The silver star., 1900-04-06

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OF the prominent members OF the mill.
tary committee OF the House, has pre-.
pared 2 bill to create out Of the militia
OF the several stntes n reserve volun.
teer army for use In time Of war to SUD-
plement the regular service. The bill
contempiates q general broadening of
the basis of the national guard, its
equipment with the service rifle and Its
complete organization In time Of war
into regiments, brigades, divisions and
corps, with the three battalion forma-
tiOns us In the regular service, and Is
designed to obviate the necessity OF
large standing army upon the expira-
ti0n OF the present Inv, July 1, 1901,
increasing the standing army to 85,OOO
and authorizing the present volunteer
army of $4,000. The bill makes all
citizens between the ages Of eighteen
and forty-five liable to military service
In the volunteer army. 1t apprOpriates
$4,OOO,OOO annually for the maintenance
and equipment of the national guard Of
the several states and requires the sec.
retary OF war to keep In each state n
supply OF ordnance stores sufficient for
ninety days use In the event Of war.
Governor Steunenberg Of Idaho called
at the War Department Saturday, md
presented In person to Secretary Root
the petition to which he referred while
under examination before the House
committee on military affairs, in favor
Of the retention Of the federal troops
In the disturbed mining districts. The
governor had refused to produce the
petition before the committee until he
had first submitted 1t to the secretary
of war, to whom 1t was addressed. The
petition bears about $500 signatures,
and recites that all Of the signers are
citizens of Idaho and of the county OF
ShOshOne and the Occur d'Alene min.
Ing district. They petition that the Sec
retary OF war allow the small force of
federal troops to remain in the quarters
provided for and occupied by them Mt
the town OF Osborn, Shoshone county,
for as long time as Governor Steunen-
berg may think their presence neces-
sary for the preservation of peace and
order. The citizens also express their
approval of all the acts that have been
done by the governor and the officials
of their state to preserve peace and or
der and to bring criminals to Justice.
Whether Great Britain made an
apology to the United States for the
opening Of Consul Macrum's mail by
Its censor depends upon the meaning
of that word. From our standpoint it
was apology; from the British stand
point, 1t was an explanation. When the
charge was first made by Macrum and
fac SMILES of the envelopes were pub
lished, 1t was noticed TINT the censor
who opened them had been careful to
write his initials upon the sticker SO
that he could be easily traced. Lord
PauncefOte voluntarily offered to make
al investigation. and a few days later
came to the Department of State with
the explanation that the censor had
violated his instructions accidentally,
owing to an enormous amount Of mail
matter which passed through his
hands. He expressed regret Mt the cir
cumstance and explained the orders
under which the censors were Operat-
ing. Representative Berry, a member
Of the committee to investigate the Ma
crum charges, called at the Depart
ment OF State for Information yester-
day. and was given this information in
confidence by Secretary Hay. He i'm
mediiately delivered 1t to a New York
newspaper. The committee on foreign
Affairs will commence the Investigation
OF Macrum's troubles tomorrow.
Senator Foraker has introduced the
amendments to the Puerto Ricnn gov
ernmental bill which were read to the
Republican senatorial caucus Monday,
and some of which were agreed to by
1t. The amendments were Incorporated
In q new print Of the bill. and the bill
as thus amended introduced as n new
measure. The first important change
IL made In section 3, In which the in
habltaDts are described as ''citizens OF
Puerto Rico, and ms such entitled to
the protection OF the United States"
whereas In the old bill they were des-
tsvs, ssnft -
States." The following provision is
substituted for section s In regard to
articles imported into Puerto Rico from
ports outside of the United States:
THAT on and after the passage OF this
act the snme tnrlff customs and duties
shall be levied, collected and pnid upon
all articles imported Into Puerto Rico
from ports other than those OF the
United States. which are required by
law to be collected upon articles Inn
ported into the United States from for
eign countries" The new provision In
regard to commerce. between the Unit
ed States and Puerto Rico places tax
OF fifteen per cent. II the Dingley rates
upon imports into the United States.
This tax TO he discontinued after two
years. Imports into Puerto Rico to be
free OF duty.
In n speech Saturday on the fortifl-
catiOns appropriation bill, Representa-
tive BELL called attention In strong
terms TO the growing extrnvngance Of
the administration Of public business.
He said among other things: "ln the
contingent expenses OF Congress you
can lOp OF hundreds OF thousands Of
dollars In expenditures by which mon
ey is iilched from the people. The
present I'LL IL d cOhst defense bill and
the great expenditures It calls for have
do no; want my friends to sny that
nm responsible for these great cxpendi-
tures. ! WINS not one of the bellgcrcnt
fellows In the days Of excitement here.
never wanted nny particular war.
and have always objected to the idea
OF so conducting whit ynu call the nc
1.i.lnnAs ~ .rnrs M IN Iunrnnao aiits nv.