, 1900-05-17
CONGRESSIONAL GRIST-
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.

The secretary of war has received
from General Otis n valuable report
concerning the importation and sale OF
liquor in the Philippine islands and
drunkenness among the troops. Inc
document will he sent TO congress IN
Il few days in reply 10 Il resolution Of
fered by Senator Pettigrew.
AT the next session of the United
States Supreme Court, Representative
Barham of California will make a
unique motion for the admission TO
practice of his son, Edward C. Barham
and his sons wife. Lids ID. Barham.
The latter studied law and was admit
ted to the bar before her marriage, and
is now the husbands partner at Santa
Rosa, under the title of Barham X Bar
ham.
Secretary of the Navy John D. Long
has been practically settled upon by
the administration for the vice presi-
dental nomination. OF those candi-
dates who were in the reckoning, Sec
rotary Long is President McKinley's
personal choice. 1t is said in the pres
ident's behalf that he and the party
managers want n man for the second
place who is up to the standard of abil-
ity to put in control of he admins
tration in case of any accident.
Mr.. WI, the Chinese minister, has
issued a proclamation to the Chinese
residents of the United States eX-
planning the purpose of the census and
requesting them to give all the infor-
nation asked for by the enumeratOrs
without hesitation. Ten years ago the
enumerators found it difficult to obtain
information from the Chinese. who sus-
pected that 1t was to be used against
them, and Director Merriam. anticipat-
ing similar difficulties this year, re
quested Mr.. WI 10 allay the suspi-
cions of his fellow-countrymen.
1t is the desire and intention of the
Republican leaders to adjourn Congress
before the 18th of June. which is the
date of the Republican national con
vention, and n programme of legisla-
ton is being shaped with that in view.
The appropriation bills are pretty well
along, and so far as they are on
cerned ii would be easy to close the
session by the first of June: but there
are several measures on which the Re
publicans desire TO make n record be
fore the election. Those have not yet
been selected and are now under con-
sideration by the steering commit
tee.
In secret session Tuesday the Sen
ate discussed the effect upon the armor
plate question of the invention by an
army officer of a wonderful new pro
%jectile. The shell, fired from high
power guns. penetrated the armor al
most as bullets fired from n Krag-Jor-
censor rifle would penetrate green
wood, the difference being that the ar
MOI plates split from the point of i'm
pact. 1t is said this was true of the
Krupp armor. as well as of the other
armOr tested. The shell which was so
effective was not described; indeed, the
Navy Department is guarding jealous
ly al details concerning its construc-
ton.
The director OF the geological sur
vey has forwarded to the senate a com
munication from the committee now
making Investigations of the work of
the survey with n view TO Dreserva-
ton of the water supply for reclama-
ton of arid lands. In Wyoming the
work now being done and contem-
plated this season includes an exami-
nation of reservoir sites above Gran
ger, reservoir surveys east of Yellow
stone park, continuation of reservoir
surveys in the Big Horn mountains.
investigation of artesian conditions in
Nli' ih' a. NV vi HE
foreground water possibilities in south
eastern Wyoming. Fifteen thousand
dollars is required TO complete the sur
veys.
Attorney General GODDARD of Kan
sas reached here Monday with the
avowed intention of filing in the
United States Supreme Court an in
junction suit in the name of the state
of Kansas against the state OF Colo
RADIO. Tine proposed suit is TO prevent
he diversion of the Arkansas river
by Colorado irrigatiOnists. thus pre-
venting the natural flow of the stream
into Kansas and. us claimed. dama-
ging to the extent of many millions
of dollars the farmers of that state.
Contrary to expectations. Mr.. GODDARD
did not file his application for an in
junction, and he announced to-day
that he would not file II until the Nav
term of court, which opens May 14th.
In the Senate Saturday. Mr.. Spooner
of Wisconsin and Mr.. Hale of Maine
made notable speeches, dcprecating the
war talk of Friday by Mr.. Lodge of
Massachusetts. Neither the senate
from Wisconsin nor the senator from
Maine was fearful that we might be
come involved in difficulty with Ger
many bh ut'pul VI inc Monroe doc
trinc. Mr.. Hoar of Massachusetts pro
tested against the "wrctched imperial
istlc business and the talk that his
nation had only recently become n
world power asserting that il had
been n world power since the war of
1872. Mr.. Chandler of New HamD-
SHIRE delivered n sensational speech, in
which he charged that the government
had been d%efrauded in the adoption of
the H~nrveyiZed armOr. He declared n
similar fraud was proposed in the at
tempt to force the government to adopr
the krupp m BY a close vote the
Senate rejected the proposition to erect.
without reference To the price mt which
cue government could secure armor
plate for its warships. an armor plate
FACTORY. The vote upon the direct pro-
position was % to ~.
The Senate committee on Indian dep
rotations has reported favorably Sen
at"r Nnrrcn's bill to strike out the
aihiiN clause of the act providing for
the settlement of Indian depreciation
claims. 1t viii be recalled thar the
-Wa = WaAN .W