The Grit-advocate., 1903-02-27
WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

State Department to United States
Minister Powell TO insist or his de-
mand upon the government of san Do
mingo for a prompt settlement OF tho
! Clyde and I;os claims,
The Senate passed the bill intro
| duccd by Senator Teller amending the
act providing for holding term OF
the Circuit Court OF Appeals at Denver
or Cheyenne, so that the right of APP
peal from an interlocutory order or
decree should not be affected by the
act and appeals taken from such
intcrlocutCry orders or DEGREES may
be heard and disposed Of by the Unit
ed States Court of Appeals for tho
eighth circuit at any term thereof
| This legislation was requested by at
tOrneys OF Denver and Salt Lake.
Three years ago William Cary San
ger then inspector general of the New
York National Guard and now assist
ant secretary of war. made a thorough
inspection of the reserve and auxiliary
forces of England and OF the militia
of Switzerland. The work was volun-
tary. for though President Mckinley
greatly desired it, there was no appro-
priation available and Col. Sanger de-
frayed his own expenses. The result
of this investigation is embodied in a
report just issued which it is thought
will become a text book for the mill
tary student. Says the author: The
story of the Spanish-American war
has much which Americans must read
with pain" and then he tells how seri-
Ously the government was embarrassed
in its efforts to make use of its cumDe:-
some and refractory state militia.
The conlerees on the army appropri-
alton bill met February l7th and came
to an agreement. The appropriation
Of $2,00o,OOo for equipping the national
guard the same as the regular army
was agreed to. The Senate COnferees
rcCcded from the amendment providing
for the purchase and preservation OF
the Balls Bluff battlefield. The Senate
provision for 100000 for army post
buildings to take the place of the can
teens, remains in the bill, but it is
provided that not more than $4,000 be
expended for any one post building.
The Senate amendment permitting all
army officers below the grade of major
! general, who saw service in the civil
war to retire with The rank and pay
/ of the next highest grade was agreed
to, with further amendment making
it apply only to officers who served in
the Civil War more than one year.
Senator Teller and Senator Patter-
| son called upon the director of tha
mint recently and conferred with him
on the matter Of completing the ma
chinery plant in the Denver mint.
The House has already appropriated
$l5oOO0 for this purpose. and an effort
Will be made to increase the amount to
$3.50, 900, the estimate of the director.
The director said that much of the ma
chinery in the New orleans mint would
be removed to the Denver mint upon
the latters reduction to an assay mint.
Senators Teller and Patterson suggest
ed that southern senators would sue
ce"sfully oppose such measure. Tho
din ector promised that as soon as tho
appropriation was available lie would
proceed with the Installation of ma
chinery. He made II evident that Dem
yer was one Of the three desirable
minting places in the country. the
other two being San Francisco and
Philadelphia.
The government has formally aC-
cepted the offer of the Panama Canal
Company 10 sell to the United States
the canal property and all of the COM
pany's rights therein for $4,000, 900.
subject only to the ratification of the
pending treaty with the Republic of
Colombia The effect of this accept
ancc will be to extend the life of the
option held by the government beyond
March ith next, and until the treaty
now before the Senate has been rati-
fed by both countries in interest. The
President desires that the proceedings
necessary to the transfer of the title
and possession Of the property be for
warded as much as possible to the end
that when the pending treaty is rati-
fed and goes into effect, nothing will
remain to be done but to consummata
the transaction by the delivery of pos
session and the payment Of the con-
sideratOn. Senator Morgan. as
question of privilege, had read a recent
communication addressed to him by
Rafael Reyes. Colombian minister 10
Mexico, and which appeared in the
public press denying the accuracy OF
a certain statement alleged to have
been made by Mr. Morgan i'll the Sem
ate February 18th, thar the president
of Colombia had sold out and abd-
Gated for $1O0O.OO0 He declared that
if anything was said by him it was in
secret session of the Senate Reyes he
said. seems 70 be determined on tho
success of the Panama scheme THE
coincidence Of the double assault on
Mexico he said, is quite cute enough
TO have been enacted in the Panama
canal school and is brazen enough to
have been prepared in the Office of
New York railroad wrecker" Reyes,
he said violated principle of diplo-
macy by obtaining his information sur
reptitiously through persons who vioI-
lated their trust. Il did not say" he
continued. at any time, that the pres
ident had received $1,000, 600 as pay for
resigning | said that after he received
81 900 O00, in April, 1900, he retired to
his home and the vice president was
substituted in his place" Reverting
to the subject Of giving out informa-
ton concerning executive sessions Mr..