The sun., 1900-03-21
FAVOR PACIFIC CABLE.
Senate Committee Reports Bill Drafted
So by Mr. Hale.
THE SCOTT ELECTION CASE.
hr. McComas Presents Majority Re-
port to the Senate Declaring
the West Eirginfan En-
titled to His Seat.

| Washington, March 20. - The senate
committee on naval affairs agreed to re-
port the bill for Pacific cable which
Senator Hale was authorized to draft al
the last session of the committee, and
the report was later presented to the
senate. The bill provides for a present
cable only to Honolulu, but declares q
4 purpose to extend it in the future, the
| first section reading as follows: 'That to
the end of establishing hereafter tele-
graph communication between the United
States and the Philippine Islands and
Japan under the waters of the Pacific
ocean there shall be constructed under
the supervision of the secretary of the
navy submarine telegraphc cable or ca
blcs and connecting land lines from the
city of San Francisco to the city of
Honolulu, III. l., over such route as may
be deemed by the secretary of the navy
to be the most practicable"
Three million dollars is appropriated
| for the work, and further surveys are au.
| thorized to determine the most practical
bic route. The secretary is empowered
to cause plans to be prepared immediate
ly upon the passage of the act and to
| employ naval vessels, if necessary, in the
construction. The control of the cable
when completed is TO be transferred to
the postmaster general.
A new provision in the bill requires
that "the cables, wires and other instru-
ments, materials and appurtenances nee
essary in the work Of laying the cable
snail be OF American manufacture, pro
yided that ii can be procured at cost
not exceeding II per cent above what it
could be procured for in foreign mar
kets."
After the senate convened Mr.. Nc
Comas tMd) representing a majority Of
the committee, on privileges and clec-
tions. presented report and resolution
declaring Mr.. Scott CIV. Va.l to be en-
titled TO his seat in the senate. The res
olution was placed on the calendar. Mr.
McComas stated that Mr.. Pettus (Ala.)
would present minority report
The House.
When the house met, Mr.. Hull da.),
chairman of the committee on military
affairs. reported back from that commit
tee the following resolution introduced
by Mr.. Sulzer IN. W:
."Resoyed, That the secretary of war
is hereby directed TO inform the house of
representatives as early as possible what
fortihcations Great Britain is erecting,
constructing and completing along the
northern frontier of the United States,
especially at Puget sound and other
places on the Pacific ocean contiguous to
the state Of Washington and the district
of Alaska
The committee recommended that it lie
upon the table The resolution had been
referred to the war department, Mr.. Hull
said, and came back with the following
Endorsement:
"'fhe information the department pos
sesses on this and like cases has always
been held to be confidential and for good
and sufficient reasons has not been made
public.
1T is remarked, however, that Great
Britain, so far as the department is in
formed, is i'll no instance erecting forti-
fications trespassing on our rights" The
Endorsement is signed II G. Corbin, Ad-
jutant General
Mr.. Sulzer delivered a scatI;ng denun-
ciation of the administration alleged
o-English course, charging that it did
nothing without the consent of Downing
street; that the recent action of Secrc-
tary Hay was taken upon the request Of
Lord Salisbury and defeated concert of |
the European powers to intervene in
South Africa and charging generally that |
the English were erecting Notifications |
along the Canadian border that menaced |
the peace and welfare of this country.
AT the conclusion of Mr.. Sulzer's re-
marks on rising vote motion to lay |
the resolution on the table was carried |
81 to SO. Thereupon Mr.. Sulzer demand |
ed the yeas and nays, which were or
dered. The resolution was laid upon the |
table-110 TO 81.
For New National Park.
Representative Hay of Virginia has
filed the report of the house committee on
military affairs on the bill establishing
battlefield memorial park of
5000 acres on the sites of the battles of |
Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, the Will
derness and Spottsylvania Court House.
The report states that more men were
here engaged than in any battle in the
worlds history, aggregating at least 500,-
900, with losses in killed and wounded OH
both sides amounting to 120,S3S. The
over the entire field are
said to be we'll preserved.
The ways and means committee held q
special session to hear eX-Postmaster
General Don NJ. Dickinson in support of
tnS Diil allowing the recovery OF rebates
about $6,000,000 on alcohol
used i'll the arts and manufactures. The
Wilson tariff bill allowed a rebate of the
revenue tax on this article on the issu-
ance of regulations by the secretary of
the treasury. But, as the then secretary
Of the treasury, Mr.. Carlisle, did not is
sue the regulations, the courts have held
against allowing the rebate. The pur-
pose of the bill is to do away with the
want of regulations as a bar to the re-
bate. |
Mr.. Dickinson said it was the manifest
purpose of congress to grant the rebate
rs an encouragement to the trade in this
as against that in Europe, where
alcohol was extensively employed in man
fractures, and he maintained that this
purpose should not be overcome by the
naction of an executive official.
An Opportunity For Contractors.
Washington, March 20.-Advices from
4 Caracas iVenezuela) correspondent of
.he bureau of the American republics
says that the council of that city desires
10 arrange for the paving of the streets
md for a modern system of sewerage.
Fhe estimated cost of the work is about
81, 100000. Ample security in the way
Of municipal taxes is promised. "This
contract" the correspondent adds, ''can-
lot he secured by means of correspond