Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-02-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, Feb. 2Ith., 1899.

mine whether an extra session of
Congress will have to be called. There
will be no necessity for an extra ses-
ion, unless the democrats flibuster
to prevent a vote being taken on the
Hull army bill. IF they are willing to
take that responsibility, they may 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, AID Senator Haw-
ley, 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 moth
ing.
The Military Court of Inquiry, which
was somewhat delayed in getting to-
gether, by last weeks snow blockade,
devoted it's first session to mapping
out a programme ana arranging the
list of witnesses-a lengthy one-who
will be called; but this week it will be-
gin TO take testimony and the sittings
will be public. The court may sit for
several weeks, and may visit other
places, as its instructions 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 evil
dence or whether he was imposed upon
by those who sought to use him and
his high Office to create a scandal. The
court will not seek to vindicate any
body or to incriminate anybody; only
to get at the truth, and to give it to
the president and the people. Gener-
al Miles declined to be sworn when he
appeared before the War Investigate
ing Commission, but he will be sworn
by this court.
Hon. E. A. Hitchcock has relieved
Mr.. Bliss and assumed the duties of
the Secretary of the Interior. Secre-
tary Hitchcock is no stranger in
Washington, and there is no doubt of
his making success of administering
the affairs of that great department of
the government.
Senators are determined that they
shall not be charged with responsible
1ty for the failure of Nicaragua Canal
legislation 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 securedin the House for considera-
of he hi in11
was made substitute for the Morgan
bill and reported to the House, the
Senators propose giving the House
another opportunity to act upon Ca
nal legislation, that cannot be blocked
by points of order, by putting the
Hepburn Canal 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 re- organization bill will
become a law within few days. 1t is
now in conference, having been slight
iy amended before passing the Senate
but it will go to the President short
1y.
Senator Frye has offered an amend
ment to the Sundry civil bill, author
izing the payment of 800, 900 year
for twenty years, by the government
for the use of a Pacific cable, from
some point in the United States to
China and Japan, via Hawaii, Guam
and the Philippines, provided that the
cable pe in working order to Honolulu
by July 1st 1900, and to Manila by Jan.
!, 1901, and that messages of the Unit
ed States Government be carried free
forever.
No one was surprised, after the Ca
nal bill was ruled off the Sundry Civil
Bill, on a point of order to see the
item appropriating $40, ZOO, 900 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 Though all right. The at
temp of Representative Gillett of
Massachusetts, to mix up the appro-
priation and the McEnery resolution,
adopted by the Senate last week, will
do no harm, as the bill will never be
heard of again. st
Mr.. A. F. Noyes, a well-known
Minneapolis lawyer, wagered a case
of champagne against case of beer
that the democrats will not nominate
Bryan next year. The wager was
taken by Representative Jones, of