Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1903-12-10
WASHINGTON NOTES.

anre af Eis commit tees last Saturday,
and Gel Huff il well placed, getting on
the committees on railways and canals,
mines and mining. and leyees and i'm
provements OF the Mississippi river. Jo-
seph G. Sibley of Franklin retains MS
place on the committee on postofflces
and postroads and got the chairmansnip |
of the committee on manufactures
This latter place was given him instead
of membership on the committee on IN
sular affairs. William o. Smith OF
Punxsutawney is on two committees
reform in the civil service, and the mill
tia.
The report of Secretary OF the Navy
w. Fl. Moody for the fiscal year ending
June 30. 1903, shows gratifying I'M
provement in this great arm OF the ser
vice of the National defense during tnat
period. The efficiency Of officers and
men is declared by the Secretary TO
have advanced, while substantial ad-
ditions were made to the heavailabl g force
of fighting ships. At the close OF the
year we fad 10 first-class battleships, ~
cruisers. / second class battleship, IL
monitors, 81 gun boats, 34 torpedo boat
destroyers. 81 torpedo boats and sub
marine boats. At the same time there
were under construction IA first class
battIeships, 16 cruisers, 3 gun boats and
8 torpedo boats. The Secretary gives
statistics az to the result OF the target
practice which show that our gunners
are attaining a very remarkable prof-
cheney and that whenever they may be
called upon to utilize their skill in act
nal warfare they will give most ex-
ceIlent account Of themselves.
After the House of Representatives
passed the Cuban Treaty bill 1t was pre-
sumed to have completed the duties for
which the extra session was called 1t
was supposed that the Senate would
then take the measure and after discuss
ing 1t about week, or until the day be-
fore Thanksgiving, it would vote on it
and adjourn. But instead the Senate
merely fixed date during the regular
session, December 10. when 1t would
vote. 1t this juncture Speaker Can
non, who is very jealous Of the prerog-
atiyes Of the House and does not want
the Senate to forget that it is not the
whole show, announced that he would
not stand for any adjournment until
the work for which the extraordinary ses-
sion was called had been completed. The
Senate, being unable to adjourn for
more than three davs without the con-
sent OF the House. and vice versa, was
therefore Obliged to change its mind
about going home without having done
anything.
The extra session OF Congress, ended,
Monday noon, and the regular session
Immediately begun. This called for
message from the President. and he had
q good one, which Dalzell reviewed as
follows:
Il regard his treatment Of the rela-
tions Of capital and labor as clear and
conservative, and showing wise con-
ception Of what he believed to be and
what we all believe to be the individual
right OF every American citizen. He is
equally clear in his views upon the i'm
migration question, recognizing the
need to reasonable extent Of q better
class of immigrants who will In time
become good citizens, and the undesir-
ability Of large class to whom we are
subjected, despite our present laws.
With reference to monetary legislation,
the message. and think very properly,
relegates any action to futnre and
more convenient time, simply suggest
ing that the Secretary Of the Treasury
ought to be authorized to deal with the
customs receipts as with the revenue
receipts. The reason for dealing diff
ferently with them, 30 far Az the Treas
and there is now none why customs re-
ceipts should be kept out OF the currents
OF commerce and trade any more than
those from other sources of revenue.
But, after all, the nost interesting
and important part Of the message 10
his treatment CT the isthnian canal
question. Ii il very clear demonstra-
tion Of the entire propriety Of the action
Of our government In carrying ont the
wishes OF the people that We shall have
. canal as soon rs possible. 1t IL "a com
piete answer to every claim that has
been made that we have in the remot-
est degree violated any provision OF the
treaty Of 1916 In this the message
rests upon three points: First, that the
Presidents authority under the spooner
bill to deal with respect to the Panama
canal had no relation to Colombia tech
nically merely because Colombia was
named in the treaty, but had relation
to the territory upon which the canal
II to be built without regard to the par
ticuiar government that might be in
control OF it, Second, that the guarau-
tee Of the sovereignty Of New Granada, |
OF which Colombia In the first instance
and Panama In the second are the suc-
cessors, had relation only to attacks up
on the sovereignty Of New Granada or |
its successors and none to internal CON
troversies Third, that the history OF |
the isthmus for the past 30 years shows |
that The United States has been contin-
ually under the necessity Of preserving |
the peace there and saving not only for |
itself. but for the world, free transit |
across 1t. IL the message IL to be CON
strued, ns hardly think II ought to be.
Az advocating Federal action towards |
the building Of good roads or an exten-
sion OF the irrigation scheme for arid |
lands, | should hesitate to approve II in |
these respects, but on the whole Ii |
seems to me TO be very wise and con- |
servative document.
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Financial difficulties, which began |
dnripg the crusade Of John Alexander |
Dowic. the self-styled Elijah iii. anJi
his restoration host to New York n