The state herald., 1899-01-20
CONGRESSIONAL NOTES
AND WASHINGTON GOSSIP.

eral millions OF dollars to the Choctaw
and Chickasaw Indians. Involved In
the case is the question Of title to over
100000 acres OF land In the Indian
Territory. The decision Is to the ef-
feet that the lands In the Wichita RES
ervatiOn are held In trust by the gov
ernment for the benefit of the Choc.
taws and the Chickasaws. This sus-
tains the claim OF the Indians. but
while the decision applied only formal
ly to Wichita reservation II stands ms
the precedent for much larger bodies
of land. ~
The senate committee on foreign re-
lntions on Wednesday authorized SEN
ator Davis TO report the peace treaty
favorably without amendment, The
committee was In session for only nm
hour, and the greater part of this
time was consumed In waiting for u
quorum. the senators meantime dis
cussing informally the provisions Of
the treaty, There was no suggestion
OF any amendment In committee. Sen.
ator Davis was instructed To press the
treaty upon the attention OF the Sen.
ate with Il view TO securing as early
uttNu NS ltNNlNNs ht NNNiuliNNNN ~
so authorized Senator Davis to report
favorably upon the proposition TO re-
move the injunction of secrecy.
The President has sent these nom
nations 10 the Senate; State, Joseph
ii. Choatc Of New York To he ambas-
sador extraordinary and plcnipotcn-
tlary TO Great Britain. Treasury.
Charles ii. Brlckcnstein of Colorado,
to be surveyor of customs at Denver.
Colorado. Postmaster. Colorado. Jo-
scph II. Miller Trinidad. Joseph
Hodges Choate was born In 1872 in
Massachusetts, and is the son of DIR.
George Choate. He was graduated in
1851 from Harvard law school and
was admitted In 1855 TO the bar. He
formed partnership with William ii
Barnes, but in 1850 became n member
of the firm of Evarts. Southmaid 4
Choate. For the last ten years Mr..
Choate has been generally acknowl-
edged TO be the leading lawyer of the
New York bar.
The outlook for the Nicaragua canal
Is not favorable. The days are pass
ing very rapidly. Tuesday afternoon.
January 18th, has been set for vote
In the senate. and Mr.. Morgan is press
ing his bill with great vigor. He does
not object 10 amendments. He has re-
pentedly expressed his Willingness to
accept any modification that may be
desired. provided final action can be
taken: but that is exactly what the OPP
ponents of the bill are trying to pre-
vent. and they are dillydallying along.
spivin.s ayury nnS, ,tbin aNruSa for la.
lay. with the hope of postponing ac-
ton, which is the only way they can
lefeat the measure. II is declared that
II n vote could he taken in either house
almost any bill that provides for the
of n canal would pass.
but the difficulty Is TO secure action.
md with no means of stopping debate
Dn the Senate side and the opposition
lf the speaker on the House side the
prospect Of legislation seems hopeless.
The war Investigation commission on
Friday took prompt action on the SEN
testimony submitted TO II yes
terdny by Commissary General Eagan
and sent the statement Incorporating
his testimony back 10 him, with the
privilege OF resubmitting II II he
chooses to revise lis language. Further
than this. the commission determined
1t could not and should not proceed.
The commission regrets that General
Eagan proceeded as far as he did, and
II Is explained to-day that the vitu-
pcrative nature OF the testimony was
u complete surprise To the commission,
and that but for the rapldity with
which General Engnn read his long
statement and the absorbing yehe-
mence of It's delivery he would have
been checked at the time. one mem
her OF the commission said to-day lie
was about TO move that the witness
be called To order. hut decided not TO,
believing from the heated way In
which Engan spoke that such pcrcmp-
tory action might precipita,e some con
troversy.
During the calendar year 1895 the
United States exported Sd2i, ,aGD, ,a35
more Of merchandise Of all sorts than II
imported, or gain In excess OF ex-
ports over 1897 OF S2Gi.li6,1io. These
enormous figures represent the balance
In our favor shown by the official iig.
urcs issued by the Bureau Of Statistics
for the year ls.ls. The bureaus state.
mcnt shows that our exports FOR lsls
were 81. l.925, 1863, and our Imports
sG.i3. .G'a .G,i, Of which S26I, ,I01 ,0l5
came In free Of duty. The statement
makes comparisons with our trade for
the ilve years Immediately preceding
the past. the largest exports FOR any OF
these years being si.099. I09.0i5. In
1897. and the smallest. ss2t 500. 1881. In
1885,. The only other billion export
year was In lso6. when we exported
81 ,015, ,s3I.2il. The Imports for isDs
Were the smallest II amy of the six
years compared. being SG33. .GGi, ,G.,I.
against sIi2.5.,5.22p In 1897, and ssOi,
t,c.3 .3iI In 1895. when the imports We're
the largest for the past six years. The
gold Imports for the year lsas were
si5s, s,o36, ,2o2, nnd the exports SiG.ipi..
nj. or an excess of gold Imports In
isos of Siii 81 ,2Ds. ns compared with
IN excess OF gold exports In 1897 of
sass., ,soa III" silver impor,s Tor ,h.
year is,,s were s2D02O,i ~ aud the OK.
ports $50. .IDI. ioi. nm excess OF silver
exports OF s2i.I6I.3so M compared
with mn excess of silver exports ln
1897 OF s25.57s,D9o
Assistant Postmaster General Merritt
Inns decided upon the designs for u
series OF new postage stamps for tho
island OF Cuhn. nnd they viii be sup.
piled ns promptly ns possible by the
iiur.nu Of Engraving aud Printing In
this city. III. i.ccni stamp win bear a
rcpr, Heniniion of the statue ~ Colum.
bus which stands In the patio. or court.
yard. OF the captain generals paine.
NJ Havana. The 2'cent stamp win bear
n mnp of Cuba; the scent stamp u re-.
production OF III. statue OF In Gu.
hnnn." n female fRurr In marble. .in.
~ the island. which stands