Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-01-09
FROm WASHINGTON.

|
WASHINGTON. January 8.
The fret business meeting OF the
Senate committee on commerce held
this morning resulted ia favorable &C.
ton upon several bills OF Importance.
The bill for the establishment OF new
executive department to be Known as
the department OF ommerce, was
adopted without any dissenting CON-
ment, This indicates strong prob
ability that the bill may become law
this session. The new cabinet officer is
to have 10 his department the light house
aud life saving service, the marine hos
pital, the steamboat inspection service,
the shipping commission, the bureaus
of immigration, navigation, and statls-
tics, the coast and geOdetic survey, the
commissioner Of railroads, the census
Office, the patent Office, the department
of labor, the fish commission, the
bureau of foreign commerce., now IN the
State Department, the Mining and geo.
logical survey and proposed bureau
OF manufactures.
The Senate Committee on Military
| Affairs today by q unanimous vote,
adopted the report of the sub-commit-
tee generating Lieutenant Colonel d.
o. s. Heistsnd. from wrong doing
In connection with the alleged com"
binstion TO control the output OF
Manila hemp. The report says that
none OF the charges preferred by Major
z. L. Hawks were sustained by the
testimony produced at the inquiry. IL
also completely exonerates former
Assistant Secretary OF the Navy Allen
former Assistant Secretary OF War
Meiklejohn, General Corbln, and
Assistant Attorney General Boyd, all
OF whom, it shows. severed their con-
nection with the projected company as
soon ss 1t was developed that 1t might
conflict with their official duties.
Members of the Pacific Coast delega.
ton of the Senate aud House met today
to again consider the Chinese exclusion
bill aud heard President Gompers and
other labor leaders who desire that
provision be strengthened which ex
cludes from the Uuited States the
Chinese Of the Philippines, who are said
to number 100000. In order to ex-
plot the subject more thoroughly 1t
was referred to a subcommittee, which
Includes representatives OF the Chinese
Exclusion Convention of San Francisco,
who have come on for the purpose.
The House committee on insular
affairs today took up the bill presented
by Chairman Cooper providing for q
civil government for the Philippines, to
take effect January 1st, 1904. Mr..
Cooper explained that the bill follows
the language of the Philippine Com
missions report and is. designed to have
an immediate effect by showing to the
Filipinos the pacific and kindly 10.
tentions of this government. The bill
was referred to a subcommittee of
which Mr.. Cooper is chairman, for
further consideration. There will be
a number OF hearings on the bill and
Governor TAFT, of the Philippines, Ia
expected to appear before the COM
| mittee in about three weeks.
The President this morning signed
q parcels post convention with Bolivia.
Nearly ell the South American re-
publics are now 10 the parcels post al
lance with the United States and the
powers OF the old world.
A we'll known Alexandrian here a
| day or two ego in discussing the Vlr-
ginia State constitutional convention
asked if the sessions OF that body could
not be brought to close by the legis-
lature refusing to vote any more money
10 pay the expenses. When Informed
that such q course could not be pur.
sued he said the convention could
have adjourned long ago as all that was
! needed 70 bring about better state OF
affairs In Virginia was the whipping
post and capitation tax.
The President has decided to refer
Admiral Schley's appeal to Attorney
General Knox for legal opinion.
A meeting OF the subcommittee or
the ship subsidy bill will be held to-
morrow at which it is expected that a
favorable report to the full committee
Thursday.
Considerable speculation has been
aroused over the fact that President
Roosevelt entertained at luncheon to-
day q number OF representatives OF rail.
way employees organizations, together
with the Attorney General and the
Secretary of Agriculture. 1t ia report
ed that the presence OF the railway
men was for the purpose OF discussion
on the question OF establishing de-
psrtment OF labor.
The nominations of Henry @. Payne.
to be Postms, ter General and Leslie NJ.
Shaw, to be Secretary of the Treasury, |
we're confirmed by the Senate this
afternoon. An attempt was made to |
prevent the confirmation OF Mr.. |
Payne because of his alleged interest In |
mining leases In the Uintah Indian |
Reservation, but 1t failed. A number |
of other minor nominations were also |
confirmed.
Tue President yesterday nominated
David Aiken to be postmaster at |
Greenwood, 8. c. This morning 1t was |
learned that Mr.. Aiken died six weeks |
ago.
The House Committee on Rivers and |
Harbors today heard delegation from
Tangier, Va, relative to improvements |
desired In their locality.
A sub committee of the House Com
mittee on Appropriations, considering
the pension appropriation bill, today |
heard Pension Commissioners Evans |
who said that the estimate Of $13S, 800.
600 was high enough to cover all |
exigencies. The bill last year covered |
S144, 100000 but part Of 1t was
turned back into the Treasury. Pen
sioners OF the Mexican and civil war
we're dying of more rapidly than here
tofore, Mr.. Evans explained. The bill
was approved by the subcommittee