Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-12-04
PAVING WAY FOR CANAL.
Nicaragua Comedies to the United
States the Necessary Rights
and Privileges.
THE TREATY IS SIGNED At WASHINGTON
Caucus OF Democrnta OF House Called
for Monday Proposed Army Bill
60, BE Considered = Republicans
Consider. Busines. to Come before
Congress.

COngress.
Washington, Dec. 3.-Secretary Hay,
Saturday morning, for the government
OF the United States, and Senior Correa,
the Nicaraguan minister. for his own
government, signed treaty whereby
the latter government comedies to the
government of the United States the
necessary rights and privileges within
her bestowal for the construction of
the Nicaraguan canal.
Call for Democratic Caucus.
Washington. Dec. "a caucus Of
, democrats of the house has been called
for next Monday afternoon. The pro-
posed bill for reorganization of the
army will be the subject of considera-
ton. 1t is understood that many dem.
ocrats favor the idea of Offering us a
substitute for the army reorganization
bill measure extending for two or
three years the present temporary
army arrangement.
Congregational Programme.
Washington. Dec. 3.-There were a
number of republican senators at the
| capitol Friday and they were in in
formal conference during the greater
| part of the time concerning the bust
| ness likely to come before congress dur
ing the approaching session. Among
those who participated in these meet
| ings were Senator'S Allison, chairman
of the committee on appropriations;
Aldrich, chairman of the committee on
finance; Frye, president pro tenn. Of the
senate; Lodge, q leading member of the
foreign relations committee; Platt, Of
| Connecticut, member of the finance
committee, and Hale, chairman of the
committee on naval.aff:irs. They were
not all together at any one time, but
| there was no effort to conceal the fact
that there was a general exchange of
| views.
/ War Revenue Law.
| Prominent in their deliberations was
| the contemplated amendments to the
war revenue law. Senators Aldrich, AL
lison and Platt were together for some
time on this latter subject. and had
with them Representatives Payne and
DalZell. of the house committee on ways
and means. II was stated at the close
of this talk that the discussion had
been on very general lines, and that
as the house people had not completed
their measure and the treasury esti-
mates had not been received no conclu-
sion had been reached.
Solar as the senator's expressed them
selves their-esS {sse-->is>a -fnSarahle
to making the revision so thorough as
10 relieve the work entirely of the pos
siblity of having it considered of
temporary character. They expressed
the opinion that whatever changes are
to be made should be made at the pres
emf session in order to prevent the re-
opening of the subject at the next ses-
sion of congress. as they think that if
the question should be entered upon at
the beginning of long session an en-
tire revision of the tariff might be at
tempted. This they would avoid. They
also gave some indication of their views
of the changes to be made, In a general
way favoring the removal of the extra
tax from articles not returning large
revenue and leaving it on the more pro-
ductive articles. The tendency seemed
to be against any removal of the beer
or tobacco taxes and also against the
removal of the tax on exchange trans
actions.
Shipping Subsidy Dill.
There was also considerable discus.
sion of the shipping subsidy bill, and 1t
was made evident that there will be a
strenuous effort to have the measure
made the unfinished business in place
of the Spooner bill for the regulation
of public administration in the Philips
pines. There is said to be no doubt now
that this substitution will be attempt
ed at the first meeting of the commit
tee on order of business. which prob
ably will occur Monday next after the
| adjournment of the senate. Sentaor
Frye is giving his especial attention to
this subject and expresses his deter
| mination to crowd the bill as fast a.
possible. All senator's seen spoke Of
the inutility of the Spooner bill and
said that for the present ut least no eft.
fort will be made to leglslate along the
lines suggested by that measure. The
effect Of this decision will be to leave
the Philippine questions entirely in the
hands of the president.
Senator Frye during the day also was
in consultation concerning the ship
ping bill with representatives OF the
Merchants association of New York,
| who urged that as the bill stands II
win be injurious to the export trade,
while Representatives of the New York
& Pacific Steamship company, who
were also with the senator, expressed
the opinion that unless full subsidies
were granted to foreign-built ships
they would be operated at loss. Sen.
ator Frye said that the bill was now IN
as perfect shape as seemed possible to
get it and that he did not see the ad.
i visibility of making any amendments
A meeting of friends Of the measure
will be held in this city to-day to con.
slider these and other objections to the
bill; but for the present no meeting
of the committee on commerce will pc.
cur to consider the bill in any partic.
plar.
Nicaragua Canal.
4 II this programme can be carried intf
execution the Nicaragua canal bill alsf
will be displaced. at least temporarily
The canal bill is only special order
and could not be used to displace un
finished business except upon vote OF
by general consent. With reference Il
the canal bill there was manifest II
the various talks some disposition te
have 1t await action nm the Hav