The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-02-23
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

the Senate and which will determine
whether an extra session of Congress
will have to be called. There will be
no necessity for an extra session I'M
less the democrats filibuster to pre-
vent vote being taken on the Hull
army bill. If they are willing to take
that responsibility, they can do so.
An attempt is being made to bring
about a compromise that will let the
democrats who are opposing the Hull
bill, down easy but republicans are not
concerned in it and Senator Hawley,
chairman of the military commit tee,
who has charge of the Hull bill, says
he will accept no compromise; that
it shall be the Hull bill or nothing.
The Military Court of Inquiry,
which was somewhat delayed in get
ting together by last weeks snow
blockade, devoted its first session to
mapping out a programme and ar
ranging the list of witnesses--a lengthy
one-who will be called, but this
week it will begin to take testimony
and the sittings will be public. The
Court may sit for several weeks, and
may visit other places, as its instruc-
tions are to go to the root of the whole
business and settle for good and all
whether Gen. Miles made his charges
that bad meat was issued to the army
on good evidence or whether he was
imposed upon by those who sought
to !use-hifn and his high Office to Gre
ate a scandal. The Court will not seek
to vindicate anybody, or to incrimi-
nate anybody; only to get at the truth
and to give it TO the President and
the people. Gen. Miles declined to be
sworn when he appeared before the
War Investigating Commission but
he will be sworn by this court.
Hon. Ethan Allan Hitchcock has
relieved Mr.. Bliss and assumed the
duties of the Secretary of the Inter
ior. Secretary Hitchcock is no stran-
ger in Washington and there no is
doubt of his making a success of ad-
ministering the affairs of that great
department of the Government.
Senators are determined they shall
not be charged with responsibility for
the failure of Nicaragua Canal legis-
lation at this session. The House
having by majority vote sustained
the ruling of its presiding officer,
that the Canal Bill was out of order
as an amendment to the Sundry
Civil bill, and it being certain that no
time can be secured in the House for
the consideration of the Hepburn
Canal bill, which was made a substi-
tute for the Morgan bill and reported
to the House, the Senators propose
giving the House another opportu-
nifty to act upon Canal legislation,
that cannot be blocked by points of
order, by putting the Hepburn Ca
nal bill in the River and Harbor Bill
The bill so amended has already been
reported to the Senate, and there is
no doubt that it will pass that body.
The Naval Reorganization bill will
become law in a few days. 1t is
now in conference, having been
slightly amended before passing the
Senate, but it will go to the Presi-
dent shortly.
Senator Frye has offered an amend
ment to the Sundry Civil bill, author
izing the payment of $4,000 a year
for twenty years, by the government
for the use of Pacific cable, from
some point in the U. S. TO China and
Japan, via Hawaii, Guam and the
Philippines, provided that the cable
be in working order to Honolulu by
July 1, 1900, and to Manila by Jan. /,
1901, and that messages of the U. S.
Government be carried free forever
No one was surprised, after the
Canal bill was ruled off the Sundry
Civil bill on a point of order to see the
item appropriating $20,000,OOO to car
ry out the terms of the Treaty of
Peace with Spain go the same road.
But the money will be paid. Repre-
sentative Cannon has introduced a
bill making the appropriation, which
will go through all right. The at
tempt of Representative Gillett, of
Mass, to mix up the appropriation
and the McEnery resolution, adopt
ed by the Senate last week, will do
no harm, as the bill will never be
heard of again.
Mr.. A. E. Noyes, well-known Min
neapolis lawyer, wagered case of
champagne against case of beer
that the democrats will not nominate
Bryan next year. The wager was
taken by Representative Jones, of
Washington, but when Mr.. Noyes Of
fered to make the same wager that
President Mckinley would be renomi-
mated and re- elected, Mr.. Jones de-
clined.
When President Mckinley, in his
Boston speech, pnnctured the imper-
ialistic balloon which the democrats