The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1901-08-01

washington, July 20. 1904.

washington, July 20, 1901.
New members of the house have for
many years been astonished at and have
sometimes viciously attacked the luxu-
ries with which senators have surrounded
themselves, but when the improvements
now under way on the house side OF the
capitol are completed, as they will be be-
fore congress meets, the members Of the
house will have as many luxuries at their
disposal as senators, SO that such attacks
will not be In order. The new ventilating
system and fixtures connected with the
chamber of the house will probably be.
the most elaborate and costly ever put
into a building include the very new
est ideas In sanitary ventilation. The
new desks for members are to be of ma
hogany, finished in the finest style known
to the cabinet maker, and fifteen pairs Of
mahogany doors, costing $25OO, will res
place the old doors, and under each the
old wood sills will be replaced by fne
marble. The skylights will be enlarged
and the galleries reconstructed. So much
for the house proper. In the basement
the old house bath room Is being disman-
tied and most luxurious outfit installed,
with all the modern fittings, including
walls of the finest italian marble, tubs Of
porcelain and nickled plumbing, and in
one corner will be an up-to-date Turkish
To- Oh khn hov 40
usual luxuries found In expensive clubs,
which long ago played their part In get
ting the senate called the millionaire
club"
Capt. Lucien Young, U. 8. N, COM
mandant of the naval station and captain
of the Port of Havana, passed through
Washington on his way to his old home
in Kentucky, where he will spend short
vacation. He said of affairs In the Gu
ban metropolis: Everything In Havana
is quiet and affairs are running like clock
work, under the direction of American Of
ficials. The Cubans are assimilating
American ideas, and there Is no good rea-
son to suppose that when they take up
the reins of local control they will not
conduct matters In wise and proper
manner"
The annual report of the commissioner
of internal revenue for the last fiscal year
Is calculated to arouse the envy of the Of
ficials of other governments, many OF
which each year face deficit. The total
amount collected from internal revenue
taxes was $3O6, ,871 ,669-greater than ever
before - $11 ,565, ,561 greater than the
amount received during the previous year. !.
and the cost of collecting this enormous
amount of money was only $4, 49,, 1872.
In cablegram Secretary Hunt, who Is
acting governor to the departnaent qt
state, says of the reception OF the pfesi2
dents free trade proclamation in Porto
Rico: "There was general expression
of popular qualification, and many tele-
grams announced popular rejoicings and
sent messages of congratulation to the
president and Gov. Allen"
The commissioner of internal revenue
has issued special regulations for the COL
lection of internal revenue taxes upon
taxable Porto Rican products shipped to
the U. s. This tax will not have to be
paid upon Porto Rican products con-
sumed at home until congress extends the
internal revenue laws to Porto Rico.
Every time there Is an inclement in
auguration day there Is clamor for a
change to more seasonable time of the
year for out-of-door exercises. Hereto
fore, this clamor has been allowed to die
out gradually, but the committee which
had charge of the last Inauguration Is
still keeping 1t up. Its chairman has
submitted plan to the commissioners of
the District of Columbia for the appoint
ment of national committee, to be COM
posed of all the governors of states and
territories and fifteen representative citi-
zens, which shall select suitable day
and memorialize congress to take the
proper steps towards constitutional
amendment making it Inauguration day.
Unless these gentlemen tire of well-doing,
there Is possibility of the next president
being inaugurated In more pleasant
weather than usually prevails on the 4th
of March in Washington.
If everybody should be as we'll pleased
with the opinion and recommendations
which the Schley court of inquiry has
been ordered to hand in at the close of
the inquiry, as they now profess to be
with the personnel of the court, it would
be beautiful ending of more or less
ugly and disagreeable matter. OF the
personnel of the court-Admiral Dewey
and Rear Admirals Kimberly and Ben
ham for judges, so to speak, and Capt.
Lemly, who has been Judge advocate of
the navy for nine years, for Judge advo-
cate-nothing but commendation could
be spoken, not only because of the emil
nent careers of the officers, but because
neither of them has ever been drawn into
expressing an opinion of the Sampson
Schley controversy. Such men will form
their opinions and make their recon-
mendation solely on the evidence present
ed before the court. Secretary Long is
entitled to all the more credit for select
Ing such an irreproachable court, because
ne believes and has openly said that
Schley was guilty of reprehensible con.
duct during the West Indian naval cam.
paign. The court will meet Sept. 18th,
and Its sessions will be open. Opinion
differs as much as to how long it will sill
as to what the finding will be. What.
ever 1t may be, no punishment can follow
for anybody, as the naval regulations
provide that no officer shall be punished
who is not brought for trial within two
years OF the date of the alleged offense
Secretary Long has issued an order
j which should have been issued long AGO