, 1900-03-29
WASHINGTON NEWS.
what Congress Is Doing.-Notes From the
White House and the Departments.

~ ma NOllllillAANt oA h"'.
fairs has agreed TO report the bill for n
Pacific cable which senator Hale was
authorized to draft at the last session
of the committee and the report was
later presented to h senate. The bill
provides for n present cable only TO
Honolulu, but declares n purpose to ex-
tend 1t in the future.
Under the currency act recently
passed 1t is possible to refund SS4O,OOO,-
OCO of bonds. More than 200 charters
have already been applied for for
banks of $4,000 capital in towns of b.
0 population, and comptroller Dawes
thinks the total will go up to 500 before
the end of the month. The applications
come mostly from agricultural towns
in the middle west. Iowa leading.
Ex-Governor McCord of Arizona,
who recently came to Washington at
the request of h Arizona Press Asso-
citation to further AriZona's claim to
statehood, states that there Is no pros
pect of securing Arizona's admission
at this session of Congress. Il have de
cided to give up for the present said
Governor McCord, land will advise the
people of Arizona not to press the mat
ter until after Congress gets Puerto
Rico, the Philippines and Cuba off its
hands"
The House committee on public lands
has reported a bill a%bolishing the pay
ment of Sl.25 an acre on land taken up
by settlers under the desert land act.
The committee also reported favorably
n bill to refund S1.25 per acre to per
IONS who have located under the pre-
emption or homestead laws, and who
have committed their entries by cash
payments to $3.50 pei acre where the
lands located Were within n railroad
grant and the railroad was never
built.
The Senate committee on %appropria-
lions has reported the urgency def
cheney bill, carrying an appropriation
of $4,000 for continuing the work of
the geological survey in stream gaug-
ing in the arid and semi-arid states.
This work has been suspended by rea-
son of the exhaustion of the apprO-
priation caused by extra work of the
survey during the drOuth period in Cal
ifornia. photographer Newell of the
survey states that when the new ap-
preparation is available considerable
work will be done in Colorado and Wy
oming.
After n spirited discussion, extending
over three days. the Loud bill relating
to s~ecOnd-claSs mail matter was recon-
mended by the House To the committee
on postofiicc and post ronds. The ma
jority In favor of the motion to recon-
nit was so decisive that ii is regarded
as unlikely that the measure will ap-
pea again during the present Con
grcss. Mr.. Loud said after the vote
was announced that this was the third
time and ont. so far as he was con
cerned. The vote on the motion was
| 11S IN nE with 1t nrnSpnt nnI NOT N.As
ing. The bill is intended to exclude
from the secOnd-class postage rate all
books and pamphlets.
The division of issue OF the comp
troller of the ~currcncy's office is send
ing new currency to national banks mt
the rate of more than II million dollars
n day, and will continue to do so until
the full amount which the banks are
entitled under the new law has been
furnished. Under the old law national
banks We're permitted IL take out cir
culation to the maximum of ninety per
cent. of the par value of the bonds de
posted with the Treasury Department.
The amount of bonds to secure circu-
lation is about S240,OOO. The new act
permits the banks to take nut circula-
ton to the par value of these bonds,
thus emitting them to about $4,000, 900
in excess of that they have heretofore
enjoyed.
Ellis II. Roberts, treasurer of the
United States, says that under the new
currency law nearly S12,O0O,O0O of sill
yer bullion must be Immediately pur-
chased by the minis for the coinage of
10, % and 5O-cent pieces. The new law
requires hat the subsidiary silver shall
hereafter be kept ut 100000, 900, which
Is nm increase of S24, 100000 (S24,5I4.-
$50, for the noun outstanding on the
LIST of the month was S75,425.41 The
same law provides that hereafter all
currency under the denomination of
so shall be standard silver dollars or
certificates issued upon them. There,
fore all Greenbacks and other notes of
81, 50 and So are to he retired and sill.
yer certificates substituted for them.
This will require the coinage of about
l2O,OOO,OOO new silver dollars within
the next yea or two.
The conference ON the Puerto Ricau
appropriation bill have agreed upon a
compromise measure. The Senate con,
ferees receded from the Senate amend.
ment limiting the appropriation to the
revenues collected on Puerto Rican i'm.
portations until the first of last .Janua.
ry and restored the clause in the House
bill applying to future revenues, read,
ing as follows: Together with any
further customs revenue collected on
importations from Puerto Rice since
january l, 1900. or that shall hereafter
be collected under existing law" The
provision in the Senate amendment
specifying the purpose for which the
money shall be used is retained, but an
addition is made declaring specifically
that 1t shall be for the aid and relief
of the Puerto Ricans."
The Republican peace committee mel
after the adjournment of the Senate
Thursday and practically ratified the
offer of Senator Foraker in the Senate
to separate the House Puerto Rico tar.
ir bill from the Senate governmental
bill, and TO take a vote on the House
measure. The peace committee is will.
ing that n vote should he taken upou
the House bill as first passed by thai
body, provided 1t becomes apparent
that it is impolitic to attempt to amend
II, but an efGor will be made to ascer.
tain whether the House will consent tC
! NtNr n.4.ItH4.tf-, 600 - A. IHa.-.I