The Holly chieftain., 1900-03-23
WASHINGTON NEWS.
What Congress Ii Doing.-Notes From the
White House and the Department..


has reported favorably the bill extend
ing the provisions of the soldiers
homestead act to soldiers of the Span.
ish war and Philippine insurrection.
President Mckinley has asked the
authority Of Congress to place General
Shafter on the retired list with the rank
OF major-general. General Shafter
was retired from the regular army as
brigadier- general several months ago,
but the President thinks his public SER
vices Justify this distinction.
Ex-Speaker Reed was in town Satur-
day and spent the greater part of the
day In the room of the ways and
means committee chatting his former
colleagues abut the Republican muddle.
Mr.. Reed has always been an anti-ex-
pansionist and sees great deal OF
humor in the present condition.
The last legislative step in the enact
ment of the financial bill was taken by
the House of Representatives Tuesday.
when the conference report ON the Dill
was adopted by a vote of yeas l66,
nays 100; present and not voting. 10.
The Senate had already adopted the
conference report, so that it only re-
mains for the President to afiix his Sig
law.
The remains of sixty-six soldiers who
died in Cuba We're buried at Arlington
cemetery Wednesday with military
honors. The bodies of about 500 sol
diers who died in Cuba now rest in this
historic spot. The officers at Fort
Myer had charge of the services, which
We're very simple. A Protestant and 4
Catholic clergymen read the burial ser
vice. taps We're sounded and yolley
fired over the graves.
The national society. Sons of Ameri-
ca, will present medals to such mem
bers of the District of Columbia society
rs served in the war with Spain. This
action is taken in accordance with Il
resolution adopted by the last Congress
of the national society mt Detroit, au-
thoriZing committee to procure from
the government an old Spanish gun or
plate from one of the captured ships, to
strike medals from the same and dis
tribute them to members of the society
who served in the last war.
Admiral and Mrs. Dewey left here
Saturday night for Il trip south. They
expect to visit Savannah, Macon, st.
Augustine. Jacksonville and Palm
Beach. The admiral and Mrs. Dewey
probably will not return TO the city un-
til the latter part of next month, at
which time. it is said. they will sail
for Europe, visiting the Exposition
some time during the summer. Mrs.
Dewey has been made chairman of the
battleship committee in aid of the chill
dren's eastern festival for the Cuban
orphan asylum.
The Republicans have fired the first
shot at the trusts in pursuance of in
structions from the national commit
tee of their party. Representative Ray
of New York has introduced from the
special subcommittee on trusts joint
resolution proposing an article to the
constitution to be voted upon by the
legislatures of the several states next
winter. 1t is to be article 26, and en-
powers Congress ''to regulate and re-
press monopolies and combinations: to
create and dissolve corporations and to
dispose of their property"
Great Britain will have to accept the
amendment proposed by the commit
tee on foreign relations to the Hays
Pauncefote treaty. whether she wants
it or not. If the British government
should refuse TO accept the amended
treaty Congress would promptly de-
clare the Clayton-Bulwer convention
revoked and proceed to enact canal leg
islation upon that presumption. The
secretary of state and Lord Paunce-
fote have had no official communica-
ton on this subject since the amended
treaty was reported, although they un-
derstand each other perfectly.
At n meeting of the national eXecu-
tive committee engaged in raising
funds for home for Rear Admiral
Schley, last night, Secretary Evans re-
ported many favorable responses to the
circulars soliciting contributions. He
also reported that absolute refusals to
contribute to the fund had been re-
ceived from the naval contingent in
Washington, with one single exception,
that of Rear Admiral Hichborn, and, in
some instances the refusals were ac-
companied by adverse comments on the
committees project. A letter from Miss
Edna McClelland of the New York ex-
ecutive committee for the fund, report
ed that thousands of dollars were be-
ing raised.
The Investigation of charges that GER
tain federal appointments are p0lyga-
mists came to Il close Tuesday by an
agreement for unanimous report from
the House committee on posttfices and
post roads, which holds that at the time
the appointments were made the Pres
ident was not aware that the appoint
ees were charged with polygamy. AS
to the facts of the polygamous status
of appointees, the report states that the
common repute Of the communities in
which they lived, was that the parties
were polygamists, but that there is
want of definite and conclusive evi-
dence on that point