The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-19
VIII Have About Eighty POstOfiices i'm
His Jurisdiction and Number
of star Routes.
NICARAGUA BILL TO PASS
SENATE WILL FAVOR PROMPT con-
STRUCTION OF THE CANAL.
House judiciary Committee to RepOrt
Against Congressmen Holding
Positions in the Army.
special to he 1ndianapolig journal.


Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1S.-Information re-
ceived by the State Department indicates
that the Paris Exposition may not after all
be held in 19OO but be postponed of neces-
sity until 1901 at least. From the reports
at hand in that department it appears that
the work of preparation of the grounds
and buildings requisite for the exhibition is
far behind what they should be at this time
If the exposition is TO be held next year.
About fifteen months only intervene between
the present and the date set for the opening
of the exposition. The advices of the State
Department are that the work yet to be
done, If proceeded with at the rate hereto-
fore attained, cannot be finished short of
two years. The French workmen do not
have the word hustle in their lexicon.
They proceed in leisurely fashion, and when
ennui seizes them, as it does at least once
a day, they knock off for an hour or twos
spending the time in wine shop. A spec
cific instance is recited of a hotel, on which
work has been going on for the past three
years and which is now only about half COM
pleted. Yet, in Indianapolis, a like building
would be finished in a year However, the
| French can console themselves with tho
InOugnL lIdL an exposition III the UfSI year
Of the twentieth century is as appropriate
as one in the last year of the nineteenth
century. Commissioner General Peck is to
have a hearing before the House appropria-
tions committee soon. He wants more money
for the American exhibit. He will be called
on to explain these adverse reports of ths
stage of the preparation reached by the
| exposition. Congress will not be parsimoni-
Gus, but it will hardly increase the appropri-
alton this year, if the exposition is to ba
delayed until 1901.
The House judiciary committee has been
examining into the right to seats in Congress
of representatives who accepted commis-
sions in the army during the recent war.
Those involved are General Wheeler, of Ala
bama, and Colonels Colson, Of kentucky
and Campbell, of Illinois. It's report will ba
adverse to the right of these gentlemen to
sit as legislators and hold commissions in
the army at the same time. 1t is charged
! the committee is holding back it's report be-
! cause the seats of two Republican State
senators in the West Virginia Legislature
are in the same category as these congress-
men, and that if they were turned out it
might result in the election of a Democrats
United States senator. OF course this is
absurd, because no action or opinion of the
House or one of its committees as to the
right of member to his seat could possibly
affect the status of a member of a State
Legislature. Nevertheless, the PARTISAN
charge is banded about Senators and reps
| Tesentatives who have served, or are serv~
ing on commissions, are not in any way i'm
volved. There is no question as to their right
to serve on such commissions without for
feiting their seats in Congress. Members
eye of the law. Moreover, the senators and
representatives who serve as such do so
without pay, except what they receive as
senators and representatives. General
Wheeler's attempt to justify himself in re-
tanning his seat in the House and his COM
mission in the army at the same time is
| idle. He has been elected to the next House.
Before that body meets he must decide
which he will retain, his seat in the House
or his office in the army.
vote will be taken tomorrow on the
Nicaragua canal bill in the Senate, and il
will pass that body by an overwhelming
majority. Many of the senator's who are op-
posed to this particular measure for one
reason and another will vote for it. They
do not want to appear as antagonistic to ~
canal though they do not like this special
bill. They will vote to send it to the House.
believing it cannot pass that body. They
think that if the House passes a canal
measure it will be radically different FROM
that of the Senate. This would require it
to go to the conference committee Of the
two houses, where a compromise bill would
be shaped up If this did not meet the
views of those senators who do not fancy
the Senate bill, they could at that advanced
stage of the session prevent the adoption
of the conference report and so defeat the
scheme for this Congress.
The House commerce committee is hearing
canal advocates. The Panama people haye
been heard and the hearing Of the Cragin-
Grace syndicate people is going on. The
prospect is that the committee viii report a
bill authorizing this government to obtain
the right from Nicaragua and Costa Rico
to build own and control the canal A bill
Of this kind would be so radically different
from the Senate measure. and it's passage
by the House would place the two houses
so widely apart, that it would be difficult
for them to get together in the short time
left. Among the senator's who will vote for
the Senate bill, though not satisfied with Il,
is Senator Fairbanks But this is the only
course that can now be pursued IN that
body If any action looking to the canals
construction is to be had at this session.
There are other senator's who happen also
to be friends of the administration that viii
vote the same way and for the same rea-
sons. ss'
Captain W IT. Elliott. of New Castle,
Ind, was to-day appointed director of posts
FOR the Island OF Porto Rico. This position
is similar to that created in Cuba for Major
f. G. Rathbone. Captain Elnott's duties
viii be TO organize postal system for Porto
Rico along American lines, lie Will have