Gilpin observer., 1900-03-15
WASHINGTON NEWS.
What Congress- Is Doing.-Notes From the
White H.use and the Department..

dead He served in Congress for
twenty-six years.
The secretary of war has lately ruled
that no more appointments would be
made in the regular army from civil
life. Hereafter all vacancies will be
filled by promotion.
A stock company has been formed to
establish a telephone system at White
Oaks. The company further plans to
light the town and the principal mines
with electricity.
The House committee on public lands
has reported favorably the bill extend
ing the provisions of the soldiers
homestead act to soldiers of the Span
ish war and Philippine insurrection.
The ratitications of the Samoan arbi-
tration treaty We're exchanged at the
State Department on the Ith by Secre-
tary Hay for the United States, Lord
Pauncefote for Great Britain and DIR.
Won Houeben for Germany.
The members of the committee of
ways and means still insist that the
Puerto Rican tariff bill is one of the
best pieces of legislation ever proposed
yet at the same time they deny its au-
thorship and claim that the president
The President has commuted to i'm
prisonment for life the sentence of
death imposed by court martial in the
case of Private George Murphy. Com
pany c. Twenty fourth infantry. con-
victed of the murder of another sol
dier of the same company in the Phil
ippines.
The president has received beau
4
bust of Houdins Washington. the gift
of Merton Russell Cotes. eN-mayor of
Bournemouth. England. The bust
bears this inscriptions: This bust of
the great Washington. founder of the
United States of America. is presented
to the nation through President Me-
Kinley. Feb. -, 1900, Try Merton Rus
sell Cotes."
Formal discussion of the Puerto
Rican tariff and civil government bill
began in the Senate Thursday. and con-
tinued uninterruptedly for four and
Il half hours. The principal speakers
We're Mr.. Foraker of Ohio. in charge of
the measure. and Mr.. Pettus. Demo-
crat. of Alabama, but at various times
during the debate lively colloquys oc-
cured in which other senators We're
participants.
The last Legislative step in the enact
mcnt of the financial bill was taken by
the House of Representatives, Tuesday.
when the conference report on the bill
was adoDted by II vote of yeas 166.
nays 100; present and not voting, 10.
The Senate had already adopted the
conference report, so that il only re-
mains for the President to atiiN his sig
nature TO the measure TO make it Il
law.
ut is singular fact" said member
of the senate recently. that of all the
hundreds of letters | am receiving
about the South African war not one
has ever expressed the slightest SYM
pathy with England. Everybody IA
vors the Beers. My experience is
chared by every member of congress
so far as | know. The friends of Great
Britain are not appealing for sym
pathy.''
The remains of siXty-siN soldiers who
died in Cuba were buried at Arlington
cemetery Wednesday with military
honors. The bodies of about 800 sol
diers who died in Cuba now rest in this
historic spot. The officers nj Fort
Myer had charge of the services, which
were very simple. A Protestant and Il
Catholic clergymen read the burial ser
vice. taps were sounded and II volley
fired over the graves.
The Senate committee on Indian af-
fairs has adopted in part Senator
Tcller'S amendments to the Indian ap-
preparation bill and Incorporated in the
bill S2O.oOD for iormitoTies 1T the
Grand junction Indian school; S12.OOO
for boys dormitories, $1,000 for indus
trial shops. $4,000 for laundry and So
ono for light plant at the Fort Lewis
school The committee also adopted
senator Warren's amendment appro-
printing $50 for repairing the Wind
river bridge on the Shoshone Indian
reservation. Wyoming.
1t is proposed to amend the Hay
paunccfote treaty so thar 1t shall
conform to the Monroe doctrine and
justify The United States in controlling
and defending the Nicaragua canal by
any methods il may deem necessary
and making this government solely
responsible for its naturalization. This
will he acceptable to the president and
Secretary Hay. The right to fortify
will he included. although it is the
unanimous opinion among military eN-
perts that hatIleships are much better
than forts for the protection of the
canal
The American section at the Paris
Exposition will bc closed upon sun
days by order of the President. \ dele
CATION representing the American Sab,
bath Union called upon the President
several days ago and asked him TO is
sue orders tn Commissioner General
Peck to prohibit all labor 10y the work
men and clerks connected with til,
American Commission to the Paris En-
position on the sabbath day and {,
close the American pavilion and covei
all the American exhibits on sunday.
throughout the exposition. The Prcsi
dent thanked the delegation for bring
ing the matter to his attention and Sec
rctary Hay nj once prepared instluc