The Lamar register., 1899-07-19

President Tuesday 10 ask his cnnsId.
GRAFTON Of some points in reference tn
the Interpretation given by the attor-
ney general to the recent ACT OF CON
gEess affecting the army cnnteen The
delegation recorded its dissent from
the opinion OF the attorney general
and presented n legal opinion on the
subject prepared by Colonel Eli Ritter
OF indianapolis. The members OF the
ueiegnhon, after their call, reported
tlle PRESIDENT rs saying that the opin-
Ton OF the attorney general was given
without any previous knowledge on his
part: thar he would look into the mai.
ter personally.
General Otis has cabicd the War De-
partncnt that 900 men hnd v0luu.
tecrcd for service IN the two volunteer
regiments To be- organized In the PHI
tpplneS This Is encouraging news to
the authorities. as previous iuforma.
tion Indicated that General Otis would
De unable 10 organize these regiments.
and that u they We're flllcd at all. the
volunteers would have TO be sent from
the Inited States II WIS proposed at
one time tu enlist friendly natives 10
complete the organization OF these two
regiments. but General OTIS has In.
formed fhc War Department that II
would he !nadyisable TO attempt the
experiment at this time, Indicating
that The Ftllpluus In and around Ma
nila are not yet 10 lie trusted.
Commissioner Wilson OF the Internal
Revenue Bureau has issued circular
absolutely prohibiting hanks from al.
fiSinE stamps To- checks uuxtalnprd
when presented. and requiring them 10
the zlF ma. 20 D L..
circular 60 collectors. the commission
cr says: "Nou are directed To notify
the banks that are guilty Of stamping
unriHmpei cheeks that II the practice
Il not Immediately discontinued they
VIII be reported 20 the United States
district attorney for prosecution" The
prsviouz Instruction TO the effect that
there was NO objection 10 the nthxing
by the bank ~ the requisite stamps To
nu uuEtamreyI check presented for pay
ment T. revoked. As i.ie Law Is now
gcu~Taity understood. IL IL hrld that
there y no further need Of such per
mission THIS action was taken upon
Information that certain backs had
adopted the practice Of not requiring
stamps, as an advertisement to secure
I-atTouhEr as against rival hanks
How to defend the colonies. or de-
pyniicDries as rhe administration ntli-
ciais prefer 20 call them, ~ un.. Of the
Important questions at present reCely-
ius the serious attention Of the mill
fury cxrSras, Reports have been re
eeiyed from time to time during the
Inst few months from army officers In
the Philippines, HAwnu. Cnba and
Porto Rico. giving the condition Of
the irfch.s-S IN each piacC and making
thoTities to map out a project for pro.
tectlng sii Of The new possessions
against n f0reiEn Invasion. Officers Of
The corps OF engineers are now en-
Eascd IN studying these reports and In
preparing q general plan aud estimates
for Hawaii and Porto Rico. In view
of the uncertain status Of Cuba and OF
the continued war In ths Philippines.
nothing win L. done toward outlining
eOaKt defense projccJ for these islands
during the prtSrnt year. Extensive
plans for defending Hawaii and Porto
Rico will hs. completed before Congress
ssSruibl,-s, when an estimate OF several
million dollars wiil b. submitted for
beginning the erection Of heavy hat
frrirs ct different points In those new
possessions,
"Spain will. upon the signature OF the
present treaty, release all prisoners OF
war and ali persons detained or I'M
prj@one,i for I-lltical oFrcnScs, In com
nrCtiaB with The iusuFpsctinnS In Cuba
and the Philippines. and the war with
the Unltrtl States Though seven
months have passed since the signing
of the treaty ~ peace between the
United States and Spain. containing
this provision. Spain has taken no
action 81 fur ns the authorities have
been advised, looking 10 the release OF
the CubauS and FnipinOs Imprisoned
NJ Fernando, Philippine Islands. and
at other Spanish penal prisons, Minis
ter Storpr at Madrid. has been IN
strIicied by Secretary Hay, NJ the ln-
stance Of Seuor oueSada. the repro.
sentative nf Cuba in Washington, to
call tie attention Of the spanish gu~-
crnmcnt to the provision OF the treaty
cited above and to request that the
Cubans and FillplnUs still in cOutine-
ment he granted their liberty without
further delay Senior Quesada said
recently that he thinks there are
about twenty Cubaus In Spanish
prisons The number 0f Fil.pinos
held by Spain Is not known. In some
circles here there Is a disposition 10
believe that Spain's delay In liberating
the prisoners she holds Is due TO the
delay Of the United States TO secure
the release Of Spaniards held by the
FIlipInus. Immediately upon the sig
ttaVurss ~ the treaty gf peace. flp spies