Gilpin observer., 1900-01-18
WASHINGTON NEWS.
What Congress Is Doing.-Notes From the
White H.use and the Departments.

G. P. Huntington, the last of the
prominent railroad magnates to hold
out In opposition to the construction
OF an isthmian canal, has surrender
ed, and Is now numbered among the
advocates of the Nicaragua route.
Adjutant General Corbin thinks the
Lawton fund will finally reach $780,
600 which will be invested for Mrs.
Lawton in government bonds and give
her an income sufficient to provide
against all want and enable her to
educate her children properly.
The officials of the government will
accept as final the opinion of the direc-
tor of the naval observatory that the
nineteenth century ends at midnight Of
December 81. 1900, and that the twen-
tieth century begins with January, 1,
1901.
Miss Cecilia Sherman Miles, daugh-
ter of the general commanding the
army, and Captain Samuel Reber, u.
~ A., were married at noon Wednes-
day. at st. Johns Church, Rev. Alex
ander Mackay- Smith, ID. D.. officiating,
assisted by Rev. Dean Davis of st.
Eouis.
About 800 persons attended an anti
imperialist meeting. held in Masonic
hall. here Thursday night The
weather was wet and disagreeable. The
speakers We're ex-senator j. b. Hen
derson of Missouri, Ex-Governor Bout
well of Massachusetts and Represent
at.ve Lentz of Ohio.
Representative Shafroth said to-day
that there appeared some misunder-
standing as to the provisions of the
arid land bill which he has introduced,
of the passage of which he is so conf
dent. 1t does not provide for the ces-
sion of all the arid lands but Il loan of
1,G0O,OOO acres to each state.
There is no disposition on the part of
the Navy Department to make any
change in the program for new naval
construction on account of the intro
duction of the German bill looking to
the addition of forty-eight armored
ships to the German navy. Attention
is called to the fact that there are now
already authorized twenty-one ships
for the navy in addition to the fleet
afioat This number is as large as it
is believed Congress will authorize at
this time. and as the German increase
is to be divided among eighteen years,
while ours Is continuous to each Con
gress, it is felt that the United States
navy is in no danger of losing the posi-
ton it now commands.
The ways and means subcommittee
recently named to inquire as to the le-
gal meaning of the United States" as
applicable to newly acquired islands or
dependencies in Il session are discuss
ing the general subject. The members
feel that the question is a pivotal one. on
which will depend the adoption of tar
iff systems for the islands. The only
decision directly bearing on the point
is by Chief Justice Marshall. holding
that the term United States means
the entire territory over which this
government exercises control. The
members of the committee. including
Mr.. Newlands who started the inquiry,
are inclined to view the foregoing opin-
ion as a dictum incidental 10 the case
and not establishing II fixed principle
of law.
The Interstate commerce commission
has made public its thirteenth annual
report. The feature of the report is
the strong plea made that Congress up
hold the hands of the commission by
amendments making the interstate
commerce law more effective. The re-
port says that the commission n few
years ago called attention to the fact
that in vital respects the present law
was proved defective and inadequate,
and that until further legislation is pro-
vided the best efforts mt regulation
must be feeble and disappointing. The
requests of the committee for needful
amendments have been supported hy
petitions and memorials from agricul-
tural, manufacturing and commercial
interests throughout the country, yet,
says the report, not line or the statute
has been changed and none of the bur
densome conditions which call for re-
lief have been removed or modified.
1t would not be surprising If Adelbert
Kay, the son OF Secretary Hay, WHO is
now en- route to Pretoria TO act as con-
sul-general is denied an eXequatur by
the Transvaal government. The agents
of President Kruger in the United
States and Europe have advised him
not to accept Mr.. Hays credentials on
the grounds that he is pro-British in
sentiment. They have reported that he
has been In consultation with John
Hayes Hammond, one of the leaders in
the Jameson raid. and Englishmen
=.
and that he will be representative of
the British government. rather than
that OF the United States. They have
also emphasized the refusal of the
President of the United States to re-
ceive accredited representatives of the
South African Republic and argue that
sufficient excuse has been offered for
the Transvaal to refuse to recognize
Mr.. Hay.
The SENATE on Tuesday ratified the
Samoan treaty without division. The
occurred in the executive
session. after two hours of debate.
which was participated in by II number
Of senator's. Messrs.. Davis. Foraker
and SpOoner advocated. and Senators
Bacon, Money and Tillman opposed
Senator Bacon made the
leading speech in opposition. lie based
his objection on the general ground
L.. al tat.