Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 May 1890 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

The Senate has passed a bill appropriat ing $900,000 for a monument to General Grant. The Washington papers of the 20th suggest the probability that Hon. D. P. Baldwin, ex-Attorney-general of Indiana, will be an independent candidate for Congress from the Tenth district to succeed Hon. W. D. Owen. Judge Baldwin, who has long been prominent as & Republican, has recently attracted considerable attention as a tariff reformer. Your correspondent met Mr. Owen and inquired of him the truth of the report Mr. Owen said he knew little about the matter, further than what he had seen in the papers. Judge Baldwin had been quite active and effective in his work as a Republican, but whether his recent change of attitude on the tariff question would gain for him sufficient strength with the Democratic party to secure its indorsement, he would not predict. He ventured, however, to say that f Judge Baldwin should be put forward as an independent Republican, indorsed by the Democrats, and he (Mr. Owen) should be renominated, he would look forward to one of the most interesting fights that ever took place in the State. It would be distinctively a fight on the tariff question, both parties would stick close to the text and Rome would howl.

A Washington special says that at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday it was decided to reject the British proposition submitted weeks ago for a settlement of the Behring Sea question. • t " For the first time in the history of the House judiciary committee, a majority of the members Thursday agreed to a favor, able report on a joint resolution—introduced by Representative Baker (N. Y.)— providing for a constitutional amendment to grant the right of suffrage to women. Twice before a minority of the committee nasireported favorably on similar propo sitions, and one of these reports was drawn by the present speaker, Mr. Reed, but a majority could not be induced to take favorable action.

The Indiana delegates to the National Conference of Charities and Corrections aaid their respects to President and Mrs. Harrison at Washington on the 23d. They were given a special reception at- the White House and in reply to an address presented by Rev. O. C. McCulloch, spoke of the pleasure it gave him to meet ladies and gentlemen engaged in the good work of the voluntary benevolent organizations. The Government, he said, accomplishes its ahief good when it pursues a plan calculated to stimulate the voluntary efforts of its best citizens to repress crime by removing the cause. Senator Allison is of opinion that the duties fixed by the McKinley bill are in many cases higher than is necessary and as a member of the Senate Committee, he will advocate the reduction of duties on every article so far as is consistent with the proper protection.

The Senate Committee has agreed to have the tariff bill ready to report to the Senate within ten days. It is said a substitute will not be reported, but the McKinly bill will be amended which will throw it into conference between the two houses. The Senate members of the conference committee have agreed to accept all the provisions of the House pension bill provided the House conference will recede from that part of their bill whioh gives a pension to everybody over sixty years of age. As the bill now stands it grants a pension of $8 a month to all sold--iers of the late war who are disabled from any cause whatever, and are dependent upon their mental and manual labor for support. A similar provision has been inserted in the Dill for dependent parents, and a month to dependent minor chil dren.

Representative Wilson submitted to the House a report from the committee on Agriculture, defining and taxing compound lard. The committee reported against the proposed bill on the ground that it will either increase the price or restrict the sale of healthful food, thereby doing the farmers no good and the laboring man an injury.

The House committee on commerce has directed a favorable report to be made on the bill amending the inter-state com' merce law so as to permit the railroad companies to give a reduced rate to veterans attending the National Encampments, with an amendment extending the same privileges to veteran confederate soldiers. The House Committee act d upen three pending eleotiou cases, and the result will probably be an increase of the Republican majority in the House by two members. The cases decided were these of Langston vs. Venable, Fourth Virginia 1 District; Miller vs. Elliott, Seventh South Carolina District, and Chalmers vs Morgan, Second Mississippi District. In the first two cases the committee will report in favor of the Republican contestants, Langston and Miller, but in the Mississippi case the report will be in favor of the sitting member, Morgan.

The heaviest rain and electric storm' known in years passed over a large sec* tVon of Western Pennsylvania on the night of the 38d Houses were blown down, trees uprooted, and hailstones as large as walnuts poured down In sheets Lightning also struck several buildings and others were submerged while streets' were converted into rivers in many of the towns. Several persons were killed by the electrical bolts and railway traffic was seriously impemled by washouts and tfce carrying away of bridges. Nortbera Indl ana was also visited by the storm and thousands of dollars of damage was done by the burning of buildings, by washouts and by despoilment of crops.

Chauncey Depew is a oousin in Ike third degree of both Senator Kvarts a nd Senator Hoar.