The Press., 1900-06-07
Washington Letter.
Washington, June 4, 1900.

 making extraordinary speed. However, there is little occasion for rush. The senate has agreed that the Nicaragua canal bill shall be taken up December 10, and have the right of way until voted up- on; the bill amending the extradition laws to cover the Nicely case has been passed, and all other important pending bills are to go over to the next session. That leaves nothing to be disposed of ex- cept few disputed items in appropriation bills. The house resolution for adjourn ment names the 9th inst. It is not cer- tain at this time that the senate will adopt that without change, but it Is certain that adjournment will take place during the week.
 The house passed the Littlefield bill, amending the Sherman antitrust law by what would have been an unanimous vote, had not Representative Mann. of Ill.,, cast his vote against it.
 The senate committee on relations with Cuba has gone far enough to discover that it's investigation of the receipts and expenditures in Cuba is going to be very difficult task, owing to the method which has been followed in keeping the accounts. The committee will have to wade through an enormous mass of documents to get at the facts, and it is not an enviablo summer job.
 The proposed constitutional amend ment, giving congress authority to legis- late for the control of trusts, failed in the house because it got 39 votes less than the two-thirds required to adopt. The failure was caused by the sharp drawing of partisan lines, and most of the speech es for and against were political stump orations, intended by both parties for campaign circulation. Whether that par ticular amendment was a good one is a matter of opinion, but the number of those who believe that relief from the ex- actions of trusts must sooner or later come from congress rather than from the several states, is surely increasing, and when there is no presidential campaign pending, when everything is twisted to
 
 partisan advantage, they may get action from congress. The situation was very fairly stated by Representative Hamilton, of Mich, who said: "Corporations are creatures of law and legislatures, which make courts and construe laws, it would seem, ought to be able to restrict, control, or annihilate creatures of law. This sounds reasonable, but we are forty-five states, and at present, when one state prohibits, another invites, and so long as a single state exists from which, by vir- tue of inter state comity, trusts combina- tions can trade over the rest of the union, the states cannot control combinations, except by combination among themselves. Therefore, in as much as trade constant ly flows beyond state boundaries, there ought to be federal law for the control of industrial corporations, which can fol- low and regulate them always and every where. To this end, an amendment to the federal constitution is necessary" | Justice Barnard, presiding over the equity branch of the supreme court of the District of Columbia, censured E. G. Sig gers and imposed fine of $1O0 and costs for his failure to obey an order of court, | forbidding him to represent himself as successor to or as connected with the firm of c. A. Snow X Co.,, the widely known Washington patent lawyers.
 Representative Littlefield of Me-, who made two great speeches against the policy of his party, made a third one in favor of his party's policy. He has ostab- lished the fact that he is one of the best speakers in congress, and that no matter which side of a question he takes, it will be ably presented, and that is a great deal for man to do in his first term.
 Gen. Miles will be a lieut.. general and Gen. Corbin maj. general, unless the house refuses to agree to the amendment providing for the promotion, which the senate added to the military academy ap- propriation bill.
 Ex-Representative Breckinridge of Ark has been nominated to succeed A. s. Mo. Kennon, who has resigned as 8 special commissioner to negotiate with the Indians of the Indian Territory. He doubtless owes his appointment to the friendship he formed with MT. Mckinley while both were members of the house. MT. Breckinridge was minister to Russia under the Cleveland administration, and figured extensively in the newspapers by reason of his. having been charged with wearing the European court costume at all official functions in St. Petersburg.
 The Clark case has by general consent of senators been allowed to go oyer to the next session, and MT. Clark has left Washington. He is either very good buffer or very easily deceived, as he said before leaving 'I shall be on hand al the converting of the next session in December, and will be ready to be sworn into office." He admitted, however, thai as the vacancy will end with the assem- bling of the Montana legislature, in Jan uary, the real decision as to whether he enters the senate, will be made by the voters of that state in electing members of the legislature.
 Comprehensive.
 } On a tombstone in an. old New Eng land churchyard there is an eDitapl