The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1900-05-10
At Washington.

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public works at navy yards, $780,, 400;
Gstbman gun equipment, $3.50, 600;
ocean surveys, $4,000 The .enate
struck out the provision appropraIing
$500, 900 for emergencies in the island
possessions.
The provisions relating to armor APP
propriatibg 81 900, 900, carried in the
House bill for the purchase OF armor,
directs the secretary of the navy to pay
not exceeding S545 per ton for armor for
the Maine, Ohio and Missouri and to
contract for other vessel at S445 per ton
and II it cannot be purchased al that
price he Is To acquire a site and erect an
amor plate plant TO cost not more than
81, 900, 600, of which sum $4,000, 900 is
made Immediately available. Another
proviso is that contracts tor armor for
vessels provided in the present act shall
be made at a price higher than $500 per
ton
The House Friday, without division,
passed the free homes" bill, which has
been pending before Congress for a
number of years. The bill provides that
the Government shall issue patents to
actual bona fde settlers on agricultural
lands of Indian reservations opened tn
settlement. These lands were taken up
by settlers who contracted to pay from
$l.25 to 50 IS per acre. By the terms of
the Government assumes the payment of
the purchase price to the Indians, and
changes the existing law relative to ag-
ricultural colleges 80 as to insure the
payment of the endowments which here
tofore have come out of the sale of pub
lc lands in case of deficiency. These
payments involve 81, 100000 annually.
OF the $4,000 900 acres in In ian reserva-
ton opened to settlement, for which the
Government is to pay or has paid S35,
900, 900 about 8 000, 600 acres have been
taken and about 1000, 600. are supposed
to be still available for agricultural pur-
poses
The President, Friday, voted House
resolution No. 1901, which opens all
that portion of the Navajo Indian reser
walton in Ar iona lying north of 80 de-
grees 36 minutes north latitude and west
of the ll1ih meridian, and confirm the
rights of all settlers in that region &C
CURED before Jan. g. 1880 The Presl.
dents reasons are thai the bill would
take away from the Indians land to
which they are justly entitled, and
l.,
should be obtained by the usual process
of treaty. This is the first vote of the
session
The House, Saturday, passed the sun
dry civil appropri ltion bill, 1t carries
slightly more than s61, 100000 about
100000 more than any previous sun
dry civil bill The general deficiency
and military academy appropriation
bills are now the only general supply
bills Enacted upon by the House.
The President, has sent the following
nominations to the Senate: Sanford b
Dole of Hawaii, to be governor of
Hawaii; Henry E. Cooper of Hawaii, to
be secretary of Hawaii; K. C. Bellows of
Washington, to be consul general at
Yokohama, japan; Lieut.. Commander
samuel g Lemley, u $ N, of North
Carolina, tn be judge advocate general
of the navy, with rank of captain for the
terms of four Years from June 4, 1900
1t is The undoubted purpose nf the
Senate leaders Ia bring about an adj
journment, early in June, the first week
If possible, and unless the unexpected
should happen, nothing will be permit,
ted to delay adjournment beyond the
middle of June
The Senate bill to amend the general
pension laws so as To provide for aggre
gazing disabilities under the act of 1896
without regard to service origin and to
Increase the net income Il widow may
have without destroying her right to IA
pension from 500 to $3.50 was passed in
the House, Monday The purpose of
the bill is to modify rulings Of the pen.
sion Office in accordance with the recon-.
mendations of the G A. r. Gen Dan
sick les, who is member of the G.. A.
Il committee on the floor during the
consideration of the bill 1t was passed
without dissenting voice The bill to
increase the appropriation for the Ma
tional Guard from $400, 900 to 81 900, 600
also was among those passed, Sulzer,
N. Y, attempted to secure action upon
his resolution expressing sympathy for
the Beers, bnt was cut off by the
Speaker.
Governor BurIeigh presented at the
White House, last week, the petition
which was forwarded him from the East
Maine Conference. which met at Belfast,
protesting against the army canteen and
asking for its abolition This petition
was signed by Bishop dalliIlieu The
President promised To give the matter
his attention, although IN recent times
he has gone over the subject thoroughly
A large number of delegations have
visited the White House on the same
errand and have protested against the
Interpretation of the existing law. New
ertheless, the President has told them
sqnarely that he was following the law
as interpreted to him by the attorney
general, and he could not see his way
clear TO go behind any Interpretation of
the Statute which Nr. Griggs might
make, as Nj, Griggs is his legal adviser
A large number of petitions on the same
subject have lodged with the committees
on military affairs of the senate and
House, and hearings have likewise been
granted on that subject.
The Soldiers Home at Togus, Maine,
this year has been treated pretty well by
the government, and given an apprOpria
ton in ali of 1921 900 At least, this is
the amount appropriated by the House,
and will undoubtedly be voted by the
Senate.
The United States consul general at
Hong Kong telegraphed the secretary
of State, Tuesday, that the plague had
broken out at that port.