Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-02-28

great HdgcidH OCdiih6 D"H"N'
effect will be we'll worth seeing. The
Presidents reviewing stand will be in
the center of tie Court of History. The
work OF decorating the Presidents stand
will be completed within twenty'four
hours and the inaugural committee is
rushing the sale of tickets for the grand
ball and various reviewing points.
The Senate today took the first step
toward ordering an investigation of
needed freight rate legislation during
The recess Of Congress. by referring to
the committee On contingent expenses
an appropriate resolution reported by
the committee on interstate commerce,
to the passing of which there is no OPP
position. The resolution provides that
the committee on interstate commerce, or
anyisub committee thereof, shall sit dur
ing the recess, at such times and places
as may suit its convenience, ''to consider
the question OF additional legislation to
regulate interstate commerce, and to au-
thorize the Interstate Commerce Com
mission to (ix rates offreights and fares,
and to acquire further information as to
interstate commerce. including violations
or evasions of the anti-rebate law and
the devices and methods by which such
evasions are accomplished, aud includ-
ing refrigerator and other private car
systems. industrial railway tracks,
switching charges and the like" A lall
report of its proceedings must be SUBJ
mitted within ten days after the meet
ing of the next Congress.
The conferees on the Panama canal
government bill had another meeting
this morning. The House members still
insist upon their provision sbolisbing
the present canal commission, while the
Senate representatives are arguing against
the necessity of putting spe'ihc prop
osition to that effect in the bill.
This point is the only one upon which
there is a difference of opinion between
the two houses. 1T will probably be
decided the way the House wants it,
although a compromise has been sug-
gested providing for the reduction of the
number of the commissioners TO three.
The Secretary of the Navy announced
TO-DAY that Rear Admiral james h..
sands has been designated for appoint
ment to succeed Captain w. H. Brown
son as superintendent of the Naval
Academy at Annapolis. He will assume
his new duties in June or July. Rear
Admiral Francis W. Dickips will sue.
coed Rear Admiral Sands in command OF
the Atlantic coast squadron.
The State Department was informed
by cable this morning from Minister
Russell, at Bogota, that the government
of Colombia had appointed Senior Don
Diego Mendoza minister to.the United
States He will arrive about the middle
of March, and will be the first minister
Colombia has had here for three years,
Concha being the last.
The subject of emergency contracts
made by the Panama Canal Commission
was discussed at the Cabinet meeting
today. Secretary Taft, who has been
conducting the inquiry into the alleged
irregular methods of the commission,
brought to the meeting a number OF
documents bearing on the subject Gal
though Admiral Walker may have over
stepped the limits of his authority just
trife in giving out the awards without
advertising for bids, l am of the opinion
LAT an emergency existed and the Gov
eminent was the gamer by the transac-
ton" said Secretary Taft after the meet
ing. 'sThe supplies he purchased were
very urgently needed in the construction
of the hospital and other buildings.
Ambassador Mccormick officially in
formed the State Department from st.
Petersburg today that the Russian gov
ernment had degraded the officers of the
Russian auxiliary cruiser Lena who had
broken their paroles, and ordered them
to return to San Francisco.
II is reported that Oscar j. Ricketts,,
now foreman of the printing at the Gov
eminent Printing Office, will be ap-
pointed Public Printer when the term of
the incumbent, F. w. Palmer, expires
on March 4.
The Senate judiciary committee today
made report, written by Senator Speoner
and approved by the democrats Of th
committee, declaring that there is no such
thing as constructive recess" 1t is
considered a rebuke to the President.
The question arose in 1908, when the
extra session merged into the regular
session on December z. The recess APP
pointmeDts of General Leonard Wood,
Collector of Customs Crum, of Charleston,
5. c., and others, bad not been confirm
ed by the special session, and in order
that they might not fail. the President
held that there was constructive recess
between the two sessions and issued
other recess commissions 10 the officers
in question, thus continuing them in
their advanced grades and salaries.
Referring the word recess" the commit
tees report says at was evidently inteTd-
ed by the trainers Of the Constitution that 1t
should mean something imaginary, something
actual, not something fictitious. The cOnsti-
tutional provision that the commission of an
officer shall expire at the end Of the next ses-
,ion is self.executiRg, and when the session
expires the right to hold under the commits.
lion expires with it. If there be no appreci-
sble point Of time between the end OF one ses-
lion and the beginning Of another, the tenure !
inder the commission as absolutely termi- |
lates, as if months of recess supervened. !
There was a moment when the President |
,ould not, had he chosen. have sent nomina.
ions TO the Senate. There was no recess
within the letter or spirit of the Constitution,
md therefore there was no right to issue CON-
Missions and induct the officers commissioned