The Springfield herald., 1902-12-12
WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

fixing the age Tor admission to the
naval academy at between seventeen
and twenty years. The present limit
is fifteen and twenty-one years.
Oliver Wendell Holmes was con-
firmed by the Senate to succeed the
late Justice Gray as member of the
bench of the United States Supreme
Court There was no opposition.
Ex-Speaker Thomas b. Reed had
sudden and quite severe. attack of gas
tritis on the evening of December 2nd.
He was prostrated for n time, but DR..
Gardner. who was called, succeeded in
relieving his patient.
The President has denied the appli-
cation for pardon made on behalf OF
j. M. Mcknight, who was convicted of
embezzling the funds of the German
National Bank of Louisville, Ken
lucky, while it's president. The Presi-
dent has endorsed the application as
follows: Denied this seems an alb
solutely clear case of guilt, with no ex-
cuse whatever for pardon"
Details shall be for four years. and
officers detailed may be assigned to any
branch of the service. The bill pro-
vides further that the chief of staff.
under the direction of the President
and secretary of war, shall have super
vision of all troops of the line and OF
several administrative staff and
Nply departments and shall be
member of the board of ordnance and
Notifications. Under the bill inspec-
tions of troops are to be made habit
ually by commanding officers and in
spections of the army at large by the
general staff.
Following the change in the Colom-
bian negotiators reported, steps have
been taken to Immediately resume the
exchanges between the State Depart
ment and the Colombian legation with
a view to the perfection of canal
treaty. 1t is now known that what
was regarded as the most difficult prob
lem to solve has been successfully met
by the negotiators in the arrangement
of the perpetual control clause of
the projected treaty Under this the
United States may hold the necessary
strip of land Indefinitely. The real diff
ference now is as to the compensation
to be paid Colombia. which seeks an
increase of annuity to more than
100000 per annum.
1t is the purpose of Representative
Richard Bartholdt of Missouri to urge
the present Congress to pass measure
providing for the prosecution in the
federal courts of offenders against
election laws. Mr. Bartholdt had an
interview with President Roosevelt on
the subject, and as he left the executive
offices. said: objection was raised at
the last session of Congress to gen.
eral law comforting jurisdiction in all
election fraud cases on federal courts,
but my proposition has been modified
so that the question of federal courts
will extend over only such cases as
may involve fraud in the election of a
President or members of Congress. l
informed the President that it was my
ention to introduce a measure con-
ferring such power on federal courts.
Senator Lodge chairman of the Sem
ate committee on the Philippines, has
introduced a bill for the regulation of
the currency of the Philippine islands.
The bill provides that the currency OF
the United States shall be legal tender
in the islands and makes the gold dol
lar the unit of value. 1t authorizes the
coinage of silver pesos of 4lG grains,
which is to be paid in sums OF less
than 100 pesos when demanded. The
peso is also to be received for all dues
to the islands unless specific provision
is made to the contrary. The Philip
pine government is authorized to take
such measures as it considers neces-
sary to maintain the parity of the peso
with the currency Of the United States
at the rate of two pesos for one dol
lar Authority is also given Tor the
issuance of certificates in the peso.
The Mexican and Spanish pesos are 10
go out OF existence by the lst OF De
cember, 1903 Meanwhile their value
is to be fixed by proclamation by the
governor of the Philippines.
Capotpr Ci,llpD, has intrD1ucpl n bill
to amend the Sherman antitrust law.
1t prohibits interstate commerce in ar
ticles produced by trusts, the penalty
for violation being nne of from S5OO
to $1,000 The bill authorizes the at
torney general or any district attorney
to make application to the federal
judges for the summoning of persons
before them to answer questions as to
material violations of the ANTITRUST
law in advance of the trial of case.
and requires the judges to issue orders
fQS>the appearance of such persons up
oNthis application. In such cases wit
nesses are to be protected against pros
ecution on account of their revelations,
but they are to be deprived of their
right to refuse to answer because OF
self-incrimination. Annual reports are
required to be made byall persons, firms
and corporations engaged in interstate
commerce They are to be filed with
the Interstate Commerce Commission,
and they are to be subject to the scru-
tiny of the attorney general. but not OF
the general public. The attorney gen
eral is authorized to appoint nifty spe-
cial agents to seek out violations of the
law.
Attorney General Knox, in his an
nual report, renews his recommends
ton for an increase of the salaries OF
judicial officers throughout the coun-
try. The report shows that the num-
ber of cases remaining undisposed OF