The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-12-11
WASHINGTON NEWS.
Congressional Affairs - Important Public
Transactions-GeneraI News and Gossip.

congregational Affairs - Important < uoAlc
Transactions-GeneraI News and Gossip.
The total customs receipts at all the
ports in the United States is stated by
the supervising agent to be $234, 49,
600, and the expenses 81 ,13o,OO
The report of the secretary of the
treasury shows that the coinage exc
cuted during the fiscal year was: Gold,
$107 937, 40; silver dollars, SIS, 244 ,9S4;
subsidiary silver, 12,SI6, ,S49.15; minor,
$2,243,O17.21 Total, S141, ,3O1, ,96O36.
Delegate Wilson of Arizona has in
troduced a bill creating judicial dis
trict of the territories of New Mexico,
Arizona and Oklahoma, with three ap-
pellate judges, one to be selected from
each territory.
The canteen provision in the new
army bill is likely to cause great deal
of contention. Instead of being a pro-
hibition of the sale of liquor it pro
vides that no army officer or soldier
shall sell liquor.
Senator Warren has introduced a bill
providing that all honorably discharg-
ed soldiers, sailors and marines of the
United States shall be admitted to gov
ernment hospitals free OF charge. A
like measure was introduced in the
House by Representative Mondell of
Wyoming.
In the estimates for appropriations
presented to Congress for the ensuing
year, the following western items ap-
pear: Irrigation Investigations, $4,000;
Denver mint expenditures, S37 ,45O;
Leadville public building, $4,000;
Grand Junction Indian school, $39, 725;
Pueblo Indian school, S27 ,O50; Albu-
querque Indian school, SOS, 100
The battleship Iowa, flagship of the
Pacific station, in company with the
Philadelphia, has been ordered to leave
San Francisco for the usual winter
cruise southwark. 1t is stated that
there is no particular political purpose
in the cruise, but conditions along the
isthmus are disturbed, and it is regard
ed as good policy to have the United
States flag shown in that quarter at
comparatively short intervals.
The President wrote his message
with his own hand. As usual he had
memoranda furnished from the several
executive departments. He did not,
however, clap the manuscript into his
message as most of his predecessors
have done with a few erasures and in
terlineations, but he carefully rewrote
every line submitted by his Cabinet
ministers and other officers of the gov
ernment.
Representative Brosius of Pennsyl-
vania, chairman of the committee on
banking and currency. has introduced
in the House a resolution to authorize
the control of the currency under the
limitations of the act of July II, 1882,
to extend for further period of twen-
ty years the charter OF any national
banking association which shall desire
to continue its existence after the ex-
piration of its present charter
Senator Wolcotts bill, which he in.
troduced in the last Congress to create
n tenth United States judicial circuit
has been reintroduced by Senator
Thurston. The bill proposes creating
n judicial circuit to include Kansas,
Nebraska. Colorado, Wyoming, Utah
and Montana, with two circuits and
three district Judges. The measure lie
strongly urged by all the representa-
tives from the states interested.
According to Secretary Cages report
the highest quotation in the London
market for silver So.925 fine during the
fiscal year was SO.62612 in United
States money per ounce fine. The low
est quotation was SO.5S365. The aver
age price for the fiscal year was
SO.GOo17. The bullion value of the
United States standard dollar, at the
highest price for the year, was SO.4S42d
and the lowest S0.45l41, and at the av.
erage price, SO.4G419.
In his annual report to the secretary
of the treasury, the supervising special
agent states that during the season OF
1900 22.4T0 sealskins were taken, and
is has been reported that the lessees
took smaller seals than have ever be
fore been taken, which, it is thought,
will result in diminished catch during
the next year. The seal life in 1899 is
reported to be twenty per cent. less
than in 1898, which is attributed to the
effect of pelagic scaling.
The first formal social function of the
season at the White House occurred
on the night of December 9th, when
the President and Mrs. Mckinley gave
n dinner to the commissioners of the
United States to the Paris exposition
and their ladies. The table was set in
the state dining room, which, with the
east room and the red, blue and green
parIors, had been appropriately deco
rated for the occasion. The Marine
band furnished the music.
Representative Shafroth made a
speech in the House against the pend
ing army bill He contended that as it
was claimed by the Republicans that
an emergency existed in the Philip
pines for the passage of the army bill,
that a temporary measure should have
been presented instead of one for the
permanent increase of the army. A
bill providing for standing army
should be framed with relation to the
needs for such an army in times OF
peace. for that is the condition of our
country nine years out of ten.
was given a hearing by the sub-com-
mittee on rivers and harbors and urg-
ed the incorporation in the river and
harbor bill of an amendment appropri- |