The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1905-01-07
NATIONAL AFFAIRS.


| y rev OF the members of the Lower
| House of Congress who are interested in
the administration of the Panama canal
| way to reduce the number of the canal
commissioners, and possibly to abolish
| the commission altogether. They declare
that they have a powerful ally in the
President whose views regarding the
commission have been considerably mod
flied by the report of Col Symons. who
and Il thorough examination of the con-
ditlons there he considered the system
of administration awkward and inetfi-
Gent The law as it stands gives the
commissioners practically continuous
tenure. The right is reserved to the
President to remove the commissioners
and 1t is plain that he could reduce the
commission by removing them and refus-
ing to appoint others in their place, but
since 1t was the Senate which insisted on
the commission and recommended the ap-
polntmcnt of the officers it is not likely
he would make use of this privilege
However the law for the administration
of affairs in the caLal strip expires ut
the close of the present session of Con-
Gres$ and members of the House. it is
said, will take advantage of the ncces-
Sity for rc-eMICtment to urge Il prOviS-
.On to extend the power of the chief en-
sinccr and to curtail that of the commits
sion. If the sentiment of the Senate
'aould be too strongly opposed to this
the whole subject could be thrown into
conference for compromises. Col. Hep
Iurn, chairman of the Interstate Com
ncrcc Committee is one of the most
earnest advocates for Il reorganization
of the system of administering canal af-
fairs and is pretty Solilly backed by his
committee, the members of which visit
cd the I>thmuS in body last summer.
The result of that visit was the unAni-
nous opinion that Chief Engineer Wal
Ice was the most competent man the
Government mad in its employ there and
that he should be given the fullest pow
en- possible in the conduct of affairs.
Among the recent callers at the White
House was Representative Robert Hit,
who would like to be the successor of
General Foster, as Ambassador to
France. Mr.. Hit WAS, first secretary Of
the American legation in Paris in 1874,
and now that he has r,cuuircd wealth. and
,nnnrS in his own country he would IKE
to rc1urn tn tho p,v citv That its raw
CIV makes an onneal is doubtfuI for Mr.
Hin has rrnchnd tho uncnrtoin AGO Of
seventy odd Summnrs nnd is in moor
health These disodvontnr os il will he
remembered yvoro urcad AGAINST him Los+
summer when his name was suggested
for tho Vico-praSidnncv Nh. Thomas
Walsh the I,nror,,ln milIi,moira has al
80 been talked of ms tho next Amhossso
lor ia Finance ,vhorn bn made many
friends nv his lavish entertaining during
thn InSt cvnosition but ALTOGETHER thc
,.h,rcns for tho .,nrnintmnut ,ro with
Gnor.o T, Never Of Massachusetts, now
ambassadors tn Italy who is y personal
friend or tbn President Either of those
tLrn, urn h.,v, til, means to establish
and maintain = fnn establishment in
rrr;, ,.hnr,. ,1,nu,,h tho charm Of social
III, i, r,.not tho .ynrrs, il orr,,or onl -
rn,turn hnI,irl nnn'> salary * rncrSs,ry
ror Tho r,>itir,
Th. i,trr,st in tho Presidents ,npoirt
.,,o,s in I'll ,r.,..,. fnrr,.,.,.. d,ily Now
.,,,.,t ,Ln Cabinet r,,r,S ,rr fIIl ,ttrn-
ton ,n,,s f., ,hr assistant secretaries Of
l,,,,r,,,.,.,, and ,l,or, .,r,. as many nor.