The Washington weekly post., 1900-03-20

tie bill. Naval Constructor Capps, who
served with Admiral Dewey IN the Philip
pines. was heard on the sheathing qUes-
ton He urged Ia particular that vessels
TO BE- used IN foreign service should be
sheathed. as foreign dry docks were not
always available.
The committee did not provide specific
ally for the building of any OF the new
ships in government yards. as has been
urged By delegations from Brooklyn and
elsewhere. 50 that II f. expected that the
usual provisions as TO building viii be iE-
serted in the bill. with possibly some dis
oretionary power with the Navy Depart
ment a. TO utilizing government yards
for this purpose.
The decisions Of Thursday practically
complete the bill. although there IL still
weeks work in preparing the formal
language executing the determination Of
the committee expressed Thursday
-Four distinct reports on the bill for the
construction Of a Pacific cable 70 Hawaii.
the Philippines. and japan were fled
Thursday from members OF House Com
mittee on Interstate and Foreign Com
merce. M Sherman, OF New York. sub
mitted the majority report favorable TO
a bill introduced by him. for a cable 10
be built under private auspices, the gov
Crnment paying 500 600 annually for twen-
" years for the transmission Of govern
ment messages. A minority report. signed
by Representatives Adamson, Davis,
ShacklefOrd, and Davey. dissents in toto
with the bill. Another minority report,
signed by Representatives Corliss, Fetch
er. and Stewart, opposes the plan Of pri
yate ownership, and proposes a substitute
embOdying the idea Of government own
ership OF the cable. Still another dissent
ing report is from Mr.. Mann. Of Illinois.
giving his Individual views that a govern
ment cable would prove more beneficial
to the public and the government
Mr.. Sherman's majority report Is an
exhaustive review OF the cable question.
1t says that the argument for a govern
ment cable. that it would be under the
complete control Of the United States
seems Of small importance to the commit
tee, except In time of war, and in that
event the government is authorized TO
assume control Of the private cable.
which the committee recommend. AS to
the government cable being more eco
pomical TO the United States. the report
SAYS that this loses weight from the ne
cessity of establishing duplicate cable
The Republican leaders in the House
Thursday laid the foundation for the po-
sition Of their party in the approaching
Presidential campaign in reference to the
trust question.
They do not propose to enact any leeiS-
IatIon. Their programme is simply to pass
an amendment 10 the Constitution giving
Congress power to deal with trusts. This
amendment will have to be referred to
the legislatures OF the various States. l;
will be, like Mahomet's coffin, between
heaven and earth when the campaign is
being fought next fall, but the Repub-
licans will point to it as evidence of their
desire TO control trusts. They will say
that Congress has done it's duty and that
future action rests with the States.
Representative Ray, of New York, the
chairman of the Committee on Judiciary,
yesterday INTRODUCED the following:
Resolved. That the following article be proposed
TO the legislatures Of the several States as an
amendment to the Constitution OF the United States:
Article XVI. The Congress shall have the power
20 regulate and repress moBoPoles and combna-
tions; create md dissolve corporations. and dis
pose Of their property; TO make all laws necessary
and proper for the execution of the foregoing pow
ers. Such powers may be exercised by the several
States in any manner net in conflict with the laws
Of the United States
Congress Without Power to Act.
Mr.. Ray said that. as he was chairman
of the judiciary Committee and would be
chairman Of the subcommittee 10 cOnsid-
er trust legislation, he did not think it
would be proper for him to discuss the
subject for publication, except to remark
that the Supreme Court had decided that
Congress did not have the power to regu-
late manufacturing corporations. Mr.
Ray expects TO announce to-day the
names Of the subcommittee of seven of
the Judiciary Committee which will take
up the subject Of trust legislation and
make recommendations 10 the full commit
tee. The resolution providing Tor the ap-
pOintment of this subcommittee was Of
fered q a recent meeting Of the Judiciary
Committee by Mr.. Overstreet, of Indiana
The impression among members of the
committee is that the subcommittee will
report in favor of a constitutional amend
ment aleng the lines of Mr.. Rays resolu-
ton, although some of the members ia
vOr immediate legislation by Congress,
believing that the necessary power now
exists in that body. The question of the
power of Congress will be carefully stud
led and in this connection the committee
will make Use of the report of the indus
ldi NOllllI4SS!ON anu TIE mass leSll-
mOny accompanying that report.
The report of the committee and the
subsequent action Of Congress will have
an important bearing urOn the Presiden-
tlal campaign, as it will define the policy
of the Republican party. Many of the
shrewdest men in the party believe that
the best thing that could be done would
be TO pass q resolution as proposed by
Mr. Paw IN vrOul1
Republican majority on record as desiring
that Congress should be clothed with full
est power while Obviating the necessity of
direct legislation before the campaign
opens.
Republican Senators are stin divided
over the Porto Rican question. Harmony
is not in sight. AS the situation at pres
ent exists, large majority of the Repub-
lican side is in favor of the proposed
tariff, while a dozen Senators are earn
estly insistent upon the adoption of fres
trade. The forty Senators who believe. in
spite of the recommendation in the Presi-
dents message, that a small tariff ought
10 be imposed are not yet willing 10 sur
render their views 10 the dozen who
are of the opposite opinion, while the
minority seem disposed TO act with the
Democrats. if necessary, in order TO ac-
cOmplish their object.
The efforts in behalf Of harmony will be-
gin to-day in earnest when Senator ALI
son, chairman OF the caucus. will announce
the Peace Committee OF seven which was
authorized last Tuesday. Senator For
aker will be the chairman of this commit
tco, "Cl = I c0-fC--nce Thursday be-
tween .rnatOrs Allison and Foraker. the
names OF Senators Spooner. Hale. Lodge
culiom, Rean, Warren. Davis, and Nc
MILAN were suggested. Only two Of the
Senators in this list, Davis and CullOm,
| are for free trade, and the latter is likely
10 be In line with the leaders on the final
vote. The tariff advocates yesterday ar
gued in favor OF adopting the House bill