, 1902-02-06
LATE WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

IAN huli-blOohH, lbl lu'
of the law prohibiting the sale of alco-
holic liquors in the territory.
Secretary Root has called the atten-
ton of Congress to the need of pro-
viding for the fifty companies of Phil
ippine scouts, comprising about 1000
men. A deficiency appropriation Is re-
quired Of $4,000
The House has passed the Lacey bill
for the protection of miners In the ter
ritories. 1t provides that in every mine
over 100 feet in depth, mine owners be
required to provide $500 cubic feet or
pure air for every fifty miners 1t also
provides that managers Of coal mines
shall employ hot firers.
The President has approved TIE rec
o~mmendation of the secretary Oh war
that the sentence of dismissal imposed
by court martial in the case of First
Lieutenant Preston Brown, Jr., Second
infantry, be committed to the loss of
thirty-five numbers and forfeiture of
half of his pay for nine months. Lieu
tenant Brown was charged with hay
ing killed n Filipino who refused 10
rescue n drowning soldier.
The Senate committee Un commerce
has authorized n favorable report on
Senator Frye's ship subsidy bill. The
report will be made by Senator
Frye. The committee made several
amendments to the bill. The most i'm
portant were: Allowing mail carrying
vessels under the bill to be either iron
or steel. instead Of steel only, as orig
inally provided, and reducing to 1000
gross registered tons the vessels receiy-
ing n bounty under the bill.
Mr.. Lacey, chairman of the public
lands committee has introduced Il bill
authorizing the President to transfer
by executive order any forest reserves
to the control of the Department of Ag-
rlculture, and after the transfer all
laws relating to the same under the
Department of the Interior shall apply
to their regulation, administration and
control in all respects under the Depart
ment of Agriculture. The President Is
also authorized TO set apart such forest
reserves as he may deem proper for
game or fish preserves.
The Republican members of he
ways and means committee held n pri-
vate conference Wednesday night and
decided to frame n bill for the reduc-
ton of war revenue taxes before pro-
ceedlng further with the subject of Gu
ban reciprocity. Chairman Payne mt
once called n meeting of the full com
mlttee for IL o'clock tomorrow, when
work on the warrevenue reduction bill
will begin. Many leading congressman
are quoted as saying that they believe
Cuba will be forced to seek annexation
by the delay in tariff concessions.
Senator Morgan, chairman of the
committee on inter-oceanic canals, has
prepared n report which he has sent
to each member of the committee rel
alive to the canal situation, since the
offer of the Panama company to sell
its property for SIO,00O,OOO was made.
The report takes the ground that the
Panama company cannot give the
United States n good and sufficient IT,
tie and also criticises the whole mat
ter ms n movement intended to delay
canal legislation. The report will be
considered at the meeting next Mon
day.
The House has passed the bill for the
creation of II permanent census ur-
reau. The friends of the civil service
law, who were opposed to making the
employees of the bureau eligible for
transfer or retention, We're overwhelm-
ingly defeated. BY The terms of the
bill the permanent organization Will
succeed the present temporary organ
iZation July 1. 1902, and all employees
on the rolls upon the date Of the pas
sage of the act will become eligible for
transfer to other departments or reten-
ton In the permanent organization.
The bill also provides for Il manufac-
turing census in 1903 and for the col
lection of certain special statistics an
nually.
President Roosevelt has carried out
the promise made to Forest Supervisor
Seth Bullock. that in future forest
rangers shall be selected by the super
visors, and not by Ii secretary of the
interior, by writing Il peremptory let
ter to the secretary of the interior TO
that effect. 1t directs the secretary In
future to leave the appointment of
forest rangers wholly in he hands of
the forest supervisors, who know what
is required and who will name western
men, familiar with the country, able
TO camp out in snow or blizzard and
to meet every requirement of the ard
uous situation. Eastern theorists and
'tenderfeet' must no. be given places.
Mr.. Shafroth is working among the
membership of the House with II view
to getting n majority in line to vote
against the passage OF the hHl Dill,
which provides for the exchange of sill
yer and gold and the recoinage of sill
yer dollars so received in exchange for
subsidiary coins. Mr.. Shafroth says
he is assured by many Republican
members that they are opposed to the
passage of the bill, among whom are
Galusha a. Grow Of Pennsylvania and
Mr.. Loud Of California. Mr.. Shafroth
is of the opinion that when the bill
comes up in the house in the course of
n week, 1t can De defeated by the joint
votes of Democrats and Republicans,
providing the Republicans do not hold
Il caucus upon It,,
Senator Spooner has introduced n
substitute FOR the Nicaragua canal bill.
The new bill Is a practical authoriza-
ton to the President Of the United
States TO choose between the Panama
and the Nicaragua routes. The first
provision looks to The acquisition of
the franchises, r~ight.of-way and other
property of the new Panama Canal
Company OF France, including that
company's control of the Panama rail
road. The President Is authorized to
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