The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-27
WASHINGTON NEWS.
What Congress Is Doing.-Notes From the
- White House and the Departments.

homestead act to soldiers OF the opah
ish war and Philippine insurrection.
Ex-Speaker Reed was in town Satur-
day and spent the greater part OF the
day in the room of the ways anu
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.
President Mckinley has asked the
authority of Congress to place General
Shafter on the retired list with the rank
of major-general. General Smarter
was retired from the regular army as
brigadier-general several months ago.
but the President thinks his pubic ser
vices Justify this distinction.
The Senate committee on naval al
fairs has agreed to report the Dill Tor
Pacific cable which Senator Hale was
authorized to draft mt the last session
of the committee and the report was
later presented to the Senate. The Dill
provides for a present cable only 10
Honolulu, but declares purpose to ex-
tea5 it in the future.
rhder the currency act recently
passed it is possible to refund $SiO,OOO,-
600 of bonds. More than 200 charters
have already been applied for for
~
900 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 the Arizona Press Asso-
cia( bn to further AriZonas 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, ''and 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 national society. Sons of Ameri-
ca, will present medals to such mem
bers of the District of Columbia society
as served in the war with Spain. rms
action is taken in accordance with n
resolution adopted by the last Congress
of the national society at 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.
The House committee on public lands
has reported bill abolishing the pay
ment of ST. % an acre on land taken up
by settlers under the desert land act.
The committee also reported favorably
n bill to refund S1.2J per acre to per-
sons who have located under the pre-
Remption or homestead laws, and who
have committed their entries by cash
pa tents to $3.50 per acre where the
IanV located We're within Il railroad
grant and the railroad was never
built
Admiral and Mrs. Dewey left here
Saturday night for n trip south. They
Expect to visit Savannah, Macon. st.
'yAugustine, Jacksonville and Palm
Bleach. 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
fbattleship committee in aid of the chill
ldren'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
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 20, and en-
powers Congress Ito regulate and re-
press monopolies and combinations; to
create and dissolve corporations and to
dispose of their property"
The Senate committee on appropria-
tions 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
surt during the drouth period in Cal
iforD Hydrographer Newell of the
SURVEY states that when the new ap-
preparation is available considerable
work will be done in Colorado and Wy
ioming.
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-
Glare 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-
tion on this subject since the amended
treaty was reported, although they un-
Iderstand each other perfectly.
After n spirited discussion, extending
over three days, the Loud bill relating
TO second-class mail matter was recon-
mended by the House to the committee
on postotiice and post roads. The ma
jority in favor of the motion to recon-
init was so decisive that it is regarded