The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1901-02-28
AT Washington.

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Senator Morgan of the committee Oh
/ foreign relations has made minority
report on the resolution declaring that
the Hay Pauncefote treaty is not a con
dition precedent to the construction of
the Nicaragua canal and that the United
States should proceed with that work re
gardess of the existence of the Clayton
Bulwer agreement.
Two of the great supply bills of the
government, the post Office and the
diplomatic and consular appropriations
bills, were passed by the Senate Friday.
The President saturday issued pro-
clamation calling a special session of
the Senate for executive purposes
Immediately upon the dissolution of
the present Congress, March
The bill providing for the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition at ST Louis has
passed the Senate with an amendment.
which provides for the closing of the
exposition on Sunday, and further
amendment providing for government
exhibit at the Charoston exposition.
The leaders know that it would be
waste of time to send further general
| legislation to the Senate at this stage of
the session and their efforts will be di-
rected to clearing matters in dispute
between the two Houses. 1t probably
will be necessary to hold night sessions
during the latter part of the week and
both Houses will sit next Sunday to
continue the legislative day of Saturday
which expires at noon March
The Conference Committee is trying
to reach a compromise on the bill re-
ducing war revenue. The Senate shall
cede on the beef tax, leaving it at the
House rate of 80, that it shall recede
on the bank check stamp tax, allowing
this tax to be repealed as in the House
bill In return for this the House offers
to agree to the tax of nine cents pound
on tobacco, with the stipulation that
the size of the packages shall be rear
ranged to give the consumer two ounce
packages for the same money, thus
dividing the tax between the trust and
the tobacco users. If the Senate will
yield on the beer tax and bank check
tax, it is said the House offers also to
agree to the Senate amendment making
the insurance companies pay the war
tax instead of putting a stamp on the
policies for the holders to pay. The
Senate is reported TO have offers to
yield on proprietary articles. either by
exempting them entirely as in the
House bill or to make a horizontal re
duction in the rates.
The hope of the ongressmen who
are strainir G every nerve to avoid an
extra session is that the Cubans will
not be ready to send their decision to
the United States until it is near the
time of the Fifty-seventh Congress to
meet in December. This, of course, is
contemplation of an adverse result
! The Senate committee on relations
with Cuba has agreed to an amendment
to the army appropriation bill regard
| ing Cuba The entire committee is in
agreement and there will be no minority
report and no opposition is expected
from the Democrats in the Senate. 1t
is the general impression that the
agreement makes an extra session of
| { ougress unnecessary.
The President, Monday sent these
nominations to the Senate: John II
Foster of Colorado, to be consul at
Annoy, China, Captain VIM. trozier,
ordinance department, to be professor
of natural and experimental philosophy
at the military academy; first sergeant,
| Thomas e Loudon, 10th infantry, to be
second lieutenant u. 5. V.
| A complete agreement has been reach
ed by the Republican conferees on the
most important items of the war revenue
reduction bill On beer the House wins
| it's contention and the senate yields.
The House fixed rate of SLIGO per
barrel without any discount, while the
! Senate retained the old rate of So per
! barrel with Is per cent discount. The
! difference between the two rates is
! about 10 cents on the barrel,
/ The tobacco tax is compromised The
/ House left the tax standing at II cents
per pound as in the existing law, while
the senate reduced it % per cent. or to
nine cents per pound. The compromise
provides for reduction of two cents
and 0l00 of a cent per pound, leaving
the rate 60. The House also comes
out ahead on bank chicks. The House
repealed the entire tax on chicks but the
| Senate did not accept this action The
Senate conferees now concede the House
provision. The reduction in the revenue
will be SIT 100000 on account of this ac.
ton. The House provision entirely re-
pealing the tax on proprietary medicines
is also accepted.