Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-12-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.
I-+e...l "eBrttorDBNoB OF THE MONITOR.
Washington, d. c., Dec. 10th, 1900.

and it has started the second week
with the evident intention Of keeping
it up. Th- army reorganization was
passed by the house substantially as
reported, except the amendmentpr pro-
hibiting the sale of intOXicants at
army posts and is now in the hands
of the senate military committee
which promises to push it along. The
Grout oleomargarine bill was passed
by vote of 1913 to 80. The program
for this week includes the passage Of
the legislative, executive and judicial
appropriation bill, which was taken
up today, and the revenue reduction
bill. While the senate has not accom-
plished as much in the way of actual
LEGISLATION as the house, it has by no
means been idle, although it followed
it's usual custom Of adjourning from
| Thursday until Monday. 1t made the
ship subsidy bill the regular business,
which operated to prevent the taking
up Of the Nicaragua canal bill today,
as provided for by resolution adobt-
ed at the last session, but that will
not result in delaying action on the
canal DILL which would in any event
have had to wait for the disposition
Of the -Pauncefote treaty. The
| democrats have SO far shown no dis
position to retard legislation.
That there is to be no delay by the
senate in disposing of the Hay
Pauncefote treaty, which many
friends of the Nicaragua canal bill
wish to see ratified before that meas
ure is taken up by the senate, was
shown by the ease with which unan-
imous consent was secured to vote on
the Davis amendment to the treaty
on Thursday Of this week. This
amendment, written by the late SEN
ator Davis, merely declares that
nothing in the treaty shall apply to
anything this government may see fit
to do to protect its interests or to
maintain order, is certain TO be adopt
ed, and it is believed that the ratifica
ton Of the amended treaty will
speedily follow.
Secretary Long was right in declar-
ing the opening of bids for the con
struction OF six armored cruisers and
five battleships, at the navy depart
ment, the greatest industrial event
that this or any other country, had
ever seen, involving as it will, the eX-
penditure of a sum aggregating in
round figures $50, 900, GOO. It spoke
volumes tor the industrial progress of
this country, and especially the prog
ress of ship building, that there
should have been quite number of
bidders for these contracts. In no
country outside of Great Britain are
there as many big establishments
equipped for the construction of these
big fighting vessels. Most Of the bids
were we'll within the amount appro
priated by congress for the ships.
The bill providing for the appoint
ment and retirement of Representa-
tive Boutelle, Of Maine, as q captain
in the navy, has been favorably re-
ported to the house. Mr.. Boutelle
health, resigned the craftsmanship of
the house committee on naval affairs,
and Representative Foss, of Illinois,
who has been acting chairman, has
been unanimously elected chairman
by the committee. In the case of the
death of a chairman of committee
the speaker has authority to appoint
his successor, but when chairman
resigns, a committee fills the vacancy.
Chairman Payne presented the re-
port of the ways and means commit
tee on the revenue reduction bill,
now before the house, which cuts off
about $40, O00,0 900 a year Of the taxes
imposed at the opening of the war
with Spain. The report says: "In
making the reduction, the committee
have sought to remove the more an
noying taxes by the entire abolition
of those which seemed to have prov
ed a great burden upon the several
branches of trade to which they are
applied" Of the net reduction of 25
cents barrel on the beer tax, the re-
port says: 1.-The committee recognize
that the manufacturers of beer have
some claim in the general reduction
of the war revenue, and they believe
that the bill gives them all the relief
to which they are entitled" 1t adds !
of the redu elton of sixty cents
thousand on cigars: "It has been i'm
possible to distribute any of this sixty
cents in making price to the con-
sumer, and the factories have had to
bear the entire tax of over three mil
lion dollars last year" The bill will