Evening Star Newspaper, March 4, 1895, Page 1

THE EVENING STAR ve was PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY AT THE STAR BUILDINGS, 101 Pennsylvania Avenue, Cor. 11th Street, by The Evening Star Newspaper Company, 8. H. KAUFFMANN Pres't. New York Office, 49 Potter Building. nes ee ‘The Evening Star is served to subseribers in the ¢ity by carriers, on their own account, at 10 cents week, or 44 its per month. jes at the [Sney Re oe ES mail—anyw! United States or Cansda—postage pi Per month, Saturday Quintuple Sheet Star, $1 per year, with foreign postage a . (Entered at the Post Ofice at Washington, D. C., “ESP All mall subscriptions roost be paid advance. mail subscript in Fates of ‘Mvertising made nown oa application. —Ghe Eveni No. 13,103. + ng Star. WASHINGTON, D.O, MONDAY, MAROH! 4, 1895-TWELVE PAGES. TWO OENTS. THE SILVER ISSUE|THE Monetary ConFEREES|H]}§ BUSY DAY The Extreme Advocates Have Al- ready Shaped It for 1896, FREE COINAGE MEN — VEHEMENT They Point the Lesson of Bland’s Defeat. NO COMPROMISE WANTED The silver issue for 1896, so far as the ex- treme advocates of the white metal are con- cerned, seems already to have taken shape. There is no disposition whatever to await the developments of an international con- ference. The intention of that meeting is assumed in advance to be antagonistic to free coinage. The purpose, as the free coinage men believe, so far as England and Europe can control it, is to draft another compromise for use in the next national campaign in this country, and prevent, if possible, the straight presentation of the silver question to the people. The free coinage men, therefore, feel themselves prepared to go to work at once with their program. They will proceed upon the scriptural proposition that those who are not for them are against them, and they will separate the sheep from the goats in @ way that will leave no doubt as to the character of the two flocks. On the one side will be the men putting silver above everything else and insisting absolutely upon free coinage, whether forelgn powers consent or not, and on the other side will be the gold monometallists and those friends of silver willing to accept the com- promise which may have been indicated by the deliberations of the conference. Free Coinage Men Active. The free coinage men are already urging their cause with vehemence. They go over the particulars of the long campaign from 1878 to the present time, and argue that every disaster sustained by silver in the several battles fought is to be traced dis- tinctly to the divisions existing in the silver camp. Free coinage, they assert, might have won but for the temporizing of some of its champions at critical times. The cause, as they claim, has never been properly handled. It is worthy of the highest and greatest effort, and only such an effort made in ig behalf can win the fight. The time has"come for that effort, the free coinage men believe. The day for compromises is past. Another compromise, even though arranged with outside assist- ance, means another defeat, and another long period, with but scant provisions in the wilderness. The free coinage men are tired of the wilderness, and are gaunt from short rations, and they want a change. Another point they are urging is that these repeated compromises and defeats are denud:ng the silver party of its tall timber in office. The case of Mr. Bland, though far from standing alone, is yet the Most conspicuous in evidence. The Mis- souri Congressman has come to national Proportions in the cause. He has stood among the leaders in the House for fifteen years, always consistent and always ag- gressive. He has never himself been a compromiser, but has always insisted that free and unlimited coinage was the only Satisfactory solution to be offered of the silver question. But he has never been able to prevent compromises, and so at last he has received his official death notice along with the compromisers them- selves. His defeat for re-election is reckoned a serious loss to silver in Congress. His in- formation on the subject is wide, and his parliamentary experience extended. The free coinage men put Mr. Bland up as an awful example. The people, they declare, have thus, as in other cases, declared for a different and far more vigorous policy. The old line of warfare must be abandon- ed. As strong men as Mr. Bland, even, have shown themselves to be helpless with such tactics. The new leaders must raise the standard of no compromise, and fight it out on that line if it takes several sum- mers. But the free coinage men believe that one summer will be suflicient, and that the next national campaign, if the friends of silver can all be brought together, will chronicle the success of the silver move- ment. The new men coming in, and the old members remaining, are warned of Mr. Bland’s fate, and asked to note well what it signifies, and to put aside all tempta- tions to forego any advantage that silver may possess in the approaching struggle. Speculation as to the Conference. While they declare themselves as resolved not to be influenced by the results of an international conference, the free coinage men are full of speculation as to what the meeting may be expected to bring forth. We start with the proposition that the aim will be to formulate an interna- tional compromise. Free coinage, if possi- ble, is to be prevented. This was the ‘“ preposition that confronted the gold party. |" in this country in the spring of 1890, and the Sherman act was the result. But that was treated merely from a local stand- point. The gold men assumed that the silver men only desired that the silver out- put of American mines should be con- sidered, and they brought forward the Sherman act providing for the purchase of a stated amount of silver bulilon per month. But the question cannot be con- sidered in this form by an international conference. It cannot be assumed or as- serted there that the American silver mine owners are the only people in interest in the agitation of the silver question, nor ean any scheme be assured of considera- tion having for its object only the taking care of silver bullion. But, of course, whatever the compromise reached may be must apply to the United States as’ to the other countries participating in the con- ference, and inasmuch as the national cam- paign will be at hand, it will probably re- ceive its first popular test here. What will be its terms? What will the American sil- ver mine owner, though not especially con- sidered in the preparation of the compro- mise, find in it to his advantage? What - will the gold men of England find in it to their advantage? How much silver will they consent to take at the hands of an international conference after so stubborn- ly resisting for so many years the taking ot any silter at all when pressed to do so by the friends of silver in the United States? And how long, even if such a com- promise should be ratified everywhere, would it remain in operation? The Sherman act lived only about three years, and during half of that time was the.subject of severe censure by both sides. ‘The gold men were the first to repudiate it, and the silver men soon followed suit, Great things were promised in case of its repeal. Repeal was accomplished, but the greit things have not come to pass. The financial situation, indeed, was never so aplicated, or distress so great, as now. uld an international compromise meet a similar fate and produce a similar result? No Compromise to Be Urged. These are the questions the free coinage men are asking as the shutters go up on the Jast day of the Fifty-third Congress, and they fairly outline the appeal they will make to the people in the state campaigns this fall and elsewhere on the subject of the duty of the hour. ‘The friends of silver will be called out of both of the old camps, and urged to take a stand for the white metal which will admit of no compromise, and which must put the question to such a test as will give to the campaign of next year the most profound and far-reaching importance and significance. —— Those Who Have Been Selected From the Senate and*the House. Mr. Hitt the Only One of the Six Not a Free Silver Man. Speaker Crisp has selected Messrs. Cul- berson (democrat) and Hitt (republican) to complete the list of monetary conferees. The conferees now are: Jones, Daniel and Teller on the part of the Senate, Crisp,who was selected by the House, and Culberson and Hitt on the part of the House. Mr. Hitt Is the only one of the six wko is not a free silver man. Culberson is not as radical as the rest, but still is a pronounc- ed advocate of silver. There has been more interest taken in this selection for the monetary conference than most anything else that has occupied the attention at the closing hours of Congress. To Circumvent the President. The amendment authorizing the selection of conferees in this manner was proposed by Mr. Wolcott, and its avowed purpose was to secure the appointment of a ma- jority of silver men among the conferees to the monetary confcrence. It was as- sumed that if the matter were left to the President to appoint the conferees under the law existing before this amendment was adopted, he would select a majority of sound money men, and it was to circum- vent this that the amendment was offered. It is known that the method of the selec- tion is not satisfactory to Mr. Cleveland, but he will probably have to make the best of it, and the three men whom it falls to bim to appoint will undoubtedly be the strongest sound money men he can find. Centest for Places. ‘There was a very earnest contest on both sides of the House for places on this conference. The principal rivals on the republican side were Hitt and Hepburn. Hépburn is a ff€e silver man, though not a violent extremist, and Hitt is.a gold man. A majority of. the republicans favored Hep- burn, as it seemed at first, and he was se- lected, but afterward a change was made end Mr. Hitt was given the place. It is believed that the reason for this change was that the Speaker wanted the privilege of appointing a free silver man from the democratic side, and if he appointed Hep- burn also the selections would have been subject to criticism on account of there being none but free silver men appointed. The democrats preferred that if there should be a gold man on the conference he should be a republican. o— THE APPROPRIATION BILLS. A Resolution to Divide Their Con- rideration in the Senate. At 4 o'clock this morning Senator DuBois introduced the following resolution in the Senate, and asked for its immediate con- sideration: “Resolved, That paragraph one of rule 16 of the standing rules of the Senate, be amended by Striking out the words, ‘all general appropriation bills shall be referred to the committee on appropriations, ex- cept bills making appropriations for rivers and harbors, which shall be referred to the committee on commerce,’” and inserting the following: The general appropriation bills shall be referred to committees as follows: ‘To the committee on appropriations: The bills for legislative, executive and judicial expenses, for sundry civil expenses and for all deficiencies. To the committee on agriculture: The bill for the Agricultural Department. To the committee on foreign relations: The consular ard diplomatic bill. To the committee on military affairs: The bill for the military establishment, includ- ing the Military Academy. To the naval committee: The bill for the naval establishment. To the committee on post offices and post roads: The post oilice appropriation bill. To the committee on Indian affairs: The bill for Indians and Indian tribes. To the committee on commerce: The bill for rivers and harbors. To the coramittee on coast defenses: The fortifications bill. To the committee on the District of Co- Iumbia: The bill making appropriations for the District, and To the committee on pensions: The bill raaking appropriations for pensions. He could oply secure consideration at the time by unanimous consent, and as Senator Aldrich objected, the resolution fails for this Congress. Its introduction created considerable interest, however, especially as the Senator from Idaho gave notice that he would renew the resolution on the first day of the Fifiy-fourth Congress, and press its consideration early and late, and also because of the fact that there are known to be a number of Senators in sympAthy with the movement to distribute the ap- prcepriation bills among the various com- mitiees of the Senate, as they are dis- tributed in'the House. There has for some time existed a latent feeling in the Senate that the appropria- tions committee had too great control of the affairs of the Senate. % —_——_—__+-e-__ MR. REED DID NOT VOTE. How the Resolution of Thunks to the Spenker Was Passed. Some astonishment was caused in the House when at twenty-five minutes of 11, nearly all the members of both parties be- ing in their seats, the usual compliment of a resolution from the minority was offered ky Mr. Cannon instead of Mr. Reed. It is understood that the reason Mr. Cannon offered the resolution, which was courteous, graceful and complimentary,.was that Mr. Reed was not in favor of it, and declined to act as spokesman for his party on this oc- casion. Mr. Reed was not in his seat when the resolution was read, but came in im- mediately afterward. The resolution was adopted by a rising vote. Mr. Reed and two or three others kept their seats, but, except these, not more than four in all, the whcle house voted for the resolution, and the republicans applauded the Speaker with | great generosity and magnanimity. The courtesy and generosity of this action on the part of the minority was particularly marked since it is remembered that when Mr. Reed retired from the speakership of the Fifty-second Congress the democratic minority failed to offer a resolution of thanks to him. Messrs. Dalzell and Payne were the only ones who followed Mr. Recd’s example. —_____ e+______ THANKED BY CHILDREN. Senator Gorman Pleasantly Surprised in the Marble Room. Senator Gorman was given a pleasant surprise this morning. At an early hour he was called out from the Senate cham- ber to the marble room, where a great throng of school children, over half a hun- dred in number, waited him. They were the children of the Brightwood school, and they had driven in gaily this morning on two tally-ho coaches, for the express pur- pose of thanking Senator Gorman for per- mitting the appropriation for a new build- ing at Brightwood to he enacted into law. ‘They were headed by their principal, Mr. Keene, who, on their behalf, presented Mr. Gorman with a handsome testimonial, sign- ed by all the school children of Bright- wood, accompanied by a beautiful bouquet of roses. Mr. Gorman thanked the children for their kindness and appreciation and told them he would have been glad to provide for twice as many schools if there. had been money enough in the treasury. The President and His Cabinet at| tne relies the White House. BILLS FROM THE CAPITOL APERO Anxious Congressmen Fail to Get, an Audience. MANY MEASURES FAILED President Cleveland and his cabinet have had a busy time of it ever since Saturday acting upon the many important measures that passed the Congress in its closing hours. In accordance with his rule, fhe President insisted that everv bill and joint resolution, submitted to him should be carefully examined py the head of the department to which it belonged before he would act upon it. When the measure was general in its applicaiton and related to no particular department he examined it him- self. He also assisted in the detailed con- sideration of all the big general appro- priation bills, and apparently found nothing important in any of them to object to, for he approved them, one 2nd all. Work Done Yesterday. If Sunday was observed at the Capitol as the legislativo day of Saturday, eo it was also treated at the White House as the executive day of Saturday. The President and all the members of his cabinet were at work there nearly all day Sunday from early morr until nearly 12 o'clock last night. A. mass of bills was disposed of, the great majority receiving the executive approval. Although not, in fact, approved until March 3, they were all indorsed with the words, Approved March 2, 1895. Grover Cleveland.” Owing to the expedition with which Con- gress disposed of the large appropriation bills several hours prior tv adjournmen: the President was put to no special inconven- fence in their-consideration. He had them all in good time and was enabled to sign them conscientiously in good season. As a matter of fact, they were considered in turn immediately on their receipt from the Capitol and were all signed and out of the way about 10 o'clock this morning. ‘They were all in hand earlier than is usual at a short session of Congress, and there was no special occasion for the Presi- dent to spend the expiring legislative hours at the Capitol, even if he had been willing to break his rule to that extent. This Morning’s Task. Although he has had to work much harder during the past two days he has not had to extend his time of labor much beyond the ordinary limit. He was at his desk late Saturday and Sunday nights, but on neither occasion did he find it neces- sary to remain up later than 12 o’clock. All the madioges of his cabinet joined him in his private office about 9 o'clock this morning and remaimed with him stead- ily at work until the presidential clock chimed out the hour of 12 o'clock. At that time the President had signed all the bills that met his approval, and his desk was piled high with those he did not look upcn with immediate favor. In accordance with his practice, he declined to act on any bill after the hour of noou, regardless of the opinion of the Court cf Claims that he has ten full days to act favorably upon any measure wheiher Congress is in ses- sion or not. His rule is that all bills which have not been approved by or before the time of the legal expiration of Congress can become laws only by their re-enact- ment and subsequent approval. Unsigned bills which fail in this way are described as “pocketed bills,” and ar2 ia the same cate- gory as vetoed bills. Anxious Visitors. Congressmen and others interested in the fate of special measures were the principal visitors at the White House this morning. They were unable to see the President, however, and had to be content to get their information as to the disposition of the bills from Mr. Pruden. Private Secretary Thurber was too busy to receive callers this morning, unless their business was most urgent. About 11 o’clock the joint congressional committee, consisting of Senators Voorhees and Sherman and Representatives Outh- waite, Reed and Catchings, had a brief in- terview with the President, and were in- formed by him that he had no further com- munications to make to Congress. Capitol Employes Get No Extra Pay. A few minutes after 12 o'clock a messen- ger arrived hastily from the Capitol with a bill for the President's action. It was the bill providing an extra month’s pay for the employes of the Capitol. The messenger offered the bili to Mr. Thurber with a brief statement of its nature. Mr. Thurber re- fused to take it, however, dismissing the messenger with the laconic but fateful re- mark, “It’s too late.” And the bill went back to the Capitol, where, it is safe to assume, it was most unfavorably received. Secretary Carlisle was the first member of the cabinet to leave the conference. He went away about 12:30 o’clock, and the other members were not far behind him, Measures Approve Among the measures approved by the President yesterday and this morning were the following: The District of Columbia ap- propriation bill; the legislative, executive and judicial appropriation bill; the agricul- tural appropriation bill; the fortifications appropriation bill; the general pension ap- propriation bill; acts for a bridge over the ‘Tennessee river near Sheffield, Ala., for a railroad bridge over the Monongahela river, for a bridge over the St. Louis river be- tween Wisconsin and Minnesota, for a bridge across the Monongahela river for the Pittsburg and Monongahela railroad, for a bridge across the Illinois river; to in- corporate the Capital Railway Company; to authorize the Washington and Marlboro’ Electric Railroad Company of Maryland to extend its line into the District of Colum- bia; the act amending the act to incorpor- ate the Washington ahd Maryland Railway Company; the act to amend the act to in- corporate the American University; for the appointment of a sealer and an assistant sealer of weights and measures in the Dis- trict of Columbia; the act for the restora- tion to the public domain of lands in Ala- bama and Mississippi not needed for naval purposes; to amend the act for the relief of certain volunteers and soldiers of the late war and the war with Mex- ico; to amend the act to regulate Hens of judgment and decrees of United States courts, approved August 1, 1 to amend the act in regard to the pul building at Chicago, Ill.; for the relief of Marion C. Gurney, Ida C. Martin, Maria T. Karge, Martha Curtis Carter, widow of Admiral Carter, and Mary Tassin; the act for the relief of Washington and Lee Col- lege; to authorize the Secretary of War to give condemned cannon to G. A. R. com- mittee at Louisville; to extend the time for taking testimony in regard to the af- fairs of Monongahela Navigation Co.; to continue the present officers of the courts .in the Indian territory until the judiciary is reorganized; to grant permission for erection of statue of Prof. Samuel D. Gross in the city of Washington; to authorize Lieut. F. D. Rockenbaeh, second cavalry, to accept position at Virginia Military Academy; for the relief of Josephine I. Fairfax; ‘to establish harbor regulations for the District of Columbia; granting a pension to Gen. Harrison C. Hobart; to amend the laws of 1892 in regard to de- ductions from the gross tonnage of United States vessels; granting pension to Mary A. L. Eastman; for the remeval sf snow and ice from the sidewalks and gutters in the cities of Washi mm and, \Georgetown, D. C.; to provide for printing-of digest of decisions in regard to compensation of of-. ficials of the United States government; for of Alice K. Potter, Fred Kor- laj. Gen. John A. McClernand: to grant a township of land, in Mississippi for use of institute and cdllege for girls; the act in regard to proofs in land cases, in territories; to amend the act to authorize the Kansas City, Pittsburg'and Gulf Rail- road Company to construct'a road through the Indian territory; for the relief of John and Sarah Griffin; for the relief of Bethel Church, Bethel, Tenn.; for the relief of Wm. Albin of Indiana infantry; to regu- late the sale of milk in the District of Co- lumbia; for the relief of Ellen Corney, Bridget Divine, Salona Mangold, Jos. R. Brooks, John B. Leach, Jane Webster, David H. Sexton, Albert Munson, Susanna { Kepford, Jos. Snyder, Mary E. Hamilton, Maj. Gen. Julius H. Stahel, James Jones, Alex. M. Laughlin, Thorward Olsan, Hosea Grown, Charity A. Smith, Alex. Williamson, Jesse Cc. Pinney, Mary Button, Jas. §, Duckett, Angus W. Wilson, Thos. M.: Chill, Eugenia R. Sweney, Chas. F. Holly; the jomt reso- lution for the settlement of the di- direct tax of the state of West Virginia; the joint resolution to extend time in which members of Fifty-third Congress may dis- tritute documents; joint resolution caliing on President to take action to. consummats the agreements between Spain and the United States for the relief of Antonio M. Mora; joint resolution authorizing the Sec- retary of War to correct the. military rec- ord of Capt. Edward Wheeler, fifty-sixth New York volunteers; for the relief of James Curran; the act providing that all persons employing female help in stores, shops, manufactories, &c., in the District of Columbia shall provide seats for the same when not actively employed; the act providing for the reimbursement of officers and seamen for property lost or destroyed in the naval service of the Unitéd States; the act providing for the payment of ac- crued pensions in certain cases; the act providing for the salaries of the judges and other officers of the United States ecurt in the Indian territory; the act for the suppression of lottery: traffic through national and interstate commerce and tho postal service; the act amending section 4965, R. S., relating to copyrights; the naval appropriation bill; the sundry civil appropriation bill; the general deficiency appropriation; the Indian appropriation bill; the diplomatic and consular appro- omens bill, and the army appropriation Bills That Failed. The following is a list of bills:that failed to receive executive approval: The act to amend the act in regard to the times and places of holding United States courts in the state of Washington; for, a. bridge across the Emory and Clinch rivers; the act’ for a bridge across the Sulphur river in Arkansas; the act to amend the charter of the District of Columbia: Suburban Rail- way Company; the act for improving the outer harbor of Brunswick, Ga.; the act for a bridge across the Obion river in Tennessee; for the relief of telegraph oper- ators during the war of the rebellion; for the relief of certain settlers who have en- tered lands under the timber and stone act; granting the Gainesville, McAllister and St. Louis Railroad Company right of way through the Indian territery; the act granting to the state of Kansas the aban- doned Fort Hays military reservation; the act amending the act in regard to:certain lands heretofore granted in aid of the aon- struction of railroads; the at in aid of the Baitimore Centennial Associatjon; the act to amend the charter of the Brightwood Railway’ Company of the District of Co- Tumbia; the act to protect the insignia of the Red Cross; the act for the auditing of certain quartermaster vouchers alleged to belong to Jno. Finn of St. Louis, Mo.; the acts for the relief of Orin R. McDaniel, Margaret Kennedy, John H. Willis, Pasi Moreland, Mary i. Wyse, Kate Hberle, J. M. Billings, Mary J. Lynn, John W. Ken- nedy, Chas. Beal, Nancy G. Allabach, Far- zella C. Hudson, Louisa C. Conwell, James Stewart, Annie M. Greene Catherine Caine, heirs of Catherine P. Culver, Chas. E. Jones, Henry C. Scaman, Silas P. Keller, Lieut. G. L. Johnson, M. T. Lewis, Jos. P. McGee, Robert B. Tubbs, A. C. Wancop, Wear Crawford, Simon Rice, Wilson Kale, Edward Chastain, Sam’l Burrell, Elizabeth New, French W. Thornbill, Isaac D. Toll, Elizabeth M. English, Michael Ryan,Thom- as Corigan, John C. Dull, Thomas B. Reed, Elisha B. Bassett and Wm. J. Murray. —__-e—___ FAILED OF CONFIRMATION. Some Appointments That Did Not Go Through—The Patent Efaminers. Comparatively few presidential, nomina- tions were allowed to fail this session for want of action by the Senate. The list of failures includes twenty-five or thirty post- masters, and the following: 4 W. L. Marbury, to be United States dis- trict attorney for the district of Mary- land; David G. Browne, to be collector of customs for the district of Montana and Idaho; A. B. Stearns, to be appraiser of merchandise at Boston; J. H. Herod, to be first secretary of legation to Japan; Ar- thur P. Greeley of Concord, N. H., and John H. Brickenstein of Lititz, Pa., now principal examiners in the patent office, to be examiners in chief. Among the nominations for postmasters which fa..vd of confirmation was that of F. 'W. Joplin, at Elizabethtown, Ky., who Was ap vinted to succeed Emily T. Helm, a relative of the late President Lincoln. Ten or a dozen of the postmastership [nominations in the state of New York, some of which were made on the first day of the session, were held back on the re- quest of Senator Hill until the last execu- tive session last night, when he withdrew his request and allowed them to be favor- ably acted upon. The same: course was pursued by him with reference’ to Dr. J. H. Senner, to be commissioner of immigra- tion at New York, and he also was con- firmed at the last moment, thus entirely clearing up the New York list. Postmasters—John Beard, Danville, Il.; Susan G. Stephenson, Togus, Me.; Dantel E. Keane, Cumberland, Md.; Clinton C. Tobey, Sauk Center, Minn.; I. K. Deckard, Middletown, Pa.; Robert Kennedy, Pleas- anton, Kan.; Thomas P. Andrews, White W. Watts, Randolph, M. M. Huch, Schuyler, Neb.; Luther Clarke, Eureka, ; James H. Mann, Fitchburg, Mass.; Chas. F, Blodgett, Stoneham, Mass.; Alfred D. Hoitt, Arling- ton, Mass.; Willis E. Dowell, Missoula, Mont. Rejections of the executive session were as follows: W. M. Campbell, United States marshal of district of Minnesota; Augustus Healey, collector of internal revenue, first district of New York; H. P. Kitfield, col- lector of customs, district: of Gloucester, Mass., and the following postmasters, J. W. Woodward, Centerville, Md.; A. D. Tinsley, Sioux Falls, S. D.}:James Wolling, Victor, N. Y. —————__2-+_____—__ GONE TO PANAMA. The Alert Ordered to Proceed: There at Once, The cruiser Alert, at Sam: Jose dé Guate- mala, has been ordered to ‘proceed immedi- ately to Panama for the purpose -of pro- tecting the Panama ratlway and cther American interests, which are threatened by reason of the revolutionary movement in Colombia. Private advices are that the rebel forces have been successful in their attack on the city of Cucuila, after a severe engagement, in which over $¥j participants were killed. The action of #Mis govern- ment in sending a warship tp Panama is due to a belief that the spun in Colom- ‘bia tay extend to that sectio¥ of the isth- mus and affect the op2ration, of the rail- way. | ef Medals of Honor Awarded. The Secretary of War has awarded med- als of honor to Maj. John M. Deane, twen- ty-ninth Maine infantry, and Wm. H. Howe, company K, twenty-ninth Massa- chusetts volunteers, for distinguished gal- lantry in action at Fort Steadman, Va., March 25, 1865. Elizabeth L, Markham, |~ THE END AT LAST)P!STRICT LEGISLATION) A GREAT FRESHE The Fifty-Third Congress Has Passed Into History. SCENES IN BOTH HOUSES TODAY Confusion Both on the Floor and in the Galleries. ———_———_ THE FAREWELL SPEECHES a When the Senate ceased its work last night—it were more proper to say this morning, for it was nearly 4 a.m. when the recess was taken—it agreed to meet again at 9 o’clock. Up to a few minutes before that hour, however, there was nothing to indicate that there was evermore to be | such a thing as a session of the Senafe. The semi-circle of desks was bare and vacant, the floor was empty, save for a few sleepy-eyed page boys, manfully trying to make light of their late hours, and to assume an indifferent air of being used to it. The galleries held about a score of specta- tors who were determined to obtain good seats. There was an air of desolation over all, indicative of the change soon to come over the Capitol On every hand were yawns and heavy eyes. Mr. Mills the First to Appear. Mr. Mills was the first Senator to-break the monotony of the rows of empty seats in the Senate chamber. At ten minutes before 9 o'clock, the hour for convening, he emerged from the doors of the demo- cratic cloak room and, with a wonderfully fresh and well-rested appearance, moved down to his desk. But he did not remain. Extracting ea dun-colored volume from be- neath the lid Mr. Mills wandered back to the cloak room to read the words of wis- dom it doubtless contained in the security of the inner sanctum. Mr. Mills could well afford to be the first arrival, for he had had a good night's rest, having denied himself the pleasure of the company of the Senate since~6 o’clock las® evening. A Senate of Three. Promptly at 9 o’clock the Vice President entered the chamber, and in a voice that sounded like a discouraged fog horn, the result of his great vocal efforts for the past few days, called the Senate to order. There were then present to hear that solemn announcement just two of all the eighty-eilght Senators who composed the upper house, Senators Manderson and Pet- tigrew, the one about to retire from public life, the other re-elected for six more years, They had just arrived. When the gavel fell there was a pause, It was an embarrassing moment-for the Vice President to face that tremendous, tumultuous throng of two statesmen. He glanced appealingly toward the democratic side, but it was vacant. Not a break oc- curred in all that wilderness of mahogany. The Senate arose and moved as two men toward the Vice President's desk. Mr. Pettigrew, constituting one-half of the body, said he was tempted to ask unani- mous consent to take up and pass the free coinage bill, Mr. Manderson said he had a few pet measures he would like to get through. Just then Mr. Perkins entered and swelled the Senate to three. He made a few remarks about the great noise on the floor and the difficulty of the Senators to hear what was going on. Then the Vice President signed a couple of unimportant bills that squeezed through the mill yes- terday, and a moment later received a met from the House. Mr. Mitchell of Wisconsin, fresh as a daisy and as dapper as ever, took his seat. Mr. Harris strolled across the chamber on his way from his committee room to his seat, rubbing his eyes. A Recess of Fifteen Minutes. Mr. Manderson arose and made a speech to the Vice Presid2at an the other four Senators. He said there hardly seemed enough statesmansnip on hand for the transaction of business. “The majority side,” he added, “seemed to be most dis- mally in the minority.” “I'm here,” interrupted Mr. Mitchell from the vasty depths of the democratic side. “Nevertheless,” resumed Mr. Manderson, making his most courtly bow, “I most respectfully move that the Senate take a recess for fifteen miautes.” This motion was carried unanimously, amid scenes of great enthusiasm. Mr. Harris immediately went back to his com- mittee room, and when he reappeared he seemed very much refreshed. Meanwhile, the Senators were reaching the scene of action in microscopic swarms. Mr. Milis strolled back to the floor and continued his rapt perusal of the dun- colored volume. Mr. Pro>tor dropped in to swell the republican ranks, followed by Mr. Dubois. Mr. Gordon and Mr. Morrill entered about the same time. Then Sen- ators Camden and Hale appeared, and when the Senate resumed its session at the end of the quarter hour the Vice Presi- dent faced just an even dozen men. He announced his signature to the sundry civil bill, which was whisked away in the twin- kling of an eye. Seconds were precious, with the end of the session less than three hours away, and the President at the other end of the avenue determined to approach no nearer. The agility shown by Capt. Bassett during these periods of nerv- ous activity was remarkable. Chief Clerk Towles’ Activity. But the champion lightning change artist ef all the Congress was Chief Clerk Towles of the House, the medium of communt- cation between the two ends of the legis- lative branch of the government. It is his function to convey to the President of the Senate the startling news of the passage of bills by the House, or of the signing of measures by the Speaker. Ordinarily, after making these announcements, he loiters about for a few minutes to recover his equanimity, and then strolls leisurely to the House for a new grist of tidings. But this morning he was as sparing of his sec- onds as a miser of his pennies. After mak- ing the announcements, under the cha- peronage of Capt. Bassett, he did not wait to complete his usually profound bow, but ducked his head in token of his great reverence for the august assemblage of half a dozen or a dozen Senators, and then, ecmpletirng his obeisance on a half trot dcwn the aisle, raced around the reporters’ desks, dropped a word into the ear of the journal clerk, and then whisked himself off to the other side, ready to grab the precious packet of parchment the instant its signature by the Vice President had been announced .by the clerk. This process took on an average of thirty seconds from the time Capt. Bassett finished his an- nouncement of the messenger’s presence, and inside of forty-five seconds the bill would be on its way back to the House, all ready to be sent skimming up the avenue in a carriage, in charge of a trusted clerk. The Two Last Appropriation Bills. Mr. Cockrell, who, as chairman of the appropriations committee, had borne a large part of the burden of the forty-eight hours of continuous struggle on the ap- propriation bills, was among the late ar- rivals, having been forced by his associates to take a little rest. The work of the Sen- aters on the appropriation committee had been almost unremitting, day and night, for a full week, either on the floor or in conference, except on Thursday night. At 9:15 o’clock, when the Senate proceed- ings were resumed, the Vice President an- (Continued on Third Page.) Bills Made Into Laws by the Fifty-Third Congress. : Some Things the District Obtained and Some That Failed—No Muni- cipal Building Yet. ‘The District got about its usual share of legislation from the third session of the Fifty-third Congress, but, as usual, the calendars of both houses are still filled with measures of local interest, some of them of a trifling nature, others of im- portance. Congress had excellent oppor- tunities to pass a bill providing for the erection ofa new municipal building for the city, but neglected this chance, and the District is today as badly off as ever in the matter for a home for its executive offices. The recently announced lease of another private building 1s an instance in point. Among the other bills that failed to become laws through the lack of con- current action on the part of the two houses was the measure intended to reduce the- price of gas to $1 a thousand feet. This bill, after having passed the House, and after a long and interesting discussion in the committee, excited numerous hear- ings on the subject. Last week it was finally reported to the Senate adversely, with three of the eleven members of the committee strongly protesting against this report. Most of the other bills that are now on the calendars are relics of former sessions of the expired Congress and include a great variety of topics, which have been fre- quently enumerated in The Star. They in- clude about twenty-seven measures of all kinds, some of them having been passed by one or the other of the houses, and others standing for the first time upon the calen- dar. . ‘The President has signed quite a number of local measures during the sessions, and has vetoed none. ‘In fact, he has approved all that have reached him, except some that were passed in the last hours of the ses- sion, which are elsewhere noted. Those that he signed earlier in the session are here named: Amending the act creating the Court of Appeals for the District; appro- priating $10,000 for the relief of the suffer- ing poor; abolishing Georgetown as a sep- arate title; amending the act of June 16, 1880, relating to claims against the District growing out of the operations of the old board of public works; appropriating $5,000 to clear the Potomac of ice; extending the jurisdiction of justices of the peace; amend- ing the charter of the Metropolitan railway by altering the southern and western ter- minals of that road; for the promotion of anatomical science and to prevent the desecration of graves im the District; to au- thorize the adoption of children in the Dis- trict to fill vacancies in the board of regents of the Smithsonian Institution; to permit the erection within the District of a@ bronze statue of Dr. Samuel Gross; to establish harbor regulations for the District of Columbia; to make regulations providing for the removal of snow and ice from side- walks and gutters. To this last named bill was added in the last hours of Congress a new section, which amends the law relating to the erection of fire escapes, and so forth, on femi-public structures. The. bill thus amended has, as has been stated, been signed by the President. Gther Bills. In addition to ‘these bills, which were approved before Sunday, the House and Senate have passed the following bills, which were presented to the President for his signature: Reorganizing the office of surveyor of the District; regulating the sale of milk in the District; bills amending the charters of the Maryland and Wash- ington, Rock Creek, District of Columbia, Suburban and Brightwood Railway Com- panies; the bill incorporating the Capitol Railway Company, and the bill authorizing the Washington and Marlboro’ Company to extend its line into the District. Among the bills that failed of passage was that incorporating the East Washing- ton Belt Line Company. In gll of these District railroad bills care was taken by the District committee to prevent the en- croachments of the overhead trolley. An attempt was made by the managers of the Eckington road to extend for one year the time for removing the overhead line on New York avenue, from 7th street to the Boundary, but this scheme was defeated, as was also a bill amending the charter of the Eckingion road by extending its line in the suburbs. Temporary provision was made in the sundry civil bill for an additional building for the government printing office on the site of the present stables. This building will be erected at once and will cost about $120,000. An attempt was made at the last moment by Gen. William Mahone of Vir- ginia to force the government to buy his square of ground at the corner of North Capitol and M streets as a site for the printing office, and an amendment to this effect was inserted by the Senate in the general deficiency bill. It was stricken out in conference and the proposition failed. The effort to cause the government to buy the property’on which the old Blaine house stood, on Lafayette square, also failed, and the erection of the theater projected for that lot will be proceeded with. A good many other propositions relating to the District were made during the last hours of the session, but none of importance suc- ceeded. Local Appropriations. ‘There has been a depreciable increase in the amcunt of the District appropriations this year over former years of late. The total amount of the budget as it became a law today, providing for the expenses of the District for the fiscal year ending June 380, 1896, is $5,916,533.00. ‘This more than any one year of the four just passed. The Dill passed in the first sesstorr of the Fifty-second Congress aggregated $5,317,- 973.27, and for the second session of that Congress $5,413,22391, making a total for the Fifty-second Congress of $10,731,197.18, The Dill passed in the first regular session of the Fifty-third Congress, known offi- cially as the second session, owing to the intervention of the extraordinary session for the repeal of the Sherman law, amount- ed to $5,545,678.57. This made a total for the Fifty-third Congress, just ended, of $11,462,211.57. Thus the Fifty-third Con- Gress exceeded the Fifty-second in its lo- cal appropriations by $731,014.39. ‘The average appropriation for the four years was $5,518,347.19. ‘Thus the bill that has just been approved carries a total ap- propriation $368,185.81 higher than the av- erage of the past four years. —e HAYWARD CASE CONTINUED. The Court Gives Attorney Nye and Juror Dyer More Time. _ MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., March 4.—County Attorney Frank Nye was ready to begin his presentation of the Hayward case to the jury today, but Judge Smith was not ready to have him. The judge declared that he was not willing to jeopardize the life or the health of Mr. Nye or Juror Dyer, and he believed it better to give both another day’s rest. Accordingly the case was continued until tomorrow. ——— Quick Raid of a stil. Special Dispatch to The Evening Star. KNOXVILLE, Tenn., March 4.—Collector Essary of the second Tennessee district has received a report of the quickest raid on an illicit distillery ever made in this state. On the 28th ultimo he was !nformed of the location of a “moonshine” sti in Cocke county. He telephoned W.F.Park,deputy col- lector at Danbridge, who went to the place and destroyed the outtit. The still was a new one, with a capacity of seventy-five gallons. Its ovens had never made a run. While Deputy Parks was returning home he was thrown from his buggy and seriously, though not necessarily fatally, injured. Rising of the Waters at Port De- posit, Md, FEARING ANOTHER BREAK IN THE GORGE Greatest Damage Since the 1875 Flood. RESIDENTS APPREHENSIVE Special Dispatch to The Evening Star. : PERRYVILLE, Md., March 4—The situa- tion at Port Deposit remains. unchanged this morning. The water which yesterday ficoded the town has receded somewhat at noon today. But Rock Run, the upper por- ticn of the town, is still under ten feet of - water. Huge ice floes still remain in the streets. The tracks of the Port Deposit and Colum- bia railroad from the depot to Rock Run’ are under water, and all traffic between the port and Columbia, Pa., is at a-stand- still. Ice is massed together along the track to the height of ,twenty feet. The trains are able to run from Perryville to the port, but no further. Ice running thick at Harrisburg and Clark's Ferry. The gorge at McCall's ferry still remains solid, and the gorge there backed up by a riverful of logs and tons of Water causes a feeling of apprehension, which has not been felt here before. The citizens are in a state of anxiety, and heurly expect another break in the gorge, which means another flood and the destruc- tion of much property. Boats of every de- scription are to be seen all along the streets and fences are tied to trees to prevent their going away. * The water at Rock Run is higher than for years before. Great damage is the result of yesterday’s flood. The huge ice floes crushed against the houses, and in some cases totally demolished them; others were knocked off their foundatioas, and fences, porches and outbuildings were carrivd away with ease by the rushing waters. All the residences on the south side of the street are submerged, and all furniture and movables have been taken from the first floors to places of safety. The school children were unable to get to the Tome Institute today, and conse- ey. no sessions were held. The gorge rom the Baltimore and Ohio bridge, near Perryville, above Port Deposit, remains in- tact, and as long as it holds and the water continues to come down the river the town is In great danger of being flooded. The oldest inhabitants say the flood yesterday was unequaled in the history of the town. No services were held in the churches last night, and little or no sleeping was done by the citizens of the flooded part vf town. Should another break occur in the gorge the town will witness another dis- aster which will eclipse the great flood of 1875, which was the worst in point of dam- age. The loss to the citizens y will amount to thousands of dollars. Railroad Bridge Carried Away. LANCASTER, Pa., March 4.—The gorge on the Susquehanna, at Turkey Hill, is re- perted to be forty or fifty feet high. At noon today the gorge at Safe Harbor shoved and carried away the railroad bridge of the Port Deposit road over the Conestoga creek and ten car loads of coal which had been run on it to weigh it down. The gorge at McCall’s Ferry is reported broken, but as the telegraph wires are dcwn the news lacks confirmation. 4 There is great alarm at Safe Harbor for fear the gorge at Turkey Hill will break and pile on top of ihe ice dammed at the mouth of the Conestoga, and thus flood the town. —__—_—_ UTAH’S CONSTITUTION. Convention Assembles at Salt Lake at Noon. SALT LAKE, Utah, March 4.—The sev- enth Utah constitutisaal convention was called to order by Delegate Crane at noon today in the new city and county building, — with 102 delegates present, fifty-seven of whom were republicans and forty-five dem- ocrats. - Prayer was offered by President Wocd- ‘ruff of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints. Secretary C. C. Rich- ards called the roll, and the oath was ad- ministered to the delegates hy Chief Jus-~ tice Merritt. A congratulatory .address was delivered by Gov. West. A temporary organization was then effected ny the election of the following officers: Chairman, James M. Kimball; secretary, Heber Mf. Wells; ser- seant-at-arms, J. F. Chidester. The con- vention then adjournsd until tomorrow and a caucus was immediately called for the selection of permanent ofticers. Apostle John Henry Smith of the third precinct, who has not yet received the certificate of election, is the choice of the republican members for permanent chair- man. The democratic members had a cuu- cus this morning, at which Moses Thatcher was complimented with a vote for chair- man of the convention. —_—>—_—_ THE PATENT OFFICE GAZETTE. A Repert Very Different From th One First Written, Senator Gorman this morning presented to the Senate the long-delayed report of the committee on printing on the results . of the investigation conducted by that committee into the circumstances con- nected with the award of the contract for printing the Patent Office Gazette to the National Lithcgraphing Company, in which it was alleged that Josiah Quincy, for- merly assistant secretary of state, was in- terested. ° The report was disappointingly brief and uninteresting. It merely recited the cir- cumstances that led to the investigation being ordered, and after a review of the law covering the method of awarding this centract, closed by saying that the com- mittee had caused the apparent evil to be ecrrected by the enactment of a new law. in the printing bill which passed during the past Congress. This report, signed by Mr. Gorman alone as chairman, is wholly different from that which has been lying for several days past in Mr. Gorman’s desk in the Senate. That report was signed by Senators Manderson and Gorman, and, as was stated in The Star Saturday, was-a severe arraignment of Mr. Quincy’s connection witit the com- pany and of his actions in regard to the contract, But it lacked ihe signature of Senator Ransom, the third member of the committee, who would not consent to its presentation in that shape. It was held back at his request until at the very last moment Mr. Gorman drew up the com- promise, which was presented today, and signing it himself, presented to the Senate. It is understood that Senator Manderson, who is not now a Senator, 1s quite indig- nant over the refusai of the committee to report, as he considered it, adequately on this case. Likewise it is said that Senator Ransom, who is now also an ex-Senator, is highly pleased with the character of the report. 2 Fell Dead While Gathering Shells. JACKSONVILLE, Fila., March 4.—A spe- cial to the Florida Citizen, says: E. D. Thomas of Centreville, Mich., who has been spending the winter in Florida with his wife, fell dead yesterday afternoon while picking up shells on the beach at Jupiter Inlet, where he had gone with his wife and a party of ladies and gentlemen in the yacht Lawrence.