Gilpin observer., 1900-03-29
WASHINGTON NEWS.
What Congress- 10 Doing.-Notes From the
). White House and the Departments.

! hittee oH DduhiiiS anu curreucy huS
submitted. the report on the bill to give
greater safety to national banks, by
restricting the making of loans and
overdrafts to bank officers.
Senator Davis of Minnesota has in
troduced Il substitute for the Puerto
Rican bill which provides for free
trade between the United States and
| Puerto Rico, and extends the internal
revenue laws with amendments over
the island. The act is declared provis-
ional and shall not continue longer than
March /, 1902.
Chief Willis l.. Moore of the Wealth
er Bureau has issued an order prohib-
| iting persons connected with the ser
vice from smoking cigarettes during
Office hours, and stating further that
those who smoked cigarettes at any
time would be mentioned in the conf
dental reports which are made quar-
| terly to him by chiefs of the several
offices and divisions throughout the en-
! tire service. He doesn't object to
cigars and tobacco, but says that Gig
arettes unfit man for work in that
| line.
After spirited discussion. extending
| over three days, the Loud bill relating
to second-class mail matter was recon-
on postotfice and post roads. The ma
jority in favor of the motion to recon-
nit was so decisive that it is regarded
as unlikely that the measure will ap-
pear again during the present Con
gress Mr.. Loud said after the vote
was announced that this was the third
time and out. so far as he was con-
cerned. The vote on the motion was
14S to 96, with is present and not vot-
ing. The bill is intended to exclude
from the second-class postage rate all
books and pamphlets.
After several conferences Monday be-
tween General Wheeler and officers of
the administration. 1t was announced
that the War Department had tempo
rarily disposed of its case by placing
him on waiting orders. This action
retains General Wheeler in the service
of the United States until opportunity
is had to determine whether he shall
be given an active command. made the
subject of IL special retirement act. or
mustered out of the military service
1t is stated that he would not be OBJ
liged to retire under the rules of the
regular establishment until next fall,
so there is still opportunity for the gen
eral to see service again if he desires
Ellis II. RODeTtS, treasurer OF Ine
United States, says that under the new
currency law nearly S12.O0O.0OO of sill
Yer bullion must be Immediately pur-
chased by the mints for the coinage of
10, % and 50-cent pieces. The new law
requires that the subsidiary silver shall
hereafter be kept at S100.0OO.0O0. which
is an increase of S24.OO0,00O 1894. 4.514,-
$50, for the amount outstanding on the
1st of the month was S75. .425. 5.413. 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 all greenbacks and other notes of
81. 50 and 50 are to be retired and sill
Yer certificates substituted for them.
This will require the coinage of about
120.OO0.OOO new silver dollars within
the next year or two.
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 ap-
preparation bill ever offered TO the
House of Representatives for that
branch of the service. Its total is SIS
100000 in excess of the highest prev
ious record. 1t provides for two 1900
ton battleships mt Il cost of S3.6O0.0OO
each, exclusives of armor or arma-
ment: three swift twenty-two-knot ar
mored cruisers of 5000 tons. to cost ST.
OOOOOO each. and three Twenty-Five
knot unarmored cruisers of 6.OOO tons.
to cost S1,140.OOO each. In addition to
this S12.OOO.OOO is appropriated to con-
time the construction of vessels al
ready begun. Two new dry docks at
Brooklyn and Norfolk are provided for
as large as any in the world, and II new
building for the Naval Academy. to
cost S2,OOOO0O.
After brief and spirited debate the
House on Saturday took the last con
gressional step in completing the Puer-
To Rican relief bill. agreeing to the
conference report by vote of l35 to
81. The bill turns over to the Presi-
dent for the use of Puerto Rico. about
S2,UO.OU of customs receipts collected
I on Puerto Rican goods up to January
list stand such amounts as may here
after accrue. until otherwise provided
by law. The debate lasted but an
hour, but in this time the whole range
cussed. An important bill passed dur
Ing the day. appropriating $4,000 for
designs for n suitable memorial
in Washington TO Ulysses s.
Grant, this being the first step in
movement to secure nn arch similar
TO the arch of triumph at Paris, COM
meinorating the illustrious statesmen.
a resolution was passed asking the
secretary Of state for information ON
the open door" negotiations concern
ing China.
David B. Henderson turns out to he
n popular speaker. He has been I'm the
chair of the House of Representatives
nearly three months and II half. and his
rulings have been exceptionally salts
factory TO members ON both sides of
the House. While he Is firm and de-
termined in asserting the rights of his
position and enforcing the rules. he
shows so much tact that thus far he
Inns uvni,nl ,,i,.inv ,fr.n.u A.. ,,,,..,,,