The Somerset reporter., 1900-05-24
At Washington.

lhlS action WAS taken IN anticipation OF
the bill extending indefinitely the provi-
sious of the act In 1888, relative to what
are known al "innocent assertions" be-
coming law. For 10 years Judge Advo-
cate General LemIy has been seeking to
secure this legislation and the bill has
passed first one house and then the
other, but only Thursday last, succeeded
in passing both In one session. No one
knows how many veterans are affected
by this act. At the close of the war
sailors and marines numbering many
thousands reported at Philadelphia to
be mustered ont The receiving ships
did not afford accom- modations for more
than a small fraction of them and after
waiting many days for the mastering
out officer, being told that they were
not wanted, the men drifted off TO their
homes throughout the country and re-
turned to civil life. Technically every
one of these men was deserter and the
act is intended to remove that stigma
from their names.
William II. Hunt of Montana has been
selected to be secretary of State for the
island Of Porto Rico. Mr. Hunt was re-
Gently appointed agent for the United
states Government before the Chilean
Claims Comm issions, position which
he vacates to accept this last appoint
ment He Is son of the late Secretary
Hunt and served on the Supreme Court
bench in his own State.
Representative Allen has succeeded in
getting a paragraph in the emergency
river and harbor bill for the survey of
Portland harbor in the vicinity of Witch
Rock This is dangerous obstruction
IN, nil in the yipinitu nf Inrdan'S
reef and where the californian was
wrecked some weeks ago The rock is
few feet only below the surface and is
conical In shape 1t is believed that
with the expenditure of a comparatively
small sum this coucal rock can be blast
ed off, 50 that it will leave plenty of
clear space for ships to pass in safety in
side of Jordan's reef The rock blasted
away would fall into the deep water ana
it would not cost anything for its re-
moval beyond the blasting.
The statue of General Grant presented
by the Grand Army of the Republic to
the nation, was unveiled in the great
rotunda of ,apitol, Saturday, and elabo
rate ceremonies commemorative of the
event were held in the hall of Represen-
tatives in the presence of vast con
course of people who included the
widow, daughter and descendants of the
hero of Appomattox, hundreds of his
comrades in arms, the officers and com
mittee of the. g A. r and many per-
sons distinguished in military, political
and society circles
The COMMITTEES on judiciary of the
House has reported to that body thefre
suit of their consideration of the various
| 3b.k I'D haa rofarraA fD in,
| regard to the trust question. Represen-
tative Littlefsld was the author of the
bill which bears his name, with the
| single exception of aSshort paragraph
| added by Representative Ray OF New
York, and agreed to by the committee
\ ''The Littlefield Bil' as it has come to
be generally known In the House, is
entirely distinct from the proposed con
stitntienal amendment on this subject
Il proposes to make more effective the
! sherman anti trust law enacted some
months ago. -
The controller of the currency has is
sued an abstract which shows the condi
ton Of national banks in Maine at the
close of business on April Doth. The in
dividual deposits at that time amounted
to $40. GAL ,243 90; and the average re
bCl VIC HCld "db 20 ~ NV PNl SthN
stocks and securities amounted to
81, 1893 ,345 co. Loans and discounts
amounted to S23, $50 OPS 90. The gold
coin held amounted to 81 ORG, COZ 90, and
the total specie, to 81 ,450, 234 90.
| The House, Monday, under suspen
sion of the rules passed two impoI tant
bills reported by the committee on
labor; one to extend the 8 hour law to
all laborcrs employed under contract or
governmental work and the other to
prohibit Interstate traffic in prison made
COOS by bringing them under the juris-
dction of the police powers of the State.
The former bill is designed to carry the
law of 1892 to its logical conclusion
The convict labor bill caused some sharp
inquiries from members of the southern
States where prison labor is employed in
the fields and in the mines, but upon as
surances that 1t would not interfere with
the production of coal, cotton and lum-
Der, the opposition was not pressed.
A pyrotechnic discussion of the status
of the Boer commission now in " ash
ington, was precipitated in the Sena e,
Monday, by a resolution offered by
Allen, Pop, Neb., extending TO the COM
missioners the privileges of the floor of
the -enate during their sojourn in the
national capital The resolution was
defeated by vote of 36 to II, but not
until after a sharp controversy between
its author and Davis, chairman of the
committee on foreign relations
Messrs A. Fisher, G M Vessels and
Mrs. A D. W. Wolmarans, the delegates
in this country of the South African re-
publics, called, Monday, by appoint
ment at the state department, They
were cordially received and remained
with the secretary for more than an
hour They laid before the secretary at
much length and with great energy and
eoquence the merits of the controversy
in South Africa and the desire of the
Boer republics that the United States
should intervene in the interest of peace
and use its influence to that end with
the British government.
The secretary of the State in reply
stated that the President in his message
to the Congress, last December, said {:
This government has maintained an at
titude of neutrality in the unfortunate
contest between Great Britain and the
Boer states of Africa We have remain
ed faithful to the precept of avoiding
entaugling alliances as to affairs not of
our direct concern. Had circumstances
sugge ted that the parties to the quarrel
would have welcomed any kindly ex
preston of the hope of the American
people that war might be averted, good
offices would have been gladly tender
ed. AS the war went on the President,
4