The silver star., 1900-03-30
WASHINGTON NEWS.
What Congress Ia Doing.-Notes From ~
White House and the DepartnentA

l
White House and tho departments
The House committee on public land
has reported favorably the bill extend
ing the provisions of the soldiers
homestead act to soldiers of the span
ish war and Philippine insurrection.
Ex-Speaker Reed was in town Satur
day and spent the greater part OF th'
day In the room of the ways ant
means committee chatting his former
colleagues abut the Republican muddle
Mr.. Reed has always been an anti-ex
pansionist and sees great deal Of
humor in the present condition.
President Mckinley has asked the
authority of Congress to place Genera
Shafter on the retired list with the rams
OF major-general. General Smarter
was retired from the regular army as
brigadier-general several months ago
but the President thinks his public ser
vices justify this distinction.
The Senate committee on naval al
fairs has agreed to report the bill for a
Pacific cable which Senator Hale was
authorized to draft at the last session
OF the committee and the report was
later presented to the Senate. The bill
| provides for present cable only TO
\ tend 1t in the future.
Under the currency act recently
passed it is possible to refund SS40,OOO,-
600 OF bonds. More than 200 charters
have already been applied for for
banks of $4,000 capital in towns of 81
600 population, and comptroller Dawes
thinks the total will so up to 500 before
the end of the month. The applications
come mostly from agricultural towns
in the middle west, Iowa leading.
Ex-Governor McCord of Arizona,
who recently came to Washington at
the request Of the Arizona Press Asso-
citation to further AriZona's claim to
statehood, states that there is no pros
pect of securing Arizona's admission
at this session of Congress. Il have de-
cided to give up for the present. said
Governor McCord, 'and will advise the
people of Arizona not TO press the mat
ter until after Congress gets Puerto
Rico. the Philippines and Cuba off its
hands,
The national society. Sons of Ameri-
ca, will present medals to such mem
bers of the District of Columbia society
as served in the war with Spain. This
action is taken in accordance with n
resolution adopted by the last Congress
of the national society at Detroit, au-
thorizing committee to procure from
the government an old Spanish gun or
plate from one of the captured ships. to
strike medals from the same and dis
tribute them to members of the society
who served In the last war.
The House committee on public lands
has reported bill abolishing the pay
mcnt of S1.25 an acre on land taken up
by settlers under the desert land act
The committee also reported favorably
bill to refund S1.25 per acre to per-
sons who have located under the pre-
emption or homestead laws, and who
have commuted their entries by cash
payments to $3.50 per acre where the
lands located We're within n railroad
grant and the railroad was never
built.
Admiral and Mrs. Dewey left here
Saturday night for trip south. They
expect TO visit Savannah. Macon. st.
Augustine, Jacksonville and Palm
Beach. The admiral and Mrs. Dewey
probably will not return to the city un-
til the Inter part of next month, at
which time. 1t is said. they will sail
for Europe, visiting the Exposition
some time during the summer Mrs.
Dewey has been made chairman of the
battleship committee in aid of the chill
| dren's eastern festival for the Cuban
orphan asylum.
The Republicans have fired the first
shot at the trusts in pursuance OF In
structions from the national commit
tee of their party. Representative Ray
of New York has introduced from the
| special subcommittee on trusts a Joint
resolution proposing an article to the
constitution TO be voted upon by the
| legislatures of the several states next
| winter. II Is to he article 20, and en-
powers Congress ''to regulate and re-
| press moDopolics and combinations; to
create and dissolve corporations and to
dispose of their property"
The Senate committee on nppropria.
tions has reported the urgency def
cheney bill. carrying an appropriation
Of $4,000 for continuing the work OF
the geological survey In stream gaug.
Ing In the arid and semi-arid states
This work has been suspended by rea.
son OF the exhaustion of the apprO.
priation cnused by extra work Of the
survey during the drouth period In Cnl
ifornia. photographer Newell OF the
survey states that when the new ap
preparation IL available considerable
work will be done In Colorado and Wy.
oming.
Great Britain will have TO accept tho
amendment proposed by the commit
tee on foreign relations TO the Hays
Pauncefotc treaty. whether she wants
II or not II the British government,
should refuse to accept the amended
treaty Congress would promptly de
clare the Clayton lsulwer convention
revoked md proceed TO enact canal log
islation upon that presumption. The
secretary of state and Lord Paunce
fotc have had no official communica
tl0n on this subject since the amended
trcnty was reported. although they un
derstnnd ench other perfectly.
After spirited discussion. extending
over three days. the Loud bill relating
to sec0nd-clnss mail matter was recon
mended by the House to the cOmmltte,
on p0stofilce and post ronds. The ma
jority In favor Of the motion TO recon
init was 40 decisive that II is rcgnrtiet
as unlikely TINT the measure will mn