Gilpin observer., 1903-02-26
WASHINGTON NEWSSTAND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

The president has signed the Elkins
rebate bill With the signing Of this
measure the administrations anti
trust program for this session of Con-
| gress Is completed.
Instructions have been sent by the
State Department to United States
Minister Powell to insist on his de-
mand upon the government Of San Do
mingo for prompt settlement Of the
Clyde and Ros claims.
The Senate committee on foreign re-
lations has authorized favorable re-
port on the extradition treaty with
Mexico and also on an agreement with
| France extending the provisions Of the
| French reciprocity treaty to Porto
Rico.
| The senate committee on military
affairs has adopted a favorable report
on the military academy bill. The bill
committee recommends increases over
the amount carried by the house bill
aggregating $9,1OO, bringing the total
to 1854 ,43S.
| Commissioner Richards of the gen.
eral land Office has ordered the tempo
rary withdrawal from entry or settle
ment, except under the homestead
laws, of a number of townships in the
Carson, New, land district for irriga-
ton purposes.
The arbitration claims of certain
American sealers against the Russian
| government have been paid. The to-
| tai, including interest, is now $165,315,
and includes Cape Horn Pigeon, $685.
! 033; James Hamilton Lewis, $47,6S4;
c. H. White, s52,169; Kate and Anna,
| $2,427.
The State Department has been ad-
vised that the Congress of Honduras
| has confirmed the presidential decree
| placing the conduct of affairs in the
| hands of ministerial council and au-
| thorizing President Sierra to take the
field in the campaign against Presi-
dent-Elect Bonilla.
The resolution which passed the SEN
ate providing that Rear Admiral
Schley be given the pay and allowance
/ Of a rear admiral on the active list,
was called up in the house committee
on naval affairs and there was tabled.
| Messrs. Mudd of Maryland, Tate of
Georgia and Rixey of Virginia voted
| against tabling it.
Representative Mercer of Nebraska,
| chairman of the House committee on
| public buildings and grounds. is con-
| ferring with Secretary Cortelyou con-
| cerning building for the new Depart
| ment of Commerce and Labor The
necessity for such building is very
urgent, as the department will be one
| of the largest in the government
The gunboat Bennington will be
commissioned at the Mare Island navy
yard about March II, and attached to
the Pacific squadron. She will be COM
manded by Commander Chauncey
| Thomas, brother of w. R. Thomas of
the faculty of the Colorado State Agri-
cultural college and formerly of the
| Denver News editorial staff.
The house by a majority of to 1
| rejected the conference report on the
army appropriation bill, because of its
| provisions for the retirement of civil
war officers at an advanced grade and
| permitting officers to deposit money
with the government at per cent. in
| terest. The house emphatically voted
| against both amendments and sent the
| bill back to conference.
If Congress fails to pass the bill per-
mitting the secretary of the interior to
| lease all government lands in Nebras-
| ka at from to cents per acre for
| given number of years for pasturage
| purposes, it is stated at the Interior
| Department that the law providing
| for the removal of the fences from all
| such domain will be enforced. In one
| case over $4,000 acres were fenced in
by private interests.
Before passing the naval appropria-
| ton bill the House made several
amendments, the most important being
| one to authorize the secretary of the
navy, in his discretion, to purchase or
contract for submarine torpedo boats.
| after investigation of their merits, and
making an appropriation for that pur-
| pose. The amendment was in the Ian
| guage of bill introduced by Mr.. Hill
| of Connecticut, and it was stated on
| the floor that it had the support of all
| the members of the naval committee.
| 1t was adopted practically without de-
| bate. An amendment was adopted CIV
| ing members of Congress whose dis
| tricts are not now represented at the
Naval Academy the privilege of imme-
diately appointing to fill such vacan-
cies.
There is a movement on among some
of the friends of the statehood bill in
the senate to couple the fortunes of
that measure with those of the Pana-
ma canal treaty and make the ratifica-
ton of the one depend upon the pas
sage of the other. The details of the
plan have not come to light fully, but
it is understood that the scheme is to
menace the treaty by delay until an
agreement to vote on the statehood bill
can be secured. None of the statehood
supporters will admit that this is the
purpose. but one of the most promi-
nent of them on the Republican side of
the chamber admitted that such is the
tendency. Many of the statehood ad-
vocates on both sides of the chamber
say they will not allow Senator Nor
gan to be forced by test of physical
endurance to complete his speech in
opposition to the treaty before he is