The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1903-03-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.

The Passing OF the Fitty.seventh
Congress was attended with no blaze
of glory. Worn with the fatigue of
n long nights session, Senators gath
cred in the Senate chamber slowly on
the morning Of the 4th of March
The President and his Cabinet came
to the Capitol. the former occupying
the presidents room" and siypiny
oelated measures as fas, as they were
brought To him, the mem bers of the
Saeinet taking seats upon the flnnr OF
the Senate. All necessary legislation
had been completed the night before
aud the concluding hours of the Con.
gress we're chiefly occupied with q
speech by Senator Masun, facetiously
referred To by Senator Hoar as the
'swan'song of the Senator from Hi.
mons. There was NO turning back of
the clock and precisely at II O'Clock
the savel tell IN both houses.
For session dominated through
out by prolonged fiibuster on the
Statehood bill IN the Senate and.
during the latter part, By IA filibuster
on the part Of the democrats in the
House, Il remarkable mount of le...
islslion was accomplished. A new
department of the government has
been established. An immigratIor
bill, which is a Qualification of all the
laws previsiously enacted has been
passed. Certain antitrust laws hay.
beeh placed on the statutes, laws.
which whether they accomplish their
purpose or NOT, received the practi.
caily unanimous support of both par.
Ties AID the marked approval OF the
President. Bills re, rganizing the
Regular army and the militia have
been approved. A bill revising the
currency system of the Philippines is
now Jaw. These are uniy The must
important of the many enac,meuts of
the recent session. The total of in.
appropriation made is 1898, 1874 OBS
The total tor the entire Congress is
81 ,554, lOS,5l4.
March OH tho Senate met in extra.
ordinary SESSION, puisIAn To call
of the PRECEDENT, To raii!y the Cuban
and Panama treaties Senator Nor
gan said today To Jour Correspondent
that he regarded the Columbian treaty
as n most inibultous invention and
would leave no stone unturned to
daieat IL, unless tie Senate would
accept The Numerous amendments he
has proposed. The venerable Alaba.
maian wal speak against the trea ~
until compelled To cease by physIcial
" neither he will receive
assistance from other democrats is
not known but most Of the mem pers
VI his party haye signlfiod their ap.
pr"val oi the treaty. There is serious
opposition To tue Cuban treaty on
beth sides Of the chamber, although
Senator Aldrlch assures your CORES
pendent thst there are ample repub.
Ilcan votes To ratity it. Senator
Lodge has made II careful estimate
III the new senators who will lake
their seats in the Senate today and
says that the agreement will gain six
votes by being held over for the extra
session. Among The new senators
who will Consider The pending treaties
will be the Two from Delaware, who.
after the long deadlock ~ the Dele
ware Legislature, were elected on the
2nd Of March.
Mr.. Robert b. Armstrong, the new
assistant Secretary Of the Treasury,
assumed his duties today (March s.
and II is rUmOled that general
shaken up la the custom service will
rrIlOw. Ever since the rumored siIk
frauds in New York, there has been
1issa tisiaclion with the adminislra.
ton OF the custom laws aud the Presi
tent has ordered q reorganization Of
the service. General Spauldipg.
whom MIR. Armstrong succeeds, will
leave the service, his health having
given away under increasing years.
Another important change in the
government service involves the re
oi Gov. Merriam as chief
Ut the Census Bureau aud his success.
sion 10y EX Representative David
Mercer I Nebraska, who was defeat.
ed for Congress by the bitter animosi
~ of Editor Rosewater, Of Omaha
Mr.. Merriam, it is understood, ex.
pectcd to- he selected fer the position
OF Secretary of the Department OF
Commerce and Labor, aud, when Mr..