The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-02-13
WASHINGTON NEWS.
What Congress is Doing.-Notes From the
White House and the Departments.

| culture recently chose Il successor to
Mrs. Martha A. Shute as secretary.
There is likely to be Il contest over the
matter, as Mrs. Shute is very popular.
| Senator Morgan, chairman of the
| Senate committee on the Nicaragua
canal, says he expects the canal bill to
pass the Senate this month. Rrepre-
sentative Hepburn, chairman of the
House committee, says he expects it to
pass the House during this month. A
poll of both houses show that when 1t
comes to vote the bill will pass both
houses by overwhelming majorities.
The treaty with Great Britain rela-
| tive to the building of the Nicaraguan
canal was received by the Senate Mon
day and was read in executive ses-
sion. Senator Davis, chairman of the
committee on foreign relations, moved
to make the treaty public, as it was n
subject in which all We're greatly in
terested. but after some discussion 1t
was decided to refer the matter to the
committee on foreign relations before
taking that step.
| Special Plenipotentiary Kasson for
the United States and Baron Fava, the
| Italian ambassador, for the govern
| ment, at the State Department Thurs
| day, signed n reciprocity arrangement
under the third section of the Dingley
act. This arrangement does not re
| Quire the action of the Senate, but it
| does need the ratification of the Italian
chambers. Until that has been obtained
| 1t is deemed well to withhold the text
of the agreement from publication.
The nomination of Mrs. Potter Pal
mer of Chicago to be one of the COM
missioners of the United States to the
Paris Exposition has been decided up
on and will be sent to the Senate at
the same time the other commission
ers are named. The President has Sc
lected twelve commissioners under the
authority at present granted him, but
proposition is before Congress to per-
NIT him to add six other commission
ers to the list and as he prefers the
names of the full commission shall be
sent to the Senate in one list he has de-
cided, for the present at least, to de
fer nominating any of the commits
sioners until Congress indicates its
final intentions with reference to the
size of the commission.
Senator Caffery of Louisiana, in a
discussion of the Philippines in the
Senate Monday broke new ground in
developing his position as an anti-ex-
pansionist. In response to a question
as to what in the present circum-
stances he would do with the Filipinos,
he said with characteristic courage of
conviction: Turn them loose as soon
as we can get rid of them. That would
be better for them and Infinitely better
for u.s." Mr.. Caffery's argument was
mainly discussion of the constitution
al question. He maintained that the
constitution extends absolutely over
the Filipinos and that they We're en-
titled to all the rights and privileges
OF citizens of the United States guaran-
teed by the constitution.
Speaking of the lack of courts in
Alaska, Lieutenant Jarvis of the reye-
nue. marine service says that on his re
cent voyage down from the Bering sea
country he brought several prisoners
and witnesses in charge of United
States marshal who were compelled by
the government Of the United States to
go 1000 miles to attend court and to re-
main away from their homes all winter
because there were no means by which
they could return home after their tes-
timony was taken. Some of them will
have to be away from their homes for
nearly year unless they are able to
find passage upon a whaler early in the
spring. This injustice is due to the neg
lect of Congress to provide courts for
Alaska, and Lieutenant Jarvis thinks it
ought to be corrected as soon as posi-
Bile.
The woolgrowers of Ohio have asked
the President to withdraw from the
Senate the reciprocity treaty with
the Argentine Republic, which gives
a reduction of twenty per cent. or 2
cents and mills per pound, on the
duty on wool imported from that coun-
try; the sugar beet producers have ask
ed that the treaties with Jamaica and
the other British West Indies be with
drawn because they give n reduction
of twelve and one-half per cent. in the
duty on sugar imported from those
countries: and several other interests
have asked for the withdrawal of the
reciprocity treaty with France for sew
eral similar reasons, but the President
declines to crafty them. He thus
shows that he is not so extremely pro-
tectionist as many people supposed.
and still believes in the reciprocity
principle. He approves of the treaties
and hopes they will be ratified, but if
they are not he will let the blame rest
upon the Republicans of the Senate.
The United States and Great Britain
it was definitely learned tonight, have
reached an amicable agreement re
specting the operations of the Clayton
Bulwer treaty as affecting the right of
construction and control by the United
States of the proposed Nicaragua canal.
The result marks the termination of
conferences between the officials of the
State Department and Lord Pauncefote
of fully n years duration. during
which a number of meetings We're held
and the subject fully discussed by the
representatives of the governments in
terested. Great Britain agrees 10 Il
modification of the Clayton-B Bulwer
treaty by which she practically relin-
quishes any claims respecting a legal
control of the Nicaraguan canal after it
shall have been constructed. The result
therefore is to eliminate that feature