Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-03-03
From Washington.
Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette.l
Washington, Mar. 3.

Washington, Mar. 8.
The Treasury Department is preparing,
and will issue today, a call upon the
national banks of the country to pay IN
20 per cent. of the government deposits
they have on hand. The New York
city banks will be required to pay at
once. Those outside of the metropolis
will be expected to pay by the 25th inst
The money, about $50, 600, 900, thus
realized, together with $50, OOO, 900, will
be devoted to the payments for the Pan
ANA canal property and concessions.
The Secretary of the Treasury at noon
made public the expected circular letter
to the depository national banks of the
country for the money needed to pay
the Panama canal Indebtedness. The
letter is addressed to the cashier of the
bank addressed, and informs him that
he is thereby directed to deposit with
(the name of some one of the % U. ).
repositories in New York city, on or
before the 25th instant, on account Of
transfer of funds from your bank the
sum of (amount stated). This will re-
duce your authorized balance to (amount
named)." The circular continues that
upon making this deposit and forward
ing the receipt obtained from the bank
of deposit, the bonds that are now held
in the treasury to secure the amount
named will be released.
The call is expected to bring some
thing between $50, 900, 900 and $751;
600, 900 into the treasury. The New
York banks will pay over their share
tomorrow. Before the close of business
at the Treasury Department today, U.
5. Treasurer Ellis H. Roberts will draw
bis warrant for the $40, 900, 900 to be
paid the republic Of Panama. AS the
Treasury Department was notified last
December that the J. P. Morgan and
Company had been appointed fiscal
agents for Panama, the warrant will be
made out in favor of that banking firm.
The payment to the Panama Canal Com
pany will be made sometime between
now and the 25th of the month.
J. p. Morgan & Co. is the dictator
of the manner in which the United
States shall pay the ten million dollars
to the republic of Panama for canal
rights. This is the statement made this
morning by Minister BunauV arilla after
a conference with Secretary Hay. He
said that the payment Of the money was
a matter which concerned the republic
Of Panama not so much as it did the firm
of Morgan & Co., and that his conference
with Secretary Hay had been entirely
upon this subject. The money for the
Panama concession will be paid by the
treasury to Morgan e. Co., with the con-
sent of the new republic.
Because it was probable that the exami-
nation of President Smith, Of the Nor
mon Church, would today touch upon
his personal affairs, his pOlygamous
marriages to FIVE wives, and his large
family of 40 children, interest in the in
vestigation into the Reed Smoot case was
increased this morning. When the
Senate committee on privileges and cleo
tons assembled the room was filed with
witnesses, counsel, newspaper CORE
spondents and other spectators. A large
crowd who were unable to get into the
room blocked the door and corridor out
side. President Smith took the stand
and among other things he said
living with a plural wife was con-
trary to the law of the Mormon Church
and of the land. The law, he said,
forbiddinga plurality of wives after
the State was admitted to the union,
was observed. There was no prohibition
against living with plural wives
who had been married before that time
but there had been no more such mar
riages. Witness then went into the de-
tails concerning his plural wives and
their children. 81 have five wives" he
said, 'and l have had eleven children
by them since 1890" President Smith
admitted that he could not tell of-hand
whether one of these wives had been the
mother of three of these children.
Each of my families has its own
house in Salt Lake City," he said.
"My custom since the manifesto
has been to live with my first wife, and
am still doing so But, as | said before,
still visit my other families"
Rear Admiral Barker, commanding the