The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1900-04-12
At w asilingtDiI.


question. Most of the day was spent in
executive session.
There was fairly large attendance at
the conference of the House Republicans
held Thursday night in the hall of rep
resentatives to agree upon course of
action regarding the Porto Rican tariff
bill Not one of the seven Republicans
who opposed the original bill 1essrs.
Mccall of Massachusetts Littlefield of
Maine, L0rimer of Illinois, Heatwole of
Minnesota, Crumpacker of Indiana,
Lane of Iowa, and Warner of Illinois,
was present At a conference held by
them, they decided not to recede from
their former position and consequently
they considered it useless to attend the
conference, Thursday night. MIR Can
non of Illinois, chairman of the Repnbl
can caucus presided. Mr.. Payne of New
Y ork, the floor leader of the majority
made short preliminary statement as
to thu necessity for harmonious action.
He said that the Republicans of the
ways and means committee were agreed
that the Senate amendments to the
tariff provision of the bill should be
concurred in. As the debate proceeded
the leaders one after another urged this
course. speaker Henderson concluded
with rousing speech urging concur
renee in the Senate amendments in
gross and when the vote was taken on
Mr. Hemenway's motion, the chorus of
ayes was overwhelming. Without divi-
sion, it was declared, carried, and the
caucus adjourned.
The House, after four days Of debate,
Friday, by vote of 100 to IS, passed the
substitute for the Senate bill providing
for a territorial form of government for
Hawaii The bill now goes to confer.
ence The most interesting features of
the days proceedings WAS the attempt
of Hill, onn.. TO secure the adoption of
two mendments, one providing for a
resident commissioner instead of dele
gate in congress, and the other declar-
ing that nothing in the act should be
interpreted as pledge of statehood.
Both amendments were oyerw he lmingly
defeated
The naval appropriation bill was, Fri
day, reported to the House by Acting
Chairman Foss of the naval committee
The amount carried by the bill is SOL
PIG, 9l6, the largest ever reported to the
House from the naval committee. Aside
from this the report which accompanied
the bill is remarkable for its arrayal of
facts regarding sea power the world
over, foreign naval programs and the
comparative strength of the navies of
the great maritime powers, accompanied
by col"red charts showing the upbuild-
ing of the various great navie>, The
report recommends that the President
be authorized to have built by contract
two sea going battleshps of 10, 800 tons,
at cost of SO, 100000 each; three ar
IN )Ied cruisers of 10 900 tons at cost
of 81 100000 each and three protected
cruisers of 5000 tons at cost of $780,
900 each.
The result of the conferences and the
work of the members of the committee
is the conclusion reached, Saturday, that
the Porto Rican oil will pass when the
vote is taken, Thursday The Repubi-
cans are not afraid that the bill will be
endangered by the absence of any of
their men, although persistent efforts
will be necessary 10 insure the attend
ance or prote ction of all.
The rural free delivery system of the
Post Office department has grown to
such proportions that it has been found
necessary to create two new divisions
properly to handle it, An order signed
by the Postmaster General has establish
ed four divisions, the Eastern Division
with headquarters at New York, includ
ing in it's territory New England, New
York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
nine States, with Special Agent f Ii
hathaway in charge; the Middle Dvi-
sion, headquarters, indianapolis, com
prising Ohio and all States west to the
Missouri and Southern states, down tC
and including Louisiana, with + NJ
Dice in charge; the Western Division
comprising States west of the Missouri
and Iowa to the coast, headquarters
Denver, with William Z. Amin iu
charge; the Southern Division, includ
ing eleven Southern States, headquarters
at Washington, with II. onquest larke
in charge. This order>will go into effect
May /.
Efforts ara to be made by the Grand
Army of the Republic to secure legisla
ton providing for the creation of pen
sion court of appeals, which is to pass
finally on all applications for pensions
rejected by the Pension Office and In-
terror Department. Gen A d Shaw,
the COMMANDMENT hief of the Grand
Army, and General Sickles of the Grand
Army have the matter in charge.
The President has ratified The Hague
conventions providing foI universal ar
bitration of international disputes and
for the regulation of The use of warlike
Instruments. The notifications will be
Immediately notified to The Hague,
through United states Minister Newell
Notwithstanding the distance from the
scene of the negotiations and the place
where the notifications are to be deposit.
ed, it is believed that this government is
second to only one of the whole Con
gress of nations represented at The
Hague peace conference perfectng the
formaltes necessary TO give full effect
to the action of the conference. The
next step will be the selection of persons
who are to serve the United States as
members of the permanent board of
arbitration.
Secretary Hay has addressed Wig.
orous protest to the Turkish Govern
ment against the proposed application
of an edict excluding American pork
from Turkey. The note enters an en-
phatic denial of the pretence of unwhole-
someness set up against our pork as a
basis for the exclusion, and pointedly
makes it necessary for the Turkish
Government to support its contention by
adequate evidence before it can enforce
The edict without serious results
congressman Burleigh has received
information from the post office depart
ment that in the course of few weeks
an inspector will visit the Third District
for the purpose of viewing different
routes proposed for rural free delivery,
Governor Bnrleigh wishes the Third