Evening star., 1902-05-01
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
New Portuguese Minister
Presented.
THE MEMORIAL BRIDGE
A COMMITTEE URGES SPECIAL
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS.
President Interested in the Project
Conference on Rochambeau
Statue Ceremonies.
THE MEMORIAL BRIDGE

Visconde de Alte, the new Portuguese
minister, called at the State Department
al 10 o'clock this morning, atlired in the
full uniform of his rank, and was escorted
to the White House by Secretary Hay and
presented to President Roosevelt
The minister addressed the President as
follows:
Mr. President have the honor to pre-
sent to your excellency the letters by which
his majesty, the king, my august sovereign,
brings TO an end the mission of Viscount
Santo Ihyrso and accredts me as his envoy
extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary
near the, government of the United States of
America.
1T Is my agreeable duty to express on
this occasion the sentiments of friendship
and esteem which his majesty, the king
bears to your excellency's person and his
earnest wish for the eVer-increasing pros
perlty of the great nation over whose gov
eminent your exceliency presdes.
The end of my mission is to maintain
ana cultivate to their fullest extent the
cordial relations which have happily exist
ed Tor so many years between Portugal
and the United States of America; toward
this object will all my efforts tend and I
venture to hope that your excellency will
graclously be pleased to lend me Your pow-
erfui aid in rendering ever more intimate
the ties which bind together two nations
that no important questions divide and that
so many valuable interests and mutual
sentiments connect.
The Presidents Reply.
The President replied as follows:
Mr. Minister: 1 am pleased to receive
from your hands the letter addressed to
me by MS majesty, the King of Portugal
and the Algarves, announcing your ap-
polntment as his envoy extraordinary and
minister plenipotentiary near the govern
Hent OF the United States, and I desire to
express my sincere appreciation of the SEN
uments Of personal esteem which he has
d1Fecled you to convey TO me- as well as
my qualification at the earnest wish which
MS majesty expresses for the prosperity
and welfare of the United States / as
sure you that on my own part nothing
shall be left undone which may conduce to
the good relations so long subsisting be-
tween the United States and Portugal
My reply to his majesty's letter an
nouncing the recall Of your predecessor
will shortly be forwarded to the United
States minister at Lisbon for delivery to
his majesty.
Trusting that your sojourn here may
De agreeable to yourself and satisfactory
to both governments, l bid you welcome
Mr.. Miniser, to this capital"
The Memorial Bridge.
The special committee of the Department
of the Potomac, G.. A R., is making an
other hard effort to secure the initial steps
to the erection of a memorial bridge. The
committee, composed of Thos. S. Hopkins,
John McElroy and B. F. Bingham. the
commander of the department., called on
tie President today to again urge his good
offices and aid in getting Congress to make
an appropriation to provide for the laying
of the corner stone of the proposed bridge
during the national encampment of the G.
n nnt ie
that Congress can be induced to take this
step. The President is deeply interested
and will give whatever aid he can. Mr.
Hopkins and the members of the commit
tee urged the President to send a special,
message to Congress asking an appropra-
tion for the first work toward the bridge
The President may not do this. as he dis
likes to establish a precedent of this kind
but he did not decline to do SO and Is go
ing to give the request consideration. 1t is
felt that a special message would awaken
Congress and result in some action being
taken. The President will probably talk to
some influential senators and representa-
tiVes about the proposed bridge.
The Rochambeau Exercises.
Assistant Secretary Peirce of the State
Department. Ambassador Cambon and
Jules Boeufve of the French embassy talk
ed with the President today about some of
the exercises incident to the unveiling of
the Rochambeau statue the last of this
month. A program will be announced from
the State Department later. 1t is proposed
to give a dinner to the President on the
Gaulois the French war vessel that is to
bring the French visitors over to this coun-
try. The question is where the ship will
go when 1t reaches this country. There Is
some suggestion that the ship go to An
napoiis and let the dinner take place there
but II not to Annapolis, then New York
will probably be selected.
President Going to Annapolis.
President Roosevelt will leave tomorrow
at o'clock for Annapolis to present the
diplomas to the graduating class of the
Naval Academy. He will return to Wash
ington about o'clock Friday afternoon.
The President and his party will go over
on a special train. With the President will
be Miss Alice Roosevelt, Commander and
Mrs Cowles. Secretary Cortelyou and a
stenographer and DR.. J. F. Uric.
Representatives Loudenslager, BromwelI
and Ball Of the pensions committee of the
House had a talk with the President this
morning about a pension bill to which he
is said to have objections.
Talking About Public Lands.
Secretary Hitchcock and Binger Herman,
commissioner of the general land office,
were in conference with President Roose-
welt nearly two hours today regarding the
use of public land by cattlemen in the west
ference that he did not get to see large
number of callers many of them members
of Congress. Secretary Hitchcock, when
asked about the conference. said that the
subject of occupation of public lands had
absolutely nothing to do with the beef trust
in any shape or form. Whatever action is
taken about these lands will be slow and
with no intention of causing trouble to
cattle raisers.
Representatives Sherman and Littauer of
New York spent some time with the Presi-
dent today going over New York matter
They said it had no connection with the
judgeship that is soon to be settled by the
President.
Representatives Clayton and Wiley of
Alabama, McCleary of Minnesota and
Crumpacker of Indiana saw the President
Representative Needham of California
saw the President about the opening of a
carnival in Bakersfield, Cal, next Satur-
day. The President will send a telegram of
congratulations to the management of the
carnival on the opening day.
Consul General at Guayaquil.
The President today sent the following
nominations to the Senate Thomas Mast,
New Jersey. consul general at Guayaquil
Ecuador, and a number Of postmasters.