The sun., 1900-03-22
THE WORKINGS Of congress
United states Senate Anxious TO
Know About Some Mining
Concessions.
CALLS ON SECRETARY ROOT
Question at Issue is Alleged Monop-
oily of Mining Rights Granted
by the wsr Department to
Parties at Cape Nome,
Alaska.
CALLS ON SECRETARY ROOT

Parties at Cape Nome,
Alaska.
Washington, March 21.-Soon after ths
senate convened Mr.. Turner (Wash.) of
fered resolution directing the secretary
of war to inform the senate whether an.
concessions to excavatc the gold bearing
bed of the sea in the vicinity of Cape
Nome, Alaska, or in other Alaskan wa
ters have been made to any individual Oh
corporation or association by the secre
tary of war or any other war department
officials, and if so upon what theory OF
authority such grant was made.
In response to nm inquiry as to the in
formation which had prompted the reso
luton Mr.. Turner said he had been in
formed by the governor of Alaska, who
was now in the city, that the war de
partmcnt had granted exclusive rights tc
certain persons to mine the bed of the sea
near Cape Nome.
THE secretary of war;" said Mr.. Tur
ner, has jurisdiction over the navigable
waters in the rivers and harbors of the
United States and at various times has
given TO private individuals authority tc
excavate the bed of such waters fol
proper purposes. Now, il this authority
has been stretched to cover such a con
cession as that mentioned in the resolu
tion, it is shame, rcproach and q
scandal. My resolution, | may say, is
for the purpose of eliciting such informa.
tion as the secretary Of war may have on
the subject"
Mr.. Wolcott (Colo.) said that in view OF
the extraordinary statement of Mr.. Tur
ncr he thought the secretary of wni
would be anxious to answer any proper
inquiry touching it. If such il concession
had been granted il was clearly viola
ton of law.
Mr.. Carter said it certainly could not
be in contemplation Of the secretary OF
war to give mining leases without som
blance of law. Il think the resolution
should be adopted said Mr.. Carter, ''as
LIN satisfied the response will show the
secretary has not arrogated to himself
such power
The Resolution Passed.
The resolution was agreed to.
Mr.. Pettigrew offered and secured tl,t
PucShSC VI Il ltSOlullOu OlTPtIlnG Inp sec
retary of war TO inform the senate what
were the qualifications Of voters in the
approaching elections in Cuba. who pre
scribed the qualifications. the purpose OF
the election and who would have charge
of it.
MIR. Hale called up the measure making
appropriations To supply additional ur
gent deficiencies. The committee amend
ments thereto were agreed to, and the
bill was passed without comment. Mr.
Carter called mp his motion to reconsdc,
the vote by which the senate had adopted
a resolution providing Il messenger TO ey.
cry senator not II chairman of standing
committee. The motion prevailed, and
the resolution was referred to the com.
mlttee on contingent expenses.
\ bill to authorize the Judges of the
district courts of the Unitcd States to
appoint stcnographic reporters and deter
mine the duties aud compensation of such
reporters was passed. 'rllc bin provides
for the appointment Of 30 caurt report.
ors in the United States at a salary of
$1,000 each extra pay being provided for
extra mnuscripts OF court PROCEEDINGS
supplied.
The bill to provide civil code for thc
district of -ilaSlu was then taken up for
considerations
Thc House.
The house resumed the consideration
of the Loud hill rotating 10 second clnss
mail matter. Mr. Bromwcll tO.) was tho
first speaker. He advocatcd the passag,
of the bill
Gentlemen, he said, were very solic-
ltous of the good and cheap literature
that went through the mails at the cheap
rate, but they said nothing of the tons Of
vile trash that got the same rate. He
had been informed that two tons of Dau-
det's "Sapho" had recently gone through
the New York postofice. Why should
such books be entitled to second class
rates when Bibles and textbooks paid
third class rates?
The house committee on foreign affairs
has decided to investigate the allegations
made by Charles +. Macrum, cx-consul to
Pretoria, South Africa, relative to the
opening of his official mail by the British
authorities. Representative Wheeler of
Kentucky introduced a resolution to this
end, which was referred to the committee
on rules. After some consultations Chair
man Hit, on behalf of the foreign af-
fairs committee, agreed TO investigate the
charges without the direction of the
house if that would be satisfactory TO
Mr.. Wheeler, the author Of The resolu-
tion. Mr.. Wheeler asscnted and has wiz
ed Mr.. Macrum to come to Washington
as soon as possible to appear before the
The ways and means committee gave
a hearing to n delegation of insurance
officials and agents who desire il change
in the revenue tax law by which in lien
of adhesive stamps on individual trans
actions the business will be taxed in bulk
Those present included representatives of
life and accident, fidelity and indemnify.
bonding and trust, fire and marine. boil
er and employers liability. plate glass
and other lines of insurance. The Ma
tional Association of Insurance Agents
was also represented through its officials.
1t was urged that the proposed change
involved no loss in revenue TO the govern
ment but altered the manner of collec-
tion so as to avoid the Inconvenience and
business disorder caused by stamping
each transaction.
FatnI Train DeraiTmcnt.
Altoona, Pa, March 21.-The engine
hauling the second section of the western
express from some unknown cause loft