The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-07

States consular business at Laguayra until
such time as the State Department can
make other arrangements.
SN
The State Department is advised that
owing to a change in plans the King OF
Siam viii not visit the United States this
year. The cause assigned is the unex-
pected return of the crown prince to Siam
in the autumn. 10 is said the crown prince
Will return to his country from the coro-
nation Of King Edward by way OF the
United States, and IL Is thought the King
desires TO learn the impression made upon
the princes mind during his stay in this
country before determining whether or not
TO include the United States in his own
Itinerary.
The President to-day sent the following
nominations to the Senate: Assistant sur
geon volunteers. rank Of captain, William
]. S. Stewart. Massachusetts; second lieu
tenant artillery. Winslow H.. Reaves. Ten
nessee; second lieutenants, infantry. Dam
lei NJ. Cheston, jr.. Pennsylvania; William
A Haycraft, Kentucky; Joseph w. La
cour, at large; Will ID. Wills, Alabama.
A favorable report has been authorized
to-day by the Senate committee on mill
tary affairs on Senator ProctOr's bill fix
ing the status Of army officers assigned to
staff positions. An amendment was agreed
upon making the following addition TO the
provisions Of the bill as introduced: va
cancles which shah occur in the position of
chief or the corps Of engineers, the medical
department, or the judge advocate generals
department, shall be filed by detail from
the corps where the vacancy occurs for the
term OF four years. and at the expiration
OF such detail or OF a redetail such chief
shall be returned to his proper grade in his
corps In the manner provided in this sec
ton Tor the return of the chiefs of other
corps TO their proper grade"
K <
The House committee on labor has re-
ported favorably the bill of Representative
Bartholdt. of Missouri, to prevent the
United States Marine Band, and other army
and navy bands, from competing with civil
iian bands or individuals. Mr.. Bartholdt
says in his report that the members of army
and navey bands are under the pay of the
government: their subsistence is provided
for by the government; their uniforms and
instruments and all the necessary sheet
music and other paraphernalia are paid for
out of the national treasury, all of which
eftords them a considerable advantage and
easily enables them TO underbid citizen
musicians on all occasions where music is
TO be furnished under contract. He points
out that this bill will not interfere with
the playing of the Marine Band at the
White House or on All governmental oc-
casions.
The House committee on coinage, weights
and measures to-day heard representatives
of leading manufacturing houses on the adj
visibility of adopting the metric system of
weights and measures. Among those heard
were Prof. Elihu Thompson, of the General
Electric Company; Henry Troemer, an ex-
tensive manufacturer; Mr., A. +. Kmmer-
and Prof. w. w. Crosby, of the Lowell
School of Technology. The sentiment was
entirely favorable to the adoption of the
metric system. The committee heretofore
has secured the Judgment of scientists on
this subject and is now seeking TO learn
whether the practical business world will
approve a change.
Senator Platt, Of New York, has intro
duced in the Senate a joint resolution pro-
viding for the appointment of a joint COM
mission by the United States and Canada
to examine and report upon the diversion
of the waters between the two countries.
The resolution requires that each country
shall appoint two members of the commits
sion, and that Ii shall investigate the con-
clifton and uses OF the waters adjacent to
the boundary line between the United
States and Canada, including all the wa
ters OF the lakes and rivers whose waters
flow by the st. Lawrence river TO the At
lantic ocean. The commission is also to
report upon the effect upon the shores OF
these waters, and the structures thereon
by reason of the diversion OF those waters
from their natural channels. and upon the
interests of navigation and further upon
the measures necessary to regulate such
diversions.
s. w. Plume, Of New Orleans, testified
before the Senate committee on interoceanic
canals to-day concerning the feasibility of
the Panama route for a canal. Mr.. Plume
is a contractor and railroad man, and i'm
the latter capacity spent five years as road
master OF the Panama Railroad. He said
the difficulty Of excavating a canal In that
region would be very great on account of
the character Of the soil. The country is
full of small springs which keep the soil
in such a moist condition that IL is quite
impossible to handle IL except in the most
tedious and expensive manner. He also
spoke of the section as the most unhealthy
on the American continent, saying that OF
hfty-three men sent TO the isthmus as en-
gineers, 5 superintendeuts, clerks, etc, all
but three had died within three months.
K
Lieut.. Col. Henry c.. o. Heistand, assist
ant adjutant general. who returned to this
country from the Philippines to appear be-
fore the Senate committee investigating
the charges made by Major Hawkes., has
been ordered back TO Manila for assignment
70 duty.
Representative Griffith. Of Indiana. has
introduced a bill to provide for coupon cur
rency in order that small sums in multi
pies of ) cents may be conveniently sent by
mail.
Representative Jones, of Virginia, to-day
introduced a bill to appropriate $4,000 for
the erection OF a monument at Fredericks-
burg, Va, 10 Gen. Hugh Mercer. The mon
ument was authorized by an act of Con-
gress passed April s, 1T7.
The Cuban planters committee, headed
by +. P. Machedo, has addressed a letter
To the committee on ways and means, inn
ploring a 80 per cent. reduction OF the tariff
on Cuban sugars and expressing a willing
ness TO accept any Of the methods proposed
TO accomplish this object. The letter states
that two large estates have already closed.
and the situation is described as critical.
James o. Phelan. recently mayor of San
Francisco and one OF the California COM
missioners appointed by the Governor to
represent the State before committees of
Congress here, was a witness before the
House committee on foreign affairs to-day.
Referring to a statement by Minister WI
that labor agitators'' were behind the
Chinese exclusion movement Nj. Phelan de-
tailed the overwhelming sentiment on the
Pacific coast In favor of exclusion as shown
by referendum votes, a unanimous press. a