Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-12-20
ARE NOT FAVORED
SOLDIERS FAIL TO RECEIVE SUP.
PORT OF HOUSE.
AS TO APPOINTMENTS
Opposition Develops to Giving Them
Preference Over CiviIians-Senate
Occupied Chiefly With Considering
Hay-Pauncefote Treaty in Execu-
tive Session-Mason Talks.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18.-Under sus-
pension of the rules the house yester-
day passed the bills to divide Ken
lucky and West Virginia into two judi
cial districts. and to create another
district judge in the northern district
of Ohio and to refer to the secretary
of the interior for an Investigation the
claims of the state ofTeXas for moneys
expended on public improvements in
Greer county before the decision of
the supreme court placed it within the
Jurisdiction of Oklahoma. An attempt
was made to pass the bill to give sol
diers and sailors of the civil war,
Spanish war and war in Philippines
preference in the matter of appoint
ment to and retention in positions in
the executive departments of the gov
eminent, but it aroused opposition on
the ground that it would practically
shut out of government employ for
years to come all civilians and was
overwhelmingly defeated. One hun
dred and two private pension bills
were passed.
Just before the house adjourned a
fine tribute was paid Representative
Charles A. BoutelIe of Maine, who
served eighteen years in con-
gress and who had been re-
elected to the fifty-seventh
congress- Mr. Littlefeld of Maine,
asked unanimous consent for consid-
Grafton of the bill to place him on the
retired list as a captain in the navy,
Mr.. Boutelle having been in the navy
during the civil war. Mr.. Littlefeld
said Mr. Boutelle's condition was such
that he undoubtedly would resign. The
condition of the Maine representatives
was we'll known to the representatives
and although some were inclined to
protest against the proposed legisla-
ton as establishing a dangerous pre-
edent no objection was made and the
cedent no objection was made and the
In the Senate.
The senate was in open session only
an hour, the remainder of the legisla-
tive day being spent in executive SEES
sion upon the Hay-Pauncefote treaty
Senator Chandler IN. H.) created a
little furry by endeavoring again TO
get up the resolution relating to the
Montana senatorial cas- ebut the effort
was futile. No legislative business
aside from the purest routine, was
transacted.
Mason Wants Notifications.
Washington, Dec. l8.-Just before
adjourning late yesterday afternoon,
the senate gave it's consent to the fix
ing of a definite time to vote upon the
Hay-PaunCefote treaty. Senators
Money and Mason had occupied the
time of the executive session in max
ing speeches upon the treaty, and
when Senator Mason. who was the
last speaker. concluded Senator Lodge
renewed the request to take a vote
next Thursday No voice was raised
in opposition.
Senator Moneys speech was a HAT
protest against the entire proceeding:
in connection with the treaty. He
contended for the right of the United
States to act in this matter indepen.
IDENTIFY of other nations.
Senator Mason spoke in support OF
his suggested amendment authorizing
the United States to defend the
canal as it may deem prop
er in case it constructs the
canal. He presented arguments in
support of our right to defend the
waterway in concise and forcible
terms and received careful attention
He corrected at the outset the i'm
preston that in his effort to have the
treaty amended he was seeking to an
tagonize the administration. He did
not consider that Great Britain should
undertake to say what We should dc
in the matter. At the same time he
said he would have it understood he
was not actuated in his position by
any hostile feeling towards Great
Britain, for while he considered that
country was in the ''sere and yellow
leaf" he thought we should deal with
it as we would either the weakest ma
ton or the strongest.