Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-12-10
WASH HGTON LET TER.
I-t4.t< .ttt,t.hpthcl OF TEF MONITOR. ]

both business al Il POnUlCS, COmpOS0
the steering committee that will ar
range and erect the republican legls-
la,ive program in the senate, which
must be arranged with much more
care than that for the house, where
an order from the committee on rules
can, at any time, limit the debate and
set time for voting on measure.
With such pilots in charge, there is no
! robability-hardlya possIbility-that
any mistakes will be made in the SEN
ate end at this session of congress.
The Nicaragua Canal bill, which pass
/ ed the house at the last session is al
ready provided for, the senate having
agreed that it should he taken up Dec.
10, and given the right Of way until
disposed of. Which of the more I'M
portant bills will follow will be decid-
ed by the steering committee, but the
decision will depend to an extent
upon which gets through the house
first. Although the shipping bill Is
already upon the senate calendar, and
several propositions for an army re-
organization bill were carefully gone
over by the senate m ilitary commit
| tee at the last session, it is likely that
the house will be given an opportunity
to pass both before they are brought
before the senate.
It is the expressed intention Of the
republican leaders of the house to
pass the army bill and the shipping
bill before the holiday recess, although
one or both may be referred to a eau
Gus first. Chairman Hull of the house
military committee, has been in
| Washington nearly week comforting
with the President, war department
officials and army officers on the de-
tails of the army bill, upon which his
com mittee will get to work this week,
| in order that it may be reported to
the house at the earliest possible mo-
ment.
Representative Payne, DalZen and
Hopkins, acting as a sub cOmmi ttee
of the house ways and means commit
tee, have completed the first draft Of
bill to reduce internal revenue tax
alton The bill will not be made pub
lie until approved by the committee,
and possibly not until it is reported
by the house, which will be during the
first week of the session, but it is
practically known that it deals almost
exclusively with the stamp taxes
which have proven source OF worry
and inconvenience, although cheer
fully paid by the public because it was
that the money was needed by the
government, and that it does not
touch the tax on beer or on any kind
of tobacco. The beer and tobacco
interests have already begun to howl,
but the committee will probably stand
by the work of the sub committee.
In accordance with the advise of Sec
rotary Gage, the aggregate reductions
made by the bill, will be inside of
$50, OOO,O 900 year.
President Mckinley and Secretary
Hay added another to the sew raj dip
lomatic triumphs they have scored
for the Z. S. in connection with the
Chinese troubles when they took the
initiative in breaking the deadlock
into which the foreign ministers at
Pekin have gotten themselves, by
suggesting TO the other powers that
the negotiations be taken out of the
hands of the foreign ministers and
that an international commission be
assembled outside of China, preferably
OF Tho fnY. tho nf
agreeing upon the demands that the
powers shall make upon China.
| Favorable replies have already been
received from several of the powers
and it is considered probable that the
suggestion will be acted upon. 1t is
not the idea of the President that
there should be any negotiations with
China at all but that the international
commission shall determine what de-
mands it would be fair and reasonable
to make upon sChina, and that China
shall then be notified to comply with
them. He believes that something
between the punishment which
the Chinese government wishes to
administer to those who instigated
the Boxer troubles and the wholesale
beheading of prominent men demand
ed by some of the powers will be
about right, and that the money in
demnity shall be fixed at figure that
China can pay, rather than at the i'm
possible amount named by Germany.
The preliminary report of the 18TH
milan Canal commission is in the hands
of President Mckinley, and as was
expected, is strongly in favor of the