The Elk Mountain pilot., 1903-02-17
WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS


purposes.
The Senate committee on foreign re-
lations has authorized favorable re-
port on new treaty of friendly rela-
tionship with Greece.
Cuban senator's and members of the
, Cabinet regarding the coaling stations
for the United States navy have in
formed President Palma that they have
no objection to the treaty as inform
ally agreed upon.
| If the time limit expires next June.
without reconsideration of the Dan
| ish government of it's adverse action
| on the sale of it's West Indian Islands,
the department will abandon further
efforts to secure the islands.
Superintendent Brownson of the
| United States Naval Academy has re-
fused to accept the resignation of
Midshipman r. p. Pearson, the young
| man who had his jaw broken as the
result of a fight caused by his objec-
| tion to hazing by his classmates
| The State Department has been adj
vised by United States Minister Merry
that the president of Salvador has in
| formed him that complete tranquility
prevails in Salvador and that the ru-
mored declaration of war is false.
| Francis B. I.oomis has been formal
| ly installed in Office as assistant sec
retary of state 1t has been arranged
that the incoming assistant secretary
shall take up part of the important
diplomatic work of the state depart
ment at once. in conjunction with
| portion of the consular business.
Adjutant General Cortin has made a
report to Congress in regard to the
| I.t a.
shows that there are 10.S53,396 citi-
zens fitted by age and physical condi-
tion to bear arms in defense of the
country in case of necessity, and that
there are 11S.259 men attached to the
organized militia.
| The House committee on census has
authorized a favorable report on the
bill for the collection of municipal sta
tistics in 1905 and biennially there
after A subcommittee was appointed
| to consider the advisability of collect
| ing agricultural and livestock statis-
tics every five years. as proposed by
| pending bill
The Senate has passed Representa-
tive Bells bill providing for holding
federal courts in Colorado. as follows:
Denver, first Tuesdays in May and No
vember: Pueblo. first Tuesday in
April; Montrose. second Tuesday in
September The bill provides that
courts heretofore held at Del Norte
shall be discontinued and the business
transferred to Montrose.
The House public lands committee
has favorably reported the Senate bill
authorizing the sale of isolated tracts
| of land of less than 100 acres lying
| within the limits of Indian reserva-
| tions that have been opened to settle
ment. provided such tracts remain un-
occupied for three years after all sur
rounding lands have been enteredh The
bill affects the Uncompahgre, Southern
| Ute and other Indian reservations
where lands have been opened to set
| tlement.
Chairman Burrows of the Senate
committee on privileges and elections.
| has been authorized to report adverse
| ly upon the claims for back pay pre-
sented by the legal representatives of
senators from the Southern states who
entered Congress at the time of recon-
! struction. amounting in the aggregate
to $4,000. These claims were made
| for the entire Congress to which the
men were elected. while at the time
they were paid only from the time the
| states were restored to their full
| rights.
The Senate committee has added the
following amendments to the Indian
appropriation bill: Providing that the
unexpended balance of the appropria-
ton for 1903 for the support of Apache
and other Indians in New Mexico anG
Arizona be made available for 1906;
| authorizing a contract to be made with
| the Utes for the transfer and sale of
the Mesa Verde tract, containing the
cliff dwellings. in Montezuma county;
construction of mess hall and en-
ployes' quarters at the Grand Junction
Indian school, $24,000 comforting jur-
isdiction on the Court of Claims to ad
judicate and grant Judgment in the
claims of the confederated bands of
Utes.
In an executive session on the 11th
inst. the Senate ratified the Alaskan
boundary treaty. There was no delay
in securing action on the treaty and
very little opposition to it was mani
tested. Senator Teller said that he con-
sidered the Alaskan boundary so well
determined as to make it not matter
of dispute Therefore while he would
not delay it, he would not vote for it.
Senator Mason made a few similar re-
marks, adding that he considered the
procedure proposed by the treaty non
American. The ayes and noes were
not called, but there were several
voices heard in the negative when an
informal expression was called for.
The ayes were SO much more numer-
Gus, however. that the decision of the
chair to the effect that ratification had
prevailed was not challenged.
The Court of Claims has rendered a
decision of far-reaching Importance to
the naval establishment. If sustained
by the United States Supreme Court,
to which an appeal has been taken. the