The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-23
PlLENGUPT Till EXPENSE
CONGRESS- RUSHING AT ITS WORK
WITH BUT LITTLE REGARD
TO COST
GOVERNMENT is I'm CAHO0TS'
Grant TO n Railway TO Build "a Dock
on Navy Yard Property Pecu-
liar Proposition-Cable Project
Games Up SmitinG-Army LeGis-
Iation-The Miles Inquiry
Mining Statistics.


Mining Statistics.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-(SpeciaL)-
Congress is Tow rushing its work in 4
way which must warm the patriotic
pocket. if only the treasury holds out.
The navy personnel bill passed both
houses, but is still in conference
On some trifiing differences. 1t Will in
crease the annual expenditure by about
s. Soc GEO. The sundry civil bill passed
by the house carries S43. 100000 eXclu-
SiVe of the $50 200 coo Tor Spain, which
the house has already appropriated
in al indepe ndent measure. The senate
has. of ccmSe. increased the river and
harbor bin, making it call for total
expenditure of about $42, 100000. And,
at the same time. has considerably
tackled TO ii the Nicaraguan canal bill.
This latter amendment, by the way,
was made on motion of Senator Mel
son. The navy appropriation bill, car
ries 100000 more than any bill ever
reported by a navy committee. 1t car
ries $44,l6S .605.
In view of these few instances out of
many, the following words of Mr..
Docke,y. relative 10 the canal bill, seem
generally pertinent: when it was pro-
posed in the Fifty-third congress to
coin the seigniOrage in the treasury,
il 10 he a proposition to coin d va
CUM" now suggest to the house that
it will be very difficult to construct the
Nicaragua canal by an issue of war
rants to be paid out of a deficiency
vacuum"
PECULIAR PROPOSITION.
Mr.. Dockery, in the house, has also
called attention to a curious provision
in the navy appropriation bill, which
grants to the Fitchburg railroad the
right t. build dock partly on the navy
yard reservations at Boston. This right
is in the form of a perpetual lease.
Chairman BOutelle defended the item,
claiming that the government would
have the benefit of improvements by
the railroad to the extent Of $780, 000
Mr.. Cummings. of New York, protested
Vehemently against the government go
ing lin cahCOtS" with railroad COM
pary. which he said would make $4,000
per week by the operation. An argu-
ment. chara cteris tically lax, urged in
favor of the measure, asserted that all
the government had paid for the prop
erty anyway, was 1922 600. but ignor-
ed its present value. which is far great
Ell. 1t is needless to say that the para
graph was retained in the bill. Pos
sibly this precedent may appeal to
other private corporations.
CABLE PROF E.CI.
The Pacific Gable project, which was
put to sleep in the house two weeks
ago, under the stimulus of the presi-
dents message, comes up smiling in
the senate. On motion of MIR Frye, it
was added to the sundry civil bill as a
rider The amendment calls for the
construction of a cable from the Pa
cidc coast to Asia, by way of the Ha-
Naiian islands, Guam and the Philip
pines. The contract is to be let to the
American company, which is the low
est bidder and the contractor is to re-
csiVe q subsidy of S100, Geo for twenty
years. Riders are multiplying so fas!
in these days Of the session that they
promise to constitute a vertiable squad
ION of the Black Horse cavalry.
ARMY LEGISLATION.
The minority report of the military
committee on the army bill is unusually
strons. Regarding the proposition
of the majority to establish an
army of 100000, ard then leave its In
crease or reduction to the president,
il says:
The constitution provides that congress shall
ave power to raise and support armies, but
tat no aprppr.aion to that use shall be fer
l.ns1r than TWO years. This clearly contem-
plates that congress net the president, shall
determine the number officers ana
men who shall compose the army. ard no enc
congress can create an army and determine
5 number or strength and appropriate
money fer It's maintenance beyond its own
constitutional term Of two years, and thus
bind { subsequent congress. In this bill con-
gTess abdicates its powers and leaves the
strength OF tie army 10 the sole direction of
the president.
1t is site to say that no such dis
erection will he conferred on the presi-
dent by the senate, bat that he viii be
constrained to do his full duty by
the Philippines with a less number of
aimed men.
ARMY BEEF INQUIRY.
Another army investigation is now
we'll under way here. and this time it
Is the court of inquiry, called to in
vestigate Gen. Miles reflections on the
wh0lesOmeness of embalmed beef
While the court. which consists of Hour
army officers with Gen. Wade preSid-
ing. commands a respect not accorded
to the Alger commission it is eenertlly
telt that it has a tough subject to ii-
2est 1t is therefore hoped that it will
pay more attention to those who ate
the canned conglomeration and less to
those who dealt it out.
In investigating an epidemic, it is
always wise to examine those who con-
tracted the disease. Yet already di-
versions from this simple process are
being announced. 1t is said that the
court will inspect the principal meat
packing houses of the country. This
viii be interesting rather than instruc-
tive. 1t is rare. indeed, that detectives
md burglars kit on the parlor man.
tel-piece of his home.
MINING STATISTICS.
Senator Warren, of Wyoming, has Of
fered an amendment to the civil sun
dry bill which provides for a separate
division of mines and mining in the
geological survey. Prof. Walcott, of
the survey, says that such a division,
representing an industry which in 1897
ADDED 1914, 900 to the nations wealth.
would investigate all matters pertain
lEG to mines and mining, publish the
statistics and information when gath
cred, and thus possess a cleary defined
representation in the organization of
The government.
ALASKAN CODE.
Senator Hears proposition to pass
the entire Alaskan code by it's title
having failed. the senate committee on
territories has agreed to strike out the
last four hundred pages. or, in other
words, to only press that portion de-
voted to criminal matters which has
slre ady passed the house Thus il is
probable that at least a part of this
necessary legislation will be enacted
before adjournment.
TROUELE WITH NICARAGUA