The Springfield herald., 1900-02-09
WASHINGTON NEWS.
What Congress Is Doing.-Notes From he
White House and tho Departments.

$bOUO and the subscriptions Will
close in few days.
In the Supreme Court on Friday
three attorneys We're admitted to prac-
ice, one from Alaska, one from New
Mexico and one from the Hawaiian is
lands, which is an evidence of e1pan-
sion.
In answer to SenaIe resolution,
Secretary Gage has sent to the Senate
report upon the coast and geodetlc
survey with special reference to the
new island possessions of the United
States. He says the resources OF the
surveyor are inadequate to complete
the survey of Hawaii and Puerto Rico
He says the problems of the Philip
! pines are much larger and recommends
the establishment of sub-office Mt Ma
nila.
The House committee on mileage
has rejected the claim of Brigham ii.
Roberts of Utah for mileage in con-
nection with his contest for Il seat in
the House. Mr.. Roberts puts in n
claim for mileage from Salt Lake City
to Washington, 2,597 miles, and return,
at the usual rate of 20 cents mile
each way, making n total of S1,O3S.SO.
Mr.. Roberts was not present to-day
and 1t was understood lie had gone to
Chicago.
Representative Bell Is making in
Quiry of all the state treasurers In the
United States regarding the interest
paid upon deposits of state funds and
will use the information in presenting
arguments upon his bill requiring de-
positories of government funds to pay
interest on the same. Mr. Bell says
the interest on government funds held
by the various banks of the country
under the rates proposed by his bill.
would yield an income Of upward OF
100000 per annum to the govern
ment.
For more than three hours Tuesday
Mr.. Bacon of Georgia occupied the ut
tention of the Senate with Il discussion
of the Philippine question. His argu-
ment, which had for its basis his own
resolutions declaratory of the govern
ments policy toward the Philippines.
was listened to carefully by his fellow
senators. and by II large gallery audi
ence. He maintained that the United
States owed as much to the Filipinos
as it does to the Cubans, to whom by
resolution of Congress elf-government
had been promised. and he strongly
urged that his resolutions declaring it
: to be the intention of this government
the Filipinos be adopted as IA means
not only of terminating the war, but of
extending to Il strugglg people justice
and freedom.
Speaking of the lack of courts in
Alaska. Lieutenant jarvis of the reve-
nue. marine service says that on his re-
cent voyage down from the Bcring sea
country he brought several prisoners
and witnesses in charge of United
States marshal who We're compelled by
the government of the United States to
go 1000 miles to attend court and to re-
main away from their homes all winter
because there We're no means by which
they could return home after their tcs-
timony was taken. Some of them Will
have TO. be away from their homes for
nearlyA year unless they are able to
find passage upon n whaler early in the
spring. This Injustice is due TO the neg
lect of Congress to provide courts for
Alaska. and Lieutenant jarvis thinks ii
ought to be corrected rs soon as possi-
bic.
Much interest attaches to the ap-
preaching investigation by the House
committee on military affairs in the
matter of the trouble in the Coeur
d'Alene country. This hearing is to
commence on the 1Ith of February.
Among those already summoned to
give testimony at that time are State
Auditor Bartlett Sinclair of Idaho.
Governor Steunenburg of the same
state, and General Merriam. who com
manded the department mt the time of
the troubles. The witnesses on behalf
of the Miners Union have not yet been
summoned, although it is known that
president Boyce and others will be
i,yat TON, ,t~tl1 t,,IE
wide range and the testimony is likely
to prove very interesting. owing to the
peculiar political ramiication of the
case, involving each of the several par
ties in Idaho.
The United States and Great Britain,
il was definitely learned tonight. have
reached an amicable agreement re
specting the operations of the Clayton
Bulwer treaty as affecting the right of
construction and control by the United
States of the proposed Nicaragua canal.
The result marks the termination of
conferences between the officials of the
State Department and Lord Pauncefotc
of fully n years duration. during
which number of meetings were held
and the subject fully discussed by the
representatives of the governments in
terested. Great Britain agrees to
modification of the Clayton-Bulwer
treaty by which she practically relin
quishes any claims respecting a legal
control of the Nicaraguan canal after it
shall have been constructed. The result
therefore is TO eliminate that feature
of the treaty bearing on the subject of
dual control, and to leave the United
States free to construct and thereafter
control this great nter-oceanlc water
way.
The woolgrowers of Ohio have asked
the President to withdraw from the
Sennte the recinrncitY trentY with