Gilpin observer., 1900-01-11
FROM WASHINGTON.
GOSSIP OF THE WHITE HOUSE
AND THE DEPARTMENTS.

airy, regular service.
| First Lieutenant Loren Il. Cheever of
Buffalo, Wyoming. has been promoted
to captaincy in the Thirty-siXth in
fantry.
The House has adopted a resolution
calling for information regarding the
relations of the Treasury Department
with the New York banks.
| The secretary of war has sent to Con
| gress request for'an urgent deficiency
appropriation of $T50.00O to supple,
ment- the 1.5o0,O0O heretofore appro-
priated for the repatriation of the
Spanish families and their families
held by the insurgents in the Philip
pines from the islands to Spain, in ac-
cordance with the treaty of peace.
The President has issued an eXecu-
tive order relative to quarantine regu-
lations for the ports in the Philippine
islands. The order recites that to pre-
vent the Introduction spf epidemic dis
eases the act of 1893 and the rules
| framed Hereunder shall have full force
in the islands. with additional regula-
| tions. These require that vessels en-
tering and clearing from any Philippine
port shall be examined by officers of
the marine hospital service.
Again it is announced that the Presi-
dent will pay his long belated journey
| to the Rocky Mountain states. This
| time the promise is made in connection
with the intention of the President to
be present at the launching of the Ohio
at San Francisco in the spring. He
| has assured the western senators that
he will go west by way of the North
ern Pacific. stopping at Helena and
Butte. His present intention is to re-
turn by way of Salt Lake, Cheyenne
and Denver.
| In the executive session of the SEN
ate Thursday there was Il brief discus
sion of the promotion of General Mae
| Arthur. The discussion grew out of
an inquiry by Senator Pettigrew as to
what the general had done to entitle
him to such distinction as had been
conferred upon him. The inquiry was
responded to by Senators Carter, Haw
ley and others. who explained that
General MacArthur's record had been
uniformly good from the time of the
civil war until and including the pres
ent campaign in the Philippines. After
these explanations the nomination was
confirmed without an opposing vote.
The mystery of the Montgomery's
cruise on the coast of Africa. which
| Senator Mason promises to make the
SUBJECT of congressional investiga-
ton does not involve any great inter
national question, as he pretends to
suppose. Instead of doing police duty
for the British empire. the Montgom-
cry was quietly cruising up and down
the coast of Liberia. making sOundings
and charts for the supply and coaling
station for our navy, which is very
much needed in that part of the world.
The Liberian government offered the
St.nt. Ia. al,
for that purpose, and the Montgomery
was sent over there to inspect and re
port.
The House has ordered two investi-
cations as Il result of resolutions intro
duced by Representative Lentz of
Ohio. The first is to be an investiga-
tion by the committee on postofiices
and post roads into the charge that two
federal appointeeS of the President.
Postmaster John C. Graham of Provo
City. Utah. and Postmaster Orson
Smith of Logan. Utah. are under in
dictment as polygamists and whether
nflidavts to the effect were on file mt
the time of their appointment. The
other Is IL general investigation of the
military committee into the conduct of
General Merriam and the United
States army officials during the Ward
ner, Idaho, riots and subsequent there
| to.
The secretary of the navy has re-
ceived II most interesting report from
Captain Leary. governor of Guam. re-
cOrding his achievements In the mat
| ter OF civIliZing the natives and clean
ing up the island. He says: "'rhe peo-
pie appear to be grateful for what is
being gratuitously done for them and
seem to appreciate the Importance of
| cooperating with us, not only in our
medical work. but in our efforts to
make sanitary improvements. Assist
| ant Surgeon Stone had persuaded the
people of Agan, the largest village. to
establish II hospital of ten beds So
| striking has been the result that the
authorities of the village are now
building and have nearly finished an
additional hospital for twenty beds."
Governor General Davis urges immc-
date action on the part of Congress
for the organization of II government in
Puerto Rico. He wants that island to
he placed in the same relation as one
of the regular territories. with free
trade In all articles with the rest of the
United States. Owing to the cyclone
which swept over the island during the
summer the people are in condition
of great poverty, in many cases dis
iress, but they are conducting them
selves In an admirable manner and
have shown that they will make good
citizens. General Davis thinks that
policy as well as Justice demands that
the laws of the United States he cx-
tended over Puerto Rico without delay
and with only n few changes, which
are necessary to meet the peculiar con
dltions there.
Chairman Shoup of the Senate com
mittee on territory and Senator Clark
of Wyoming, and the other members
of the party of statesmen that have
been touring the territories. all speak
very confidently of the admission of