The Somerset reporter., 1901-02-14
At Washington.

dh entlTe week IN the House, was
finally passed Thursday. The debate
lowered about three topics, rail ~.-y
mail pay, pneumatic tube service and
special fast mail facilities, bat it bore
no frnit. The amendment to reduce
the rate of railway mail pay was ruled
out on point of order. The amend.
ment to continue the pneumatic tube
service in New York, Boston and
Philadelphia was abandoned with the
purpose of making the fight in the Sen
ate, and the motion TO strike out the
for special mail facilities
were defeated.
1t has been stated by a high official
of the government that the admins
tration earnestly desires the adoption of
the Cuban constitution before the ad
journment of the present session of
Congress.
The President, has sent the following
nominations to the Senate Carroll ID.
Wright of Massachusetts,, to be com
missioner of labor; Edward T. seeds
of Iowa, to be deputy auditor for the
war department.
The pension of the widow of Gen.
Lawton has been reported by the
House committee on pensions at $50
per month, reduction from 500 per
month fixed by the Senate. The re-
duction was due to the rule of the
committee to report no bin above $50
per month. Other bills reported to
pension the widow of Rear Admiral
tolhoon at $40, of Brig. Gen Hays at
$50, and the widow of the late Pay.
master General Stanton of the army.
at $50
A general pension bill was passed III
the House, Friday, To restore to the
pension rolls widows of soldiers of the
rebellion who subsequently married
aud became widowed or divorced By
the terms of the bill, how ever, its bene-
fits are limited to widows of soldiers
who were married before the close of
the rebellion and who are now Deepen
dent upon their own labor for support
The war department is disturbed over
the deportation of George T. Rice
editor of the Manila Daily Bulletin, who
was put aboard the army transport,
Pennsylvania, along with the llth
I ayalry, and has been on his way to San
Francisco in that vessel since Jan. Is
1t appears that Rice was formerly EN-
ployed in the office of one of the high
Gently been exposing the secrets of that
office and alleging things that scandaliz.
ed many Americans in Manila. Gen
Macarthur caused an investigation of
Rice's charges, and the Investigators
promptly found them groundless. Then
Rice was asked to give bond not to print
such stories, as they embarrassed the
local administration and melted the
N a N or A
Rice was defiant, so he was reported as
a dangerous incendiary and "a menace
to the military situation"
In the House, Monday, very inter-
esting debate over the constitutional
limitations on the power of the Senate
over revenue legislation initiated by the
House was precipitated. Payne, chair
man of the ways and means committee,
brought in the resolution of the com.
mittee to disagree to the substitute pro-
posed by the senate as an amendment
to the war revenue reduction act and to
ask for conference with the Senate and
the House voted 233 to 30 to ask for a
conference.
In the Senate, Friday afternoon, MI
Spooner offered the following amend.
ment to the army appropriation bill:
THAT all military, civil and judicial
powers necessary to govern the Philip
pine Islands, acquired from Spain by the
treaties concluded at Paris on the 10th
day of December, 1898, and at Washing
ton, on the It'll day of November, 1900,
shall, until otherwise provided by Con
gress, be vested in such person and
persons and shall be exercised in such
manner as the President of the United
States shall direct, for the establishment
of civil government and for maintaining
and protecting the inhabitants of said
islands in the free enjoyment of their
liberty, property and religion; provided
that all franchises granted under the
authority hereof, shall contain reser-
walton of the right to alter, amend or
repeal the same"
Among the subjects discussed at Sat
urday's cabinet meeting were the Cuban
constitution and the possible necessity
for an extra session of Congress. Per
sons in positions to be well informed as
To the Presidents purpose believe that
an extra session will be inevitable unless
Congress shall take some action with
respect to Cuba and its relations to this
country. With that matter disposed of
there is good reason to believe that an
extra session will be avoided.
Shortly after the Senate convened.
Monday, the naval bill was passed The
shipping bill then was taken up and
kept before the Senate during the re-
mainder of the executive day Gallery,
Dem, La, occupied the floor through
out the session
The House passed the army appropri-
alton bill, Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Milliken of this
city, have had as their guest, for several
days, Mrs Milliken of Belfast, widow of
the late Representative Milhken. She
was called to New York by the Illness of
her son, Seth NJ. Milliken, late a captain
in the volunteer army, who had appen.
dicitis and who WAS compelled 10 under
go a surgical operation therefor. He
was in excellent health on Thursday,
but was taken i'll on Friday, and for
some time was at the point of death
He is now improving.
1t is now pretty generally conceded IN
the inner circles of the Senate that the
river and harbor appropriation bill will
not become law at this session Of Con.
gress.
During the greater part of WedneS
day, the Senate was engaged in execu.
tive session and in the counting of the
electoral vote for President and Vice
President of the United States. The
House also devoted a part of the day to
that business and the result was an.
nounced by President pro TEN Frye and
the Speaker of the House.
Connecticut, Louisiana, Tennessee and