The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-01
Chance for Purdue University to Get
a Portion of $4,000 Provided For
in the Agricultural Bill.
CUSTOMS RECEIPTS GROWING
INCREASE In JANUARY OF ABOUT
S1,25O,OOO OVER DECEMBER.
Cruiser Philadelphia on for Samoa
An Interesting Batch of WASH
ingtOn Miscellany.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31.-The interstate
and foreign commerce committee will report
to the House next Friday a Nicaragua
canal bill based on the one introduced by
Mr. Hepburn, of Iowa, chairman of the
committee. The essential feature of the
Hepburn plan is that the canal shall be
| built and defended by the United States. He
thought that could only be accomplished by
the United States acquiring sovereignty
over whatever Nicaraguan territory might
be needed for canal purposes. Mr.. Hepburn
strove manfully to retain the provision for
| sovereignty, but the majority of the COM
| mittee realized the futility of asking a coun-
try to yield to another sovereignty rights
| over a part of its territory and oyerruled
him, striking out this clause The committee
also rejected the suggestion of Mr.. Barham,
of California, that the United States acquire
ownership Of the canal right of way, as it
also involves the idea of sovereignty. AS
the bill now stands it authorizes the Presi-
dent to acquire the exclusive right to ex-
cavate construct and defend ship canal
from Greytown, on the Caribbean sea, to
Brito, on the Pacific. The committee made
this vital change at its meeting this morn
| ing but had not finished consideration of the
| bill when the early meeting of the House
compelled adjournment until Friday when,
as stated, the committee will report the
measure to the House.
United States Consul Sorsby, at San Juan
del Norte. Nicaragua, is in Washington He
told Mr.. Barham that the Nicaraguan
| government is friendly to the United States
! and will grant it anything it asked in re-
| turn for building the canal except alienation
| Lee
Mr.. Sorsby says this assurance was con-
veyed to him by high official Of the Near
aguan government, whom he is not at
liberty now to name, but who, presumably,
is the President of that republic AS to the
| concessions existing or prospective of the
Maritime Company or the Grace-Cragin
syndicate, it is held that under the proposed
bill the President will be clothed with ample
power to acquire whatever rights or priv
| ileges they may be possessed of. The out
| look for canal legislation at this session is
| good. The bill will pass the House if a
vote be reached The differences between
the Senate and House will be referred to a
| conference committee of the two houses
where the measure that will become law, if
there be any canal legislation by this Con-
gress. Will receive its final shape
| The forthcoming report of the government
receipts and expenditures for January will
| show the receipts to have been about $41, 49,
600 and the expenditures about $51, 100000,
| leaving deficit for the month of about So
| 10000. The customs receipts it will be
| shown were nearly S1S000,000, the largest for
the month Of January since 1898, and an in
crease of about 81, ,250, 900 over December. The
! internal revenue receipts for January will
be approximately $21OO0,90O slight decrease
! from December, but an increase over Janu-
ary, 1898, of over $S5OO,O00. The expenditures
on account Of the War and Navy Depart
ments during January will be shown to be
about $23 $4,000, an increase over December
| of about $1,SO0,000.
The President has designated commission
ers to test the weight and fneness of the
coins reserved at the several mints of the
! United States during the year 1898 as fol-
| lows: Senator w. B. Allison, Iowa; Horatio
| c. Burchard, Illinois; A. j. Hazeltine, Penn
| sylvania Thomas c. Burns, California; H
H. Stoeck, Pennsylvania; H. C. Pritchett
and Cabell Whitehead, District of Columbia;
Coal Barus, Rhode Island Pierre D.
Ricketts,. New York; c. B. Dudley, Judge
William Butler, A. Loudensnowden and
James Elverson, Pennsylvania; A B. Funk.
Iowa; w B. Clarke, Missouri; William w.
Mills, OHIO; Henry Brady, Colorado; Charles
G. Dawes, controller of the currency; II.
G. Torrey, assayer of the New York assay
| office; George l.. Roberts, director Of the
| mint
George Philion and the late Wallace II.
| Dodge of Mishawaka, obtained July 4. 1882.
a patent for separative pulley. 1t will ex-
pire under the general patent law July
next. Representative Overstreet to-day in
troduced bill to extend it for seven years
for the benefit of Philion and Hattie f.
Dodge widow of Wallace H. Dodge.
Clarence D. Gilchrist. of Evansville. is a
candidate for a civil appointment at Manila
His friends resent the appointment OF Col.
Denbys son as secretary of the Philippine
commission, fearing it will interfere with
Gichrist's ambition:
Mr.. w. D. Bynum is thought to have
good chance for appointment as general ap-
praiser of customs at New York as the Dem
ocratic member of the board. 1t is believed
the two Republican members will be con-
gressmen Sherman, of New York, and As
sitant Secretary of the Treasury Howell, of
New Jersey. These places pay $1,000 year.
Here is a hint for Indiana. The States that
apply first and hardest will probably get
the first and biggest whack at $4,000 which
Congress will appropriate for investigating
and reporting,upon the best methods and ap-
plianees for the preparation of American
food products for the table. The item is in
the agricultural appropriation bill. The
money will be apportioned among the state
agricultural colleges and expended by them
Patents have been issued TO Indlanians as
follows: Henry II. Bassler. indianapolis.
pneumatic sprayeg; George Bell. Muncic.