Is next and on that date thereafter
the United States flag on all government
buildings throughout the United States be
displayed at half mast in commemoration of
the destruction of the battle ship Maine and
the loss of 266 American lives in the harbor
of Havana. =
Representative Gaines of Tennessee, has
introduced a bill to repeal the law which
prevents an Confederate soldier from sit
ting on federal grand or petit jury This
is the last relic of the laws discriminating
against eX-ConfederateS. 1t slipped into the
revision of the law of 1862, although 1t had
been repealed and works now considerable
hardship in the South.
The inquiry into the status of members of
the House who hold outside offices con-
tinued before the judiciary committee for
three hours to-day without any conclusion
being reached. the committee adjourning
at 1870 p. m. until 1890 to morrow morning
The entire time to-day was devoted to dis
cuSSing the status of those members of the
House serving on the Hawaiian industrial
commissions. No decision was reached on
these, nor was there a determination of the
status of General Wheeler and other men,
bers holding army commissions.
The Navy Department has ordered that all
of the ships of the navy now held in reserve
shall be put out of commission at once
There are a number of these ships and the
government will effect a considerable saw
ing besides making available the services of
a number of sailors for use in the active
ships. The cost of keeping the Minneapolis
alone in reserve with about 100 men aboard
was about $36, 900 per annum. The adVan-
tage of the system, however, has been fully
shown in the late war.