The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1899-11-30
THE WHITE PINE NEWS.
MEETING OF CONGRESS-.

MEETING OF CONGRESS-.
On Monday, December 3rd, the first
session Of the Fifty-sixth Congress Will
open. In many respects this will be
the most momentous that the country
has seen since the old reconstruction
period. The questions TO be decided
are Of tho gravest Importance and the
responsibility for their solution will rest
almost entirely upon the Republican
party, which has a majority ofthirteen
in the House and an abundance Of pow
or in the Senate. A Washington cor
respondent Of the Globe Democrat
writes:
Since the adjournment of the last
Congress Teller, of Colorado, has had
himself classified a silver Republican,
instead OF silverite. Stewart of Ne
vada, still has no party designation, by
his own direction. On party divisions,
excepting ON the question Of silver, Tel
Ter and Stewart are expected to vote
with the Republicans, as they have
done heretofore. This gives the Re-
pnblicans fifty-three votes on ordinary
issues.
1T is expected that Teller will he
permitted to remain as chairman of the
committee on claims and Stewart a.
chairman of mines and mining. Teller.
in all probability, will also remain on
the appropriations committee a posi-
tion Of Importance, which he has earned
by his long service. In the last Con-
gress on the main Senate committees Of
hap
Democrats and six Republicans. In
committees of eleven members the DEM
ocrats had six and the Republicans FIVE.
This year the Republicans will appoint
eight on the larger committees to five
Democrats, and on the committees of
eleven members seven Republicans TO
four Democrats.
JURISDICTION OVER ISLANDS.
How to dispose of the bills certain
to he introduced for the government of
the Philippines, Cuba and Porto Rico
has been informally discussed. 1t is
proposed, and may be decided, that
there shall be new committees formed !:
first, a committee on the Philippines,
and, second, a committee on Porto Rico.
with the probability Of Cuban and Por-
TO Rican affairs being handled by the
second committee.
THE problem of governing the Phil
ippine Islands Is OF sufficient importance
TO command the entire attention OF a
strong committee. The chairmanships
Of those two committees will have To be
put in reliable hands.
Among Senators who have given
the subject attention there is a belief
that Porto Rico will be placed on a foot
ing similar TO Alaska, with an excise
duty sufficient TO raise revenue for the
support of that island. The moneys
raised from internal taxes on tobacco
alone will be enough, it is said by those
who have investigated, to run the is
land under provision that all the rev
enues raised in Porto Rico shall be ex-
pended there. The Cuban and Philip
pine legislation can not be predicted
now, even II ii be taken for granted
that when stable government is es-
tablished in Cuba, the independence Of
the island will be recognized. 1t is
thought by Senators, from the reports
received from Cuba, that there will be
considerable delay in reaching a con-
clusion that the Cubans are to be trust
ed alone.
What the financial legislation will be
it is equally bard to predict. There Is
no doubt but what an effort will be
made to commit the Government ire
vocably to the gold standard, but such
bill will be apt to get cold reception
in the Senate. There is little doubt.
however, but bill win DO passed pro-
vising that greenbacks once redeemed
in gold shall be retained in the treasury
and not paid out except in return for
gold. This measure has bssn repeated =
ly recommended by the President and
is simply safeguard to protect the gold
reserve against such raids by tho bank
ers as were witnessed in Cleveland =
Administration. Some provision for
additional national bank circulation will
be made in all probability. Neither is
II unlikely that some provision will be
made, authorizing the purchase of sill
yer bullion in limited quantities for
making fractional coins, for which pur-
pose there is no silver available in the
treasury. 1t has been impossible to
supply the great demand OF late for
small bills and fractional coins, and
some provision must be made to sup
ply need which is particularly felt in
all rural districts.