The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-03
GENERAL NEWS.
Report on Roberts Case to BE Made
SOon-The Cabinet Meeting.

Report on Roberts Case to BE Made
soen-The Cabinet Meeting.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2.-The report of
the committee of the House of Representa-
tives, which is investigating the case of
Mr.. Roberts, of Utah. will be made soon
after Congress re-assembles and there is
reason to believe the majority report will
recommend that Roberts be excluded from
the House, and that he be not permitted.
under his credentials. to exercise any
prima facie right of being sworn In.
Whether the report will be unanimous is
open to doubt, as three of the members
of the committee are not counted on as
positively favorable to the course indicated
and this may result in the submission of a
minority report. The minority view, If
submitted. probably will deal with the
prima facie right TO be sworn in on creden-
tials which are regular and will recon-
mend that Roberts be sworn in. and there
after expelled. The committee Will re-
sumo its hearings on Thursday at IL
o'clock. The testimony is closed, how
ever, Chairman Tayler having learned that
the remaining witnesses in Utah VIII not
come on. 1t is expected, therefore, that
Thursday will be given to Mr.. Roberts for
his A vote is likely TO follow
the latter part of the week. The chair
man, it is expected, will be authorized to
draw the report and present 1T to the
House. Mr.. Tayler and Mr.. Mcpherson,
of the committee, were in conference TO-
day. examining law books and precedents,
with a view to preparation or the commit
e tees report.
The board of naval construction has
recommended that the steamship Badger,
lately the Yumiri. shall be sold. The re-
port of the inspectors shows that it will
cost not less han $25O,OO to put the ship
in condition for naval service, and as she
cost only $780, 900 at the beginning or the
war it was decided to recommend to the
secretary of the navy that she be sold The
ship is at Mare island, Cal.
Speaker Henderson said to-day that no
exact programme of business in the House
on reassembling tomorrow and during the
week had been made up. The speaker and
his associates on the rules committee ex-
pect early a-djournments until appropria-
ton bills and measures before other COM
mittees are ready for action by the House.
There is some prospect of a sharp con-
troversy over consideration of resolutions
of inquiry relative to the Treasury De-
partment. During the recess several men,
bers are said to have prepared resolutions
or this character, intending 10 cidlIn I'M
mediate consideration for them as priv
ileged." 1t is said, however, by those who
are authorities on House procedure that
this privilege" would not permit consid-
Grafton of resolutions tomorrow, but If in.
troduced they would be referred to a COM
mittee for one week, after which they
could be called up for immediate consider
alton.
The Senate committee on foreign rela-
tons will meet tomorrow to consider the
bill providing a government for the Ha-
waiian islands. Senator Cullom, the au-
thor of the bill, said to-day that he hoped
that it would be reported soon, and added
that as soon as possible after the action of
the committee he would ask the senate to
take the bill up for consideration. So far
as has been made known there is no gen.
eral opposition to the bill, though some of
its features will be antagonized. A few
senators are urging that the measure be
amended SO as TO leave the customs laws
applying to the stands as they now stand
and to omit the provision for a delegate in
Congress for the present. because of the
possible effect of this provision on legisla-
ton I'm the interest of Puerto Rico and pos
sibly in the interest of the Philippines, to
say nothing of Cuba.
The postmaster general has been in
formed that the transport Sedgwick left
Havana on the 31st of December for Nuevi-
tas, where she will take aboard the Fiji
teenth United States Infantry and proceed
to New York. The S~edgwick has aboard
fifteen first and and fifty second-class pas
sengers for Nuevitas; also, 81, 100, 900 specie
of the North American Trust Company and
$1,000 pounds of general cargo.
1t is probable that very soon after the
senate r~econvenes there will he more or
less discussion of the situation in the Phil
ippines, the resolutions of Senators Till
man, Bacon, Morgan and Hoar beng used
as a text for the speechmaking. Senator
Beveridge, Of Indiana, who spent several
months in Luzon and other islands of the
archipelago and made a specific study of
conditions there in PREPARATION for consid-
Grafton of the Philippine question when 1t
came up in Congress. probably will make
an elaborate and comprehensive speech
soon after the discussion begins. He has
had several conferences with the President
on the subject. "
The session of the Cabinet to-day was
brief, but it was the occasion of the i'm
portant announcement by Secretary Hay
that the negotiations with the great pow
ers of Europe and Japan to secure a COM
mon understanding for a continued "open
door" policy throughout China had been
eminently successful and hat favorable re-
sponses had been received from Great Brit
ain, Germany, France. Russia and Japan.
The only country addressed which has not
yet responded is Italy, and a favorable
answer is also expected from her. The an
nouncement of the success of the negotia-
tons was extremely gratifying to the Pres
ident and Cabinet, as it insures to the
United States a full share in the future de-
velopment of with the great en-
pire of China. Secretary Root was not at
the Cabinet meeting to-day. and therefore
lone of the matters which usually occupy
such a large share of the attention of the
Cabinet was considered.
Major Alexander Rogers, of the Sixth
Cavalry, has at his own request been re-
lieved from duty as military attache at
the United States embassy at Paris and
ordered to join his regiment in this country.