The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1900-03-15
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent,

WASHINGTON, Mar. i2.-ihe ce"a'o wv
not take kindly to the proposal to pension
e,. Oueen Lilioukalani, OF Hawaii, and al
ter some plain talk from number OF SEN
ators. the amendment ~ the diplomatic
a onrooriaiion bill, offered by Senator
Hoar. providing for the payment OF s2o,-
600 TO the ex- Queen, and slO,OOO a year
for the rest of her life was laid on the ia
BILE. Several Senators expressed willing
ness to vote for an appropriation OF money
TO lie given to the ex-Queen as gratulty,
but very decided opposition to pension'ng
her: but or the whole there was so much
onnosition that the amendment was tabled
without division. Senator 1Illman
voiced the sentiment Of many when he
said that if this woman had any claim nj
all. which he doubted, it was upon the
people of Hawaii, AMI not upon the U. ,.
II is certain that the Porto Rico bill
will have to be amended to get it through
the Senate. 1t is proposed, and the pro-
posal is likely to go through, that all goods
from the T.. shall he admitted to Porto
Rico free of duty. 1t is also proposed
that the I5o6 duty on Porto Rican prod
ucts shipped to the U. s. shall be still iur-
Their lowered, but the chances are against
that proposition going through. Those
Al 4.
who we're instrumental in putting the bIll
through the House talk as though they
didn't care particularly how the bill was
amended, so long as the principle OF the
House bill-that Congress has the right
to impose duties upon the products OF the
possessions Of the L. S.-be kept in the
bill.
Contested election cases are rather
costly to the country, and something
ought TO he done to either make them
fewer or less costly. Fora entire week,
the House has been engaged in di'posing
of two of them, one from Alabama, and
one from Virginia, while more important
matters have to wait.
The plans of the friends of the Nicara-
cua Canal bill in the House were some
what upset by the request OF the fresl-
dent that it lie not taken up for consider
alton by the House, until after the Senate
disposes of the Nicaragua Canal treaty.
At first, it looked as though compliance
with the Presidents request would prevent
anv canal legislation at this session, but
tho action of the Senate Committee on
Foreign Relations, in amending the treaty
so as to give the U. ). control of the Canal
in time of war, made it certain that the
treaty would be ratified with very few ad-
verse votes. While it IS possible that
England may object to the treaty, as
amended, it is not regarded as probable
that she will, as the amendment to the
treaty is practically copy of clause OF
the Suez Canal treaty; but almost the
unanimous opinion in Congress is that the
acceptance or rejection of the amended
treaty by England will not be factor in
canal legislaton that public opinion has
decreed that there shall he a canal be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific, and that
l,Congress will act in acceptance with that
decree.
Opponents to the French reciprocity
treaty believe they have succeeded in
shelving the treaty for this session, il not
permanently. Secretary Hay has, it is
understood, asked the French government
to consent to extending the time within
which the treaty may he ratified, one year
Meanwhile, the treaty will be considered
bv the Finance Committee of the Senate
especially of the effect it will have upon
our revenues.
The opposition to the bill providing q
permanent .Lieut-General Of the army
has induced Senator Lodge to offer joint
resolution, giving the senior Major-Gen'
eral, while in command of the army, the
rank and pay of Lieut.. General. The
same resolution was offered in the House
by Representative Moody, of Mass.
News Of the passage of the anti-Ameri'
can Meat Bill by the German Reichstag