Gilpin observer., 1902-12-25
WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

The Senate has confirmed William
Bardel as consul at Bamburg, Bava-
ria, and Lloyd G. Griscom as minister
to Japan.
The Senate, In executive session,
ratified the treaty Of friendship and
general relations between the United
States and Spain without debate or
division.
General Breckenridge, inspector gen.
eral Of the army, made an argument
against the bill creating general
staff corps in the army before the
House committee on military affairs.
Senator Lodge has introduced in the
Senate bill authorizing the President
to remove the duty on coal coming in
to the United States from Canada
whenever the duty on coal from the
United States going into Canada shall
be removed.
A bill has been introduced in the
Senate by Senator Warren and in the
House Of Representative by Represen-
tative Mondell granting railroads and
water companies right Of way through
government reservations and public
lands for reservoirs and pipe lines.
The House passed the pure food bill
by a vote of 72 to 21. The bill inhibits
the introduction into any state or ter
ritory or the District of Columbia,
from any other state or territory or
from any foreign country, or the ship
ment of any foreign country of any ar
ticle Of food or drug which is adulter-
ated OF misbranded.
Senator Patterson of Colorado has
introduced bill providing that all ma
tional banking associations and other
national corporations shall. for the
purpose Of all suits in law. be deemed
citizens of the states in which they
may be located, that the United States
courts shall not have jurisdiction in
such cases other than they would
have over individuals
The President has concluded that it
will not be necessary to send the Gu
ban reciprocity treaty to the House. 1t
Is said that the House may satisfy it
self by passing upon the reciprocity
proposition incidental to the consider
alton of some legislation, which will
be necessary to give effect to the
treaty, though that document will be
ratified by the Senate, II ratified at all
in Washington.
The Senate committee on commerce
has decided to report adversely the bill
appropriating $1,000000 for the i'm
provement of the harbor at Baltimore.
Maryland. This position was not TAX
en- because of opposition to the bill. but
because of the rule of the commit
tee against inaugurating Individual
schemes of improvement in years when
there Is no river and harbor bill, as is
the case this season.
Senator Perkins of California has in
troduced a bfll authorizing the Presi-
dent to set aside areas within forest
reserves to be preserved as breeding
places for wild animals. birds and fish.
Within these areas all hunting. fishing
and killing of game is to be prohibited
at all times. The senator has drawn
his bill along the lines recommended
by the President and with further
view to largely doing away with state
protection over game with the re-
serves.
Senator Depew has introduced bill
authorizing the issuance of emergency
currency by the Treasury Department.
1t provides that such currency shall be
supplied to any national bank with a
capital OF not less than $4,000 to the
extent of fifty per cent OF the banks
capital. The extra capital is. however,
to be supplied only in case of string
ency in the money market sufficiently
serious to jeopardize values and i'm
peril the commercial and business in
terests of the country.
In the Senate on the 10th inst. Mr..
Dillingham; concluded his remarks in
opposition to the omnibus statehood
bill and by unanimous consent it was
agreed that there should be no further
discussion of the measure until the
Senate reconvened on January 5th.
Mr.. Teller wanted to submit some re-
marks in reply, he said, to the SIAN
ders on the committee on territories
and Of Mr.. Dillingham;, but other SEN
ators insisted that the agreement not
to further discuss the bill should be
adhered to.
w. II. Johnston. missionary on the
Navajo Indian reservation. conferred
with commissioner of Indian Affairs
Jones recently regarding the condition
of the Navajos. He says that the great
drouth which has existed In the Nava-
20 country during the past six years
has almost impoverished those Indians,
and that 1t is impossible for them to
carry on under the present conditions
the sheep business In which they have
been engaged. He asked government
assistance, otherwise than financial. to
hhow the Indians how to help them
selves.
Secretary Root recently announced
that he had decided to accept the bid
of the Boston Steamship Company SO
far as 1t affects the transportation of
troops and military supplies between
the United States and the Philippines
which arc sent or received by way OF
Seattle or Tacoma. He explained that
the existing service at San Francisco
would he continued for the present and