The Springfield herald., 1900-03-30

thus emitting them to about S24,OOO, 900
In excess of that they have heretofore
enjoyed.
Ellis H. Roberts. treasurer of the
United States, says tlat under the new
currency law nearly S12.OOO,0OO of sill
yer bullion must be Immediately pur-
chased by the mints for the coinage of
10, 25 and 50-cent pieces. The new law
requires that the subsidiary silver shall
hereafter be kept at 800. .OOO.OOO. which
Is an increase of $24,OOO.OOO (S2i ,5T4.-
$50, for the amount outstanding on the
LIST of the month was S15 5.125. .413. The
same law provides that hereafter all
currency under the denomination of
$40 shall be standard silver dollars or
certificates issued upon them. There
fore nil greenbacks and other notes of
81, 50 and So are to be retired and sill
yer certificates substituted for them.
This will require the coinage of about
12O,OO0OOO new silver dollars within
the next year or two.
The conference on the Puerto Ricau
appropriation bill have agreed upon II
compromise measure, The Senate CON
| ferees receded from the Senate amend
ment limiting the appropriation to the
revenues collected on Puerto Rican I'M
portations until the first of last Janua-
ry and restored the clause In the House
bill applying to future revenues, read
ing as follows: Together with any
| further customs revenue collected on
importatlons from Puerto Rico since
.Januray l, 1900. or that shall hereafter
be collected under existing law" The
provision in the Senate amendment
specifying the purpose for which the
money shall be used Is retained, but an
addition is made declaring specifically
that 1t shall be for the laid and relief
of the Puerto Ricans."
Mr.. Foss of Illinois. who is acting as
chairman of the committee on naval
affairs during the disability of Mr..
Boutelle. has prepared the biggest mp
preparation bill ever offered to the
| House of Representatives for that
branch of the service. Its total Is $lS,-
100000 ip excess of the highest prey
ious record. 1t provides for two 14.O0O-
ton battleships at n cost OF S3,G0OOOO
ench, exclusives of nrmor or arma-
ment; three swift twenty-two-knot ar
mored cruisers of 5000 tons. to cost ST.
| 100000 each, and three Twenty-Five
knot unarmored cruisers of G,OOO tons,
to cost 81, 100000 each. In addition to
this Sl2,OOO,OOO is appropriated to con-
tinue the construction of vessels al
ready begun. Two new dry docks at
Brooklyn and Norfolk are provided for,
rs large rs any in the world, and n new
building for the Naval Academy, to
cost S2.OOO,OOO.
The Republican peace committee met
after the adjournment of the Senate
Thursday and practically ratified the
offer of Senator Foraker In the Senate
to separate the House Puerto Rico tar
iff bill from the Senate governmental
BILL md to take n vote on the House
measure. The peace committee Is will
ing that vote should be taken upon
the House bill as first passed by that
body, provided 1t becomes apparent
that 1t is impolitic to attempt to amend
1t, but an effort will be. made to ascer-
tain whether the House will consent to
any modification. Some of the Repub-
lican senators think the bill should be
so changed as to provide for the con-
tinued exemption from duty of the mr.
ticles which were exempted by the
Presidents order. They also find the
House bill deficient in that 1t fails to
provide any means Of collecting the
duty which 1t imposes.
The correspondent of the Chicago
Record, Republican paper. says:
Representative Page Morris of Mime
sofa and six other Republican members
of Congress have found 1t necessary to
so home and explain to their constitu-
ents their reasons for voting for tariff
on Puerto Rico. and all of them are
likely to lose their seats because of that
inexcusable blunder. One member
who is similarly situated lay right
down and let his constituents jump on
him." to use his own words. He did
not attempt to defend the bill He
.,,I 4 tI,at 10
for him to change the opinion of every
Intelligent man in his district, and that
is too big a job, so he promptly entered
the plea of guilty" and threw himself
upon the mercy of his constituents,
asking them to take into consideration
certain eXtenuating circumstances. II
told them that | was led by party 10y
atty into voting against my own cOnvic-
tion," he said, "but l promised never
to do so again. This seemed to please
the people, and 1 think l am stronger
than ever in my district, but l had
mighty narrow escape from political
oblivion" Those members who are at
tempting to defend their action meet
with many embarrassments and only
provoke controversy in which they
come out second best. 1t is the gen
eral opinion that the passage of the
Puerto Rican tax bill will cost the Re
publican party the control of the next
House of representatives.
Il think the Cubans are getting to un-
derstand that steady progress is being
made toward the establishment Of their
government. l do not think they wish
the present condition of affairs to con-
tinue, but they are not impatient about
taking over the government" Sec
tary Root made this statement after he
had reported to the President on his re
turn from Cuba. 1t was evident from
the secretary's manner that he does