Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1890 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

An agreement was reached Monday upon the silver bill by the oonferees of the two houses. The bill consists, in short, of three ’propositions: First, that 4,500,000 ounces of silver shall be purchased monthly; (second, that Hie certificates issued shall be. legal tender; third, that silver is recognized as money and not as merchandise by the government of the United States. These are the points that the silver men have been fighting for, and* their victory is complete/ The bill is just one step from fi-ee coinage, and, it is said, represents the very extreme limit to which the President is willing to go. It is also said he will approve the measure. 1 - The House Committee on Elections today disposed bf tvyo Mississippi contested ■election cases—Hill vs. Catchings, from the , Third District, and Kernaghan Vs. Hooker, from the Seventh District. The decision was in favor of the sitting Democratic members, Catchings and Hooker. The Florida case of Goodrich vs. Bullock was discussed at length, and the final decision was deferred until next week, although it was apparent that the majority is disposed to report in favor of the claims of Goodrich, the Republican contestant. Republican Senators held a long caucus, Thursday night, to consider a programme. A general debate developed the fact that a majority of the Senators favored the passage of the federal election bill at this session of Congress, and that a majority favored a change in the rules which would make this possible.

In February last Secretary,Rusk represented to tbe State Department that contagious animal diseases had been so effectually stamped out in this country as to warrant that department in urging upon the British authorities the perfect safety of removing their irksome and unjust restrictions imposed on the shipment of American live cattle and sheep to Great Britain. Secretary Rusk declared that the time had come when our diplomatic office in London should make an effort to secure this concession in behalf of one of our greatest industries. Negotiations were at once inaugurated by the State Department, resulting in the removal of the restrictions relative to sheep, contingent upon action by this government which would prevent the introduction of diseases of sheep into this country. The British government, however, persisted in its refusal to grant any concession regarding live cattle,alleging the continued presence of contagious pleuro pneumonia in the (United States, and that cattle affected with -this disease had been discovered in recen l shipments to Great Britain from thiscoun. try. Secretary Rusk met this allegation by a prompt denial, and the propesition that his department should be represented in Great Britain by veterinary inspectors charged with tko duty of inspecting all American cattle landed in that country. The Department of State adopted the Secretary’s suggestion, and has finally effected an arrangemont, through Minister Lin coin, for the appointment of the three inspectors for the purpose indicated. The Secretary has already taken steps to carry out this arrangement, and the inspectors have been appointed. One will be stationed at Liverpool, one at Lbndon and one at Glasgow. They will sail for Europe at once, accompanied by Dr. Salmon, Chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry, and also by a special agent. The Secretary said to-day that the restrictions of the British government upon the imports* tion of beef cattle from this country upon the groundless plea of continued existence of contagious cattle diseases in the United States were unjustifiable and had lasted long enough. He now proposes to prove to the satisfaction of the British authorities that no disease exists in this country to warrant these restrictions. If maintained in spite of this evidence, some other cause must be assigned for them. By an oversight the flag on the side of the Capitol at Washington was not run up to the mast head on the assembling of Congress on the 10th. It caused considerable comment, and General Wheeler, of Alabama, who at one time commanded the entire cavalry of the Confederacy, arose and called attention to the fact. The Speaker dryly replied: “The Chair is very glad to learn that the gentleman from Alabama now manifests an interest on tbe subject. The omission vVill be corrected. ’

An attempt was made to secure the influence of the President in support 6f“the federal election bill. Several Republican Senators who are' earnest in their desire to pass that measure before the adjournment of Congress called at the White House Thursday to discuss the subjec and endeavored to induce him to use his personal influence to secure the passage of the measure. The President is quoted as saying that he recognized the importance of some such )aw as that under considera tion. He is, however, reported to have positively declined to interfere in legisla tion, and to have said that the considera tion of the bill was a matter to be decided by the Republican caucus, and not by the executive. The applications for pensions under the new pension law are being received daily at the Pension Office. The volume is increasing from day to day. It is estimated that about 130,000 applications have already been received. Pension claimants are expressing them selves as being greatly pleased with the . new dependant pension law. The provi sions of the measure relating to applica> tions, together with the recent rules adopted at the Pension Office, make it easy for claimants to complete their cases and receive pensions without the employs ment of pension agents. Indeed, if any one new enters into a contract with a pen sion agent whereby he or she agrees to pay any sum whatsoever for procuring a pension under the new lawit will be on ac count of ignorance of the law or because he or she simply wishes to a gratuitous present to the agent, The House in framing this law made it a special point to

simplify the process by which application are made and testimony furnished that the claimant himself 6r herself cam deal directly with the Pension Office as success* fully as an agent or attorney, and the claimant can procure the pension as speedily as possible without any cost. And ■it should be added that Commissioner Raum has done everything hecan to lessen the expense of claimants and can get applications through at the earliest moment. The President on the 11th nominated Col. A. McD Cook to bo Brigadier-General. Washington will build a city ball. The President has approved tbe act for the admission of Wyoming as a State of the Union. Senator Voorhees introduced in the Sen* ate on the 10th a bill to reimburse the Mi* ami Indians of Indiana for 948,000 improperly withheld from them. Congressman Butterworth has been electee! "Secretary of the World’s" "Fair Commission. —i—~v,/ ■