The Delta independent., 1902-05-16
LATE WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

| abroad the latter part of this month
The entertainment given this week by
the Washes In honor of the French
ambassador and Nine. Cambon was
pronounced the most notable of rile sea.
son. The guests at dinner were the
| German, Russian and Italian ambassa.
dors, Nine. Desplaches, the secretary
of agriculture and Miss Wilson, Senn-
tor and Mrs. Lodge, Senator and Mrs.
Depew, Senator and Mrs. Hanna and
Commander and Mrs. Cowles. A large
number Of additional guests Joined the
dinner company at 10 o'clock. when a
musicale by Signor Campari and
Charles Gregorovitch. the Russian
violinist, completed the entertainment.
In the Senate Mr.. Fairbanks offered
n bill for which he requested immed-
late consideration. 1t was for the bene-
fit of the people of the French West
Indies and authorized the President of
the United States to cause to be pur-
chased such provisions, clothing. medi-
| cines and other necessgries as he shall
deem advisable and tender the same in
the name of the government OF the
| United States to the government OF
France for the relief Of citizens who
have suffered by the late earthquake
in the Islands of the French West In.
dies. The bill appropriates 100000
for the purpose and authorizes the sec
retary OF war to use the necessary
steamships belonging to the United
States to carry Its purpose into effect.
The Indian depredations committee
| of the Senate made report upon Sen
ator's Warren's bill to remove from
depredations law the conditions requir-
ing that the claimant. to secure relief,
| must have been at the time the depre.
dation was committed n citizen OF the
United States, and that the Indians
committing the depredations were not
hostile to the United States, but in the
language of the law "in amity." The
committee In Its report sustained the
provision of the bill removing the re-
quirement of citizenship. but on the
question of amity was una BILE to agree
and the discussion on this feature OF
the bill will be taken to the floor of the
Senate A number OF western senn-
tors will urge the removal of this con-
dition Of the law. which is regarded as
n harsh and unjustihable discrimina-
ton which bars many meritorious
claims from consideration.
At meeting of the Philippine com
mittee Senator Lodge presented cable
from General ChafYee giving the
charges and specifications of Major
Gardner relative to Tayabas province.
The charges consisted OF allegations
that troops had burned buildings. ma
tives had been badly treated by Lieut..
George De G. Catlin. and assaults on
five women had been made by soldiers.
Senator Lodge stated to the committee
that Catlin had been under treatment
IN mi nj rnt oh
ed with striking natives for not taking
Oh their hats to him. Senator Lodge
also laid before the committee Ust OF
over 300 officers and enlisted men In
the United States army who have been
tried by court-martial for Offenscs
against natives: also list of natives
tried by military commissions for
cruelty to United States soldiers and
violation of the laws Of war.
Senator Hoar has Introduced new
isthmian canal bill, leaving to the
President the selection of route The
bill is brief, merely providing that 'it
shall be the duty of the President OF
the United States, as soon as the same
can economically and conveniently be
done, to cause to be excavated and con-
structed a canal of such depth and ca
pacity as will be sufficient for the
movement OF ships Of the greatest tom
mage and draft now In use, and such
as may be reasonably anticipated. from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, by such
route as may be selected by him. hav-
Ing satisfied himself OF the right OF
the United States to construct and pro-
tect such canal" The President also
is directed to have harbors constructed
at both ends OF the canal, and he Is
Il. a.
agencies and obtain such advice as lac
shall find necessary" Authority is
given to the President to determine
the terms on which foreign countries
may use the canal. The aggregate cost
OF the canal Is fixed at $1SOOO0.OOO.
and $1O,OOO,OOO is appropriated for the
beginning of work.
l.. Il. Hallock of Boston testified be-
fore the Senate committee on the Phil
ippInes. He was formerly Of the Twen-
ty-sixth infantry. Asked what became
of the Philippine prisoners to whom
the cure was administered. he replied
that they were placed In guard house
2Ox25 feet in size, in which theie was
one window. and In which there were
at times eighteen men confined. The
twelve prisoners were kept for four or
five months and then they tried to es-
cape. That effort had been successful
on the part of some Of them, but five
or six fleeing prisoners were shot and
killed. One of them was killed while
trying to get away when the squad
were taken to the river for n bath,
and the others when out at work in
a general rush for liberty. All but one
OF the prisoners who did not escape
were killed. Mr.. HallOck also stated
that he had been present when u vii
lage of 5000 to 1000 had been burned,
and that the occupants of the houses
had not had time to carry out the :ur-
niture. He had known OF three or
four other cases Of such destruction
Of property. but had not been an eye
witness. Senator Lodge brought out
the details OF the murder of Private
O'Herne. The witness said that In
June, 1900. O'Herne, with two other
members Of the company, had been
uap IN T1nt1n I'm mn,