Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 96, Number 116, 15 December 1898 — Page 1

VOLTTME 96.—N0. 116.

THE ATLANTA PEACE JUBILEE.

A Memorable Day in the History of the Georgia City. Southerners Tender an Ovation to the Chief Executive of the Nation. Cheer to the Echo an Address Delivered by President McKinley Before a Joint Session of the Georgia Legislature, in Which He Paid a Glowing Tribute to Those Who Fell During the Civil War. ATLANTA (Ga.), Dec. 14.—President McKinley made memorable the first day of the Atlanta Peace Jubilee by a notable utterance in his speech before the joint session of the Georgia Legislature this afternoon. His reception by the General Assembly was warm and hearty in the extreme, and his speech was punctured with frequent outbursts of cheering. It is admitted on all sides that the address marked an epoch in history, and is to-night on every lio. L'pon his arrival at the Capitol he was greeted with a field artillery salute, and was at once escorted to Governor Candler's office. There was a short informal reception there. Upon its conclusion the President, followed by members of the Cabinet, was conducted to the Assembly Chamber, where he occupied the Speaker's chair, with Governor Candler on his right. When President Dodson of the Senate called the Legislature to order the galleries were thronged with State Senators and Assemblymen, while the uniforms of the various officers on the Governor's staff gave a touch of brilliant color to the gathering. In the first row facing the Speaker's chair sat Secretaries Gage, Long, Wilson and Postmaster General Smith and Secretary Porter. B-side the Speaker's desk (ienerals Wheeler, Lawton and Young, in full uniform, sat on chairs. The Speaker rapped for silence, and introduced the President to the audience, after congratulating the State of Georgia upon the presence of their distinguished guest. As the President rose the audience applauded. During the c ourse of his short speech Mr. McKinley referred often to his notes, and constantly paused for the cheers to stop. A scene of intense enthusiasm followed when, amid impressive silence, these words fell from the 'Ulos of the President: ' Every soldier's grave madA during the unfortunate civil war is a tribute to the &rae*4e*n valor. And wh'.l* n those graves were made, we differed widely about the future of the Government, those differences were long ago settled by- the arbitrament of arms— and the time has now come in the evolution of sentiment and feeling under the providence of God, when, in the spirit of fraternity, we should share with you in the care of the graves of the Confederate soldiery." A wild cheer went up from every throat in the typical audience, a cheer that echoed and re-echoed throughout the chamber, until it was taken up by the crowds outside. Old men who fought for the South rose from their seats and waved their hats. One Confederate veteran, now a venerable legislator, had pressed forward until he was loaning against the Speaker's desk, hanging on to each word the President utter- d. When the reference was made to the Confederate dead, this old man buried his head in his arms, and while the cheers rang out, cried like a little child. Of all the many conciliatory speeches which have been made since Grant said, "Let there be peace," nothing has more deeply stirred a Southern audience than the simple words of President McKinley this afternoon. No sooner than Mr. McKinley concluded before there were loud cries for Wheeler, and when that little man got up, his head scarcely higher than the Speaker's desk, the audience once more gave vent to wild enthusiasm. General Wheeler referred eulogistically to the efforts of the President toward preserving peace as long as the country's honor would permit such efforts, and of his masterful policy after war was inevitable. General Wheeler paid a tribute to Admiral Dewey, and added: "The army, in conjunction with the navy, was ordered to attack and destroy the Spanish forces at Santiago. In four weeks that order was obey 1 and its purposes accomplished. The proud Spanish nation stood suing for peace from the nation which a month before it had held up to ridicule and scorn." Calls for Brigadier General Young brought that officer to his feet with a short speech regarding the condition of the array camps in the South. He said that no troops in the world were better, more regularly fed and better treated than the troops in South Carolina and Georgia. General Lawton was loudly cheered, but refused to make a speech. He simply thanked, on behalf of his men at Santiago, the Legislature and people of Georgia for their tribute to himself. Secretary Alger refused to speak, and the Legislature dissolved. The President held a private reception In the Senate, and afterward a public reception on the steps of the rotunda. The hundreds of Southerners crushed end jostled each other in their anxiety to shake a Northern President's hand. Many had come from miles distant, and when, at 2:15 p. m.. the President left the Capitol, there were still hundreds bitterly disappointed because they had not been able to make the:* way through the throng to get a s< cend's hold of his hand. McKINLEY GIVEN AN OVATION. ATLANTA (Ga.). Dec. 14.—Without a Birgle hitch in arrangements, and after a trip pleasant in every way. the Presidential party arrived in Atlanta at 8 o'clock this morning over the Southern Railway. The morning was colder and more crisp than most of the party an-

THE RECORD-UNION.

SACRAMENTO, THURSDAY MORNIXG, DECEMBER 15, 1898.-EIGHT PAGES.

ticipated. Small groups of early-rising Georgians watched the train as it flew past the wayside stations. At Gainesville, where a short stop was made, about 200 persons were at the station and inspected the train with curiosity. From there on to Atlanta there came waving welcomes with an occasional cheer, but there was nothing in the na-' ture of a demonstration. At the Union Depot, in Atlanta, a large crowd was assembled and a rousing cheer went up as the train came to a standstill. General Joe Wheeler was the first to alight, a strong chorus of cheers greeted the distinguished Alabaman, who, accompanied by the members of the Reception Committee, made his way to a carriage. When the President appeared on the rear platform of his car a hearty cheer was given him. The welcome to the members of the Cabinet was very cordial The ladies of the Jubilee Committee extended a greeting to the ladies of the Presidential party, after which the President and those accompanying him were escorted to the Kimball House. The party included the following: The President and Mrs. McKinley, the Secretary of the Treasury and Mrs. Gage, the Secretary* of War and Mrs. Alger, the Secretary of the Navy and Miss Long, the Postmaster General and Mrs. Smith, the Secretary of Agriculture and Miss Wilson, Secretary to the President Porter and Mrs. Porter and Mr. Barnes, executive clerk: Major General Joseph Wheeler and Miss Anna Wheeler, Major General Henry W. Lawton and Mrs. Lawton. Captain Scherer, U. S. A.; Dr. P. A. Rixey, U. S. N. The President, who was early astir on the train, devoted the morning to resting. Mrs. McKinley also retired to re- | cuperate for the coming duties of the day. At 12 o'clock the gentlemen of the President's party partook of luncheon in the Chief Executive's apartments, while the ladies at the same hour were the guests of the ladies of the Jubilee Committee. A few minutes before 1 o'clock the President's party was assigned to carj riages and, escorted by fifty mounted | police and the members of Governor I Chandler's staff, started for the Capi- ) tel. Guns boomed forth the Presidential js-ilute as the Chief Executive ascended the steps of the Capitol, j The President was met by a committee composed of Colonel William G. Ober, acting Adjutant General, representing Governor Chandler; Senator Hand, Ire-presenting the Senate, and Representative Hardwick of the House, and conI ducted to the Governor's parlor. Here jhc was received by Governor Chandler j and the State house officials, after j which the General Assembly, in joint j session, received the President and parity and Governor. The President, as he entered the j House of Representatives, was given an i ovation. The members rose and applauded and cheered the nation's chi>-£ lustily. The well-filled galleries joined !in the welcome, and sent a chorus of cheers which all the hall resounded. William A. Dodson, President of the Senate, called tha joint session to order, land in a splendid speech introduced the President, and the President, as he came forward, was compelled to bow his acknowledgments. The President said: "It is an uncommon pleasure to be greeted by the people of the State of Georgia, and it affords me much gratification to be here and to rejoice with you over the signing of the treaty of peace with Spain. "Sectional feeling no longer holds back the love we bear each other. The Union jis once more the common atlas of our • love, our devotion and sacrifice. The old flag again waves over us in peace, I with new glories, which your sons and ours this year have added to its folds. What cause we have for rejoicing, saddened only by the fact that so many of our brave men fell on the field or sicki ened and died from the hardship md I exposure, and others, returning, bring I wounds and disease. The memory of ! the dead will be a precious legacy, and | the disabled the nation's care, j "A nation which cares for its disabled I soldiers as we have always done will in ver lack defenders. The national j cemeteries for those who fell in battle ' are proof that the dead as well as the j living have our love. What an army of silent sentinels, and with what loving care their graves are kept. Every golj dier's grave made during our unfortunate civil war is a tribute to American j valor, and while, when these graves ! were made, we differed widely about j the future of this Government, these j differences were long ago settled by the arbitrament of- arms, and the time j has now come in the evolution of senI timent and feeling under the provij dence of God when, in the spirit of fraternity, we should share with you in ' the care of the graves of the Confederi ate soldiers. • The cordial feeling now happily exJ isting between the North and South prompts this gracious act, and if it j needed further justification it is found in the gallantry to the Union and the ' flag so conspicuously shown in the year j just passed by the sons and grandsons of these heroic dead. "What a glorious future awaits us if. } unitedly, wisely and bravely, we face these new problems facing us." The President's reference to the Confederate dead was greeted with the wildest applause. General Wheeler followed the President, and was received with wild enthusiasm. Generals Lawton and Young spoke briefly, and received a warm welcome. The session then adjourned, and j those present were presented to the J President. The prettiest and most novel event of ' the day's festivities occurred during , the afternoon. It was a floral parada ! in which all the people of the city took , part, and the first of its kind ever given in the city. Carriages of every description were in line and all were decf orated. The ladies of the city vied with one another in their efforts to present their most beautiful carriage and at the same time bid for the prize i offered by the committee having the ! feature in charge. Decorations of every description were seen, from the hot house to the hardy plants which had no fear of cold. The parade proceeded through the business portion of the town. Passing l out the main street, which was tin. J Jon both sides with thousands of school j children, waving flags, it was a unique : feature. The President and his esj corts preceded the parade to the reI viewing stand, at the corner of Peach | street and Ponce de Leon avenue. As each carriage passed the stand the oc-

' (Continued on Seventh Page.)

PROCEEDINGS IN CONGRESS.

Nicaraguan Canal the Principal Topic of Debate in Senate.

Turpie*3 Motion to Postpone Action to Be Voted Upon To-Day.

The House, for the Second Time This Session, Refuses to Consider the Lodge Immigrativ n Bill—An Interesting Debate on the Rules Precipitated During Yesterday's Session.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.—The Nicaraguan Canal bill held its place as the principal subject before the Senate again to-day. The made by Messrs. Harris, Money, Stewart and Morgan. Money urged postponement of the question, in order to permit an opportunity for negotiations with Great Britain for a modification of the Clay-ton-Bulwer treaty and Morgan antagonized the proposition. An agreement was reached to take a vote on the Turpie postponement motion to-morrow. Other questions before the Senate were the Government's pension policy and the bill regarding the registry of ioreign-built vessels wrecked on the American coast. The Senate opened to-day with a protest upon the part of Gallinger, Chairman of the Committee on Pensions, of the practice of Senators of introducing pension bills in cases pending in the Pension Office. He said the committee would not consider such bills, and it was useless to present them. Vest again called attention to private pension bills, and entered a protest against their passage without due consideration as he said the Senate was falling into the habit of doing. He called attention to the fact that notwithstanding Illinois had furnished 05,000 more soldiers than Indiana, the pension roll of Indiana exceeded that of Illinois by $1,500,000. He accounted for this fact on the ground that Indiana is a pivotal State politically, saying that it was notorious that the Commissioner of Pensions, who was an ex-Union "oldler, had granted pensions to almost every applicant in political districts which were close. The Nicaragua Canal bill was taken up. the pending question being Turpie's motion to postpone until January Ist. Harris of Kansas then spoke on the general features of the bill. He said that as a boy he was attached to a surveying party in the isthmus in and ever since that time he had been the zealous advocate of the general proposition thdt a canal should be built across the isthmus. Still, he did not consider it practicable for a private corporation to construct the canal, and he urged Government ownership, but the Maritime Canal Company's charter supplied the only open door, and the committee in charge of the bill had determined to enter it with the understanding that the company was to be gotten rid of. Harris said he considered the Panama Canal as entirely impracticable. He supported Berry's amendment, relieving the bill of its bond provisions, saying it would greatly improve the measure. Bacon gave notice of an amendment providing that work should not begin on the canal until the Government of Nicaragua should consent to a modification of the treaty granting title to the United States in perpetuity to the canal right of way. and also eliminating Articles 53 and 54 of the concession from that document. At 5:25 the Senate adjourned. HOUSE PROCEEDINGS. WASHINGTON. Dec. 14.—The House to-day, for the second time during this Congress, refused to consider the Lodge immigration bill. At the last session an attempt was made to take it from the Speaker's table, but it was defeated by a large majority. Danforth (Ohio), Chairman of the Immigration Committee, thought the bill would be stronger after the elections were over, but to-day, when he tried again to secure consideration, the House declined —100 to 103—to take it up. An interesting but brief debate on the rules was precipitated during the session by Grow of Pennsylvania, during which De Armond made a speech on the decadence of the privilege of debate in the House, and held Speaker Reed responsible for the fact that the House had had no opprtunity to adopt a new system of rules at this session. The Speaker replied with a sarcastic speech, in which he referred to the complaint of John Randolph in the early days of the century to show that the same remonstrances were made then that were being heard to-day. /The pension appropriation bill was reported to the House to-day, and Barney (R.) of Wisconsin gave notice that he would call it up to-morrow. The Senate bill to regulate the sitting of the United States courts within the District of South Carolina was passed. * •■>'■%£.% Danforth (R.) of Ohio then called up the Lodge immigration bill, which was passed by the Senate last session, and has been since on the Sneaker's desk. Bartholdt (R.) of Missouri raised the question of consideration against it, and Danford demanded the ayes ard nays, which were ordered. The House refused to consider the bill —100 to 103—and the opponents of the bill applauded lustily. The consideration of the bill to incorporate the International American Bank, which was a special order for to-day, was postponed until to-morrow. Some miscellaneous pension matters were disposed of, when Grow (R.) of Pennsylvania made a short historical address by unanimous consent upon the origin of the Committee of the Whole on State of the Union, in which there was no limitation upon th? latitude of debate. Grow's remarks caused Robinson (D.) of Indiana to reproach the majority because no code of rules had been prepared for this Congress. He charged that Henderson (R.) of lowa had prom-

ised, when the old rules wt%e temporarily adopted at the first session, that a code of rules would be presented within thirty days. Henderson indignantly denied the charge. He pointed out that he had only expressed his opinion that a now code of rules would be presented within thirty days. "I urged it on the committee," said he, emphatically, "and I do not want this charge thrown into my teeth now because the committee of which i am a member did not agree with me. It is a cowardly thing to do." De Armond (D.) of Missouri got the floor and proceeded to contrast the condition of affairs in the House at present with the days of which Grow had spoken, when there was full opportunity for discussion. He declared that the Speaker held the balance of power on the Committee on Rules, and it was he who, in fact, had determined that it was better that no new code of rules should be presented and adopted by this House. He was exceedingly ironical in his reference to the decadence of the old-time privilege of full debate. It had become the fashion, he said, to bring in repressive rules to cut off debate upon every important question, and he asserted that the rules under which the House was now operating, and which could not have been adopted permanently had become permanent by the attitude of the Speaker. The Speaker, from the chair, replied to his criticism as follows: "The gentleman from Missouri has permitted himself to make statements in regard to the relations between the Speaker and the other members of tha Committee on Rules that I am happy to state are not justified by the facts. The House must not feel itself to have been treated to an unusual discourse upon the lack of liberty given to the citizen. It so happens in this world that there are many citizens. It so happens that in the House of Representatives there are many members, and while in theory every man can occupy all the time in discourse, in actual I practice he has to occupy it in subordination to the rights of every other member, to the rights of the body itself, and to the prosecution of public business. In actual practice, also, the House may have noticed that however much despotism is exercised by the rule, there is no subject in the heavens above or in the earth beneath that has not been discussed, even in the present ! Congress. (Laughter.) "Now, if the gentleman from Missouri will turn to the annate of Congress, away back in 1810, during the | period of liberty such as he thinks he I desires, he will find that John Ran- j dolph, who certainly was heard enough i to become famous for a century, was complaining about the despotism of thej rules of that period, and was also complaining that even the arch inquisitor himself would have been satisfied with the wickedness of them. So you see that human nature is the same in all time." (Laughter and applause on the ! Republican side.) The House then, at 2:05, adjourned.

NEW YORK GAS TANK DISASTER.

THE SCENE PRESENTS A SPECTACLE OF RUIN. it. ' %$i . Bodies of Four More Victims Recovered, One the Engineer of the Fuldner Factory. NEW YORK, Dec. 14.—When dawn lighted up the district devastated by the collapsing of the big gas tank of the Consolidated Gas, Company, a spectacle of ruin was presented. Twentyfirst street was barricaded by the bent iron stanchions, girders and timbers, piled high in one promiscuous mass. Building laborers succeeded in clearing Avenue A so that cars could pass. All night long hundreds of men worked to discover the bodies that ! might be in the ruins. Tn the base- \ ! ment of the furniture factory of Henry' I Fuldner there was six feet of water. Three men on a raft floated, searching for the body of the missing engineer, Pious Raum, who was in the basement attending to his duties when the deluge from the tanks swept away the rear of the building. His body was found among a mass of debris. The tank that collapsed was 175 feet |in diameter and 1(10 feet in hight, and the iron supports over which the immense cables ran were over 200 feet in hight. The lower tank into whic/n the upper one fitted, was twenty-five feet in hight, and rested on the brickworn of the pit. This pit is 150 feet deep. The builders were testing the strength of the tank with water press- I ure. Immense pipes had been pouring, water into the lower tank all day. The upper tank had risen about twentyfive feet. The workmen were preparing to leave the place, when the masonry of the pit crumbled away like clay. It was said that there were 8.000,000 gallons of water in the tank at the time of the break. The water was over 5(5 feet in depth. The steel plates of the tank were rent asunder by the pressure like so much paper. The great force of the water vented itself on the rear walls of the building on Avenue A, and all were torn away, with the exception of a part of the rear of the gas company's engine. The masonry and brick were thrown into the street and piled into the hallways of the houses and buildings on the Avenue A side. The rushing waters cut the rear of the Fuldner factory away and rushed into the building. The tremendous! iron beams and uprights were snapped i by the water as if they were so much timber and carried away down Twentieth and Twenty-first streets to the river front. At the foot of Twenty-first street were two barges laden with coal. The rushing water sent beams and joints with such force against these coalladen boats that they were parted from their moorings. The steamer Paul Kochawa was also lying at the foot of Twenty-first street, and her moorings were also parted. The arm and leg of* a man were found entangled in the barricade on Twenty-first street to-day. # Later in the day the bodies of Gustave Winke and George Brenner were found in the cellar of a building on Avenue A and Twenty-first street, where they had been carried by the rush of water from the tank.

A Chico Citizen's Narrow Escape.

SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 14.—Owen O'Neil, a recent arrival from Chico, was found asphyxiated in his room to-day. He was resuscitated without much difficulty. It was accidental. '

SUFFERING AMONG TROOPS AT MANILA.

Scores of Soldiers Said to Be Dying in the Hospitals, Just for Lack of Care and Want of Proper Nourishment. Startling Charges Made by a Red Cross Nurse Who Has Just Returned From. Manila as to the Treatment of United States Soldiers in the Philippines. HONOLULU, Dec. 7 (via San Francisco, Dec. 14).—The United States transport Scandia has arrived here from Manila, which place she left November 15th. She brings a number of officers, ninety-one discharged and furloughed men, and two Red Cross nurses. She brings the largest mail that ever left Manila, 213 sacks for San Francisco and one for Honolulu. The vessel will resume her voyage on or about the 10th inst. Miss Schaefer, a Red Cross nurse?, who went from Honolulu to Manila, arriving there September 2Gth, returned on the Scandia. She makes startling charges as to the way United States soldiers are taken care ot in Manila. Miss Schaefer made the following statement for publication: "Scores of soldier boys are dying in the hospitals at Manila, just for want of proper nourishment. They say the Government allows 60 cents a day for each patient. I could save dozens of lives on 5 cents a day. "Oh, the utter woe of the hospitals! the helplessness of them! Men as bright and noble as God ever made, giving up to death, hoping for it, seeking for it, taking poison—doing anything that will end the despair that comes upon them. Seeing nothing before them but days of pain and nights of wretchedness, without proper care, without proper food; alone, with no one to give them sympathy or cheer, or write to friends, to soothe aching brows or moisten parched lips, if by sheer endurance of nature or obstinacy they do get better, there is before them nothing but the still more cheerless period of convalescence, with the probability of relapse and the old weariness of despair to be suffered against. No wonder the deadhouse is never empty. "And outside the hospital, and even in it, such indifference. Petty consideration of rank and position, squabbles about precedence, lack of consideration in prescribing and preparing food, while men are dying, not merely of heart hunger, but for want of nourishment I have gone through the wards day after day, and as I spoke to this one and that, and they poured out their sorrows, men who do not wear their hearts on their sleeves cried for the pure agony of their loneliness and despair, made poignant and vivid by their own telling of it. "I got so I just could not go through the wards. What could I do? I saw the need of care, of proper nourishment, of the most ordinary hospital treatment, and was utterly helpless to do anything—just one cog in the great, remorseless grinding machine whose material was noble men and whose grist was death. "I do not mean that all in the hospitals are careless or indifferent. Many are trying to do their best. There i.:a lot of worthiness and unselfishness among the attendants at the hospitals. But there is so much inexperience, and so many clogs to those who would do much. To think of an attendant going through a ward with a pail of beef broth, ladling out to the fifty or sixty patients indiscriminately a tin cup full of it. In the whole pailful there was not enough nourishment for one, even if it were made of the best material. But what it really was made of I shut my eyes and refuse to imagine. "In a whole ward there is not more than one nurse with experience, and for helpers only one or two awkward boys who perhaps never saw a sick room before. Do their best, and what can they do? "Let no one speak slightingly of the womeri who have lately gone on to Manila as army nurses. Any woman who works as she will have to work if she goes into the tents at all will deserve the tear of the recording angel which will blot out all she may have had of transgression in the past, or all she may be guilty of in the future." Colonel George W. McFarlane returned by the Coptic, and brings word that the Comptroller of the Currency has guaranteed to Perry S. Heath. First Assistant Postmaster General, and his associates, that he will issue the charter for the new bank in which James Campbell and himself are interested, as soon as Congress extends the Territorial laws to Hawaii. That will probably be very soon. Meanwhile the Comptroller has agreed to receive money to be deposited to secure circulation, and to receive deposits of bonds for circulation and Government deposits, and to receipt for them in the name of the new bank. The places for the banknotes will be prepared, and the banknotes themselves be printed in advance, and held by the Comptroller till the bank is organized for business. The only reason for not issuing the charter at once is that" technically the Territorial laws have not yet been extended to Hawaii, which fact might at some future time be raised against the bank in litigation of importance. But this will probably not delay matters longer than January, at which time it is expected to fully organize and commence business. A place of business will not be decided upon until James Campbell returns. The bank will have an authorized capital of 81,000,000, of which .foo,<XH> will be paid up at the beginning and the balance as it is needed. The capital can be increased at any time to meet the needs of the business, or to amalgamate with it or other national banks that might be started. The details of the Hilo branch bank are beinsr arranged, and advices concerning th<->m will be brought by the next steamer. It is intended that a majority of the stock will be held in

Hawaii, but the Seligmans of New York and the Anglo-Californian Bank of San Francisco stand ready to take any of the Honolulu allotment of stock not subscribed here. Companies C, E, F and G, First New York, in command of Major Emmett, sailed by the Alameda to-night for San Francisco. Arrangements have been been made for X, M and H to sail on the Scandia next Sunday. Although there are a number of sick men aboard the transi>ort none of their ailments are contagious, and the surgeons say there will be no danger in shipping the troops by her. As many convalescents as are able to travel will be gotten off on the Scandia. The Scandla's detachment will finish up the New York regiment, and the hospital nurses, surgeons, patients in the hospital, will go as soon as the sick are able to travel. Colonel Ruhlen, Major Purdy and Captain Lydig, with the Quartermaster's, Pay and Commissary departments, will remain in Honolulu. It is expecteel that another regiment, perhaps regulars, will soon be ordered to the islands. In fact, it is given out that about 2,000 men will be kept here all the time. It has been decided to send no more soldiers' bodies home until the regiment gets there to receive them. All will be then sent together, and will be received and buried by the regiment with appropriate military honors. Private John V. Springsteen, Company C, First New York, died at the military hospital of pneumonia on the sth. VOLUNTEERS AT MANILA. Many Will Remain in the Philippines After Discharge. MANILA, Dec. 14—At an enthusiastic meeting of the Astor Battery at its quarters to-day, preliminary steps were taken to establish the Philippine Development Association of American Volunteers for the purpose of promoting the development of the islands when the volunteers are discharged from the service. While willing to bear arms as long as required, many of our volunteers are desirous of remaining here to engage in various enterprises. Some of them are determined to settle down in the islands, even if they are compelled to return to the United States in order to get their discharges. The association proposes to communicate with the United States authorities, in order to obtain the discharge of all volunteers who are desirous of settling down here, and will urge that the men be granted a traveling allowance in lieu of transportation when their time has expired. Meantime the association intends to procure information regarding the resources of the islands. Its membership is confined to enlisted men of good character. The Astor Battery has been ordered to deliver up its equipment to the Quartermaster, preparatory to embarking in a homeward bound transport. Official advices from Iloilo contain the names of the members of the newly formed "Visayan Republic." They are as follows: . Lepez, President; Vicente France, Vice President; Ramon Aymnceno, Secretary of State; Venancio Concepcion, Chnneellor of the Exchequer: Jovita Tusay, Chief Jusi tice; Fernandino Salas, Departmental [ Secretary. The Liberal party consists lof several noted officers. A proclamation issued by the Governor General salutes "the sovereignty of the Visayas," and expresses the hope that under God's protection they will soon be free people under the shadow of the tri-color banner, and on the basis of the Constitution of the Filipino republic." AFFAIRS IN SAMOA. The Chief Justice Will Select a King for the Islands. APIA (Samoa), Nov. 2G.—(Via San Francisco, Dec. 14.) —Considerable excitement was created here November loth by the landing of a party of blue jackets from the British and German warships. While no serious trouble is anticipated at present, the representatives of the Powers thought it wise to make- a demonstration, owing to the number of natives who have congregated at Mulinuu, so as to show that the Powers had determined to protect the white residents. The party landed at Matautu and marched through the town, headed by the German band from the Buzzard, with the drum and fife corps from H. M. S. Porpoise. After making the display to the natives, both parties returned to their respective ships. The chiefs supporting Mataafa have notified the Chief Justice that they have elected Mataafa as King of Samoa, and that a protest has been lodged by certain other chiefs who dispute his election. High Chief Tamasase has been nominated for the vacant throne by the opposition faction, and the whole matter has been referred to the Chief Justice for decision. Upon that official will depend the selection of the new King for Samoa. HAWAIIAN ISLANDS BILL. The House Committee Begins Consideration of the Measure. "WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.—The House Committee on Territories to-day began consideration of the bill to provide a territorial form of government for the Hawaiian Islands. Representative Hitt, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Brewer of Hawaii, who were members of the Hawaiian Commission, explained the conditions in the islands and the bill which was prepared. They followed the lines of the committee's report. The bill will be referred to a subcommittee, which will take up the bill section by section, and Mr. Brewer will remain here until its completion to give any information needed. Henry of Texas made the motion to refer the bill to a sub-committee. There are some minor changes which may be made, but the principal source of opposition to the bill is the provision which empowers the Governor of Hawaii to appoint the Judges of the Supreme Court for life and the Circuit Court Judges for six years. In th 3 opinion cf some members of the committee, the Governor, by the terms cf the bill, is given too much power. They think the Judges should not be appointed for a longer period than four years, which is the length of the term of Judges in other Territories. There will also be opposition to the provisions relating to the qualification of voters. The sub-committee will begin work on the bill immediately.

WHOLE !NT). 17,958.

FEDERATION OF LABOR CONGRESS.

Third Day of the Annual Meeting at Kansas City. Speech-Making Consumes the Forenoon Session of the Convention. A Resolution Adopted Protesting; Against the Anti-Scalping Bill Recently Passed in the Lower House of Congress, and Anothexs Demanding a Law Imposing a Tax on Incomes. v KANSAS CITY, Dec. 14.—Speechmaking consumed the morning session of the third day of the annual convention of the American Federation ol Labor. The delegates listened with interest to the talks by William Thorna and William, Inskip, delegates from the British Labor Congress, and to a response thereto by President Samuel Gompers. Mr. Thome said that labor should strive continuously for better organization and more power in politics. In England, said he, one great element of organized labor powers was the fa< t that political positions were held by sg( great a percentage of unionists. Delegate Inskip urged not only 3f stronger organization, but a Strongea friendship between American and Brit* ish unionists. What was needed* he said, was not only a federation o*f trades organizations, but a federation with our English-speaking cousins*. The sentiment was warmly cheered. Mr. Inskip went on to express his belief in arbitration for the settlement of all labor disputes, and enumerated instances of the settlement of British, strikes by arbitration, which had been; alone possible from the fact that arbitration in England was constructed on solid basis. President Gompers said in the course of his remarks that there was sometimes apprehension as to the conditions of workers of our country. A greater percentage of mechanical labor, outside the agricultural he said, were organized in America than on any part of the globe. While he declared that unionists were active in defending their principles In politics, citing the fact that seventeen union men were members of the Colorado State Legislature, Mr. Gompers nevertheless urged increased activity; along this line. Upon the employment of women Mr. Gompers said: "The American Federation of Labor has always stood for* the organization and recognition of those women who are compelled of necessity to work. But we do demand now, and we must always demand, equal pay for equal work." i These sentiments were greeted witlt applause. Mr. Gompers gave a warm welcome to the British delegates, and said that the closer the two English-speaking* nations came together in fraternal alliance the speedier would approach tha era of universal peace. At the afternoon session a resolution! presented by Adrian M. Jones of Chicago, protesting against the passage, of the anti-scalping bill recently passed-' by the National House of Representatives, was adopted without discussion. The income-tax resolution offered by* J. S. Kent of Nebraska was not adopted, but this substitution was unanimously indorsed: "Resolved, That the American Federation of Labor is of the opinion that the decisions of the Supreme Court on the income tax are not in accord with: the Constitution or the spirit of the. American people, and that the Federation demand of Congress a law making a tax on incomes a feature of Federal taxation." Convict labor came in for a share of the convention's attention. The reso-* lutions concerning convict labor by C. W. Coy were referred to the Executive Council, with instructions that it take such steps as may check its encroachments upon the interests of the honestj working people of the land. The convention emphatically reaffirmed the boycott on the American Tobacco Company, declaring it to be a monopoly and a trust, and to be under the ban cf organized labor. At 3:30 o'clock the convention ad* journed. TROOPS NEEDED IN ISLANDS. Fifty Thousand Will Be Required to Restore Order in Cuba. WASHINGTON. Dec. 14.—Adjutant! General Corbin appeared to-day before the House Committee on Military Affairs. His statements attracted unusual interest, because of their direct reference to conditions in Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines, and the military requirements on which the War Department was acting. As to tho need of an increased army, he said that was a most serious proposition. He proceeded: "The Cuban Evacuation Commission, consisting of Generals Wade and Butter and Admiral Sampson, has submitted a statement that in order to preserve peace and restore order in Cuba, it will require the presence of an army of 50,000 men." General Corbin said he would send this recommendation to the committee, but later it was arranged that it should be submitted without confidential reservations. It was on this recommendation, said General Corbin, that tha plan of pending troops to Cuba wos based. It might be found that the 50,000 men would not be requisite. "But we are holding 50,000 men in readiness to go if required," said the General. "As to the Philippines," he went on, "General Otis, in command there, has recommended that 25.000 men were required there. In Porto Rico the officers in command there say that the force now on hand is adequate for tho requirements. The present force there ia 6,100. Man was made to mourn and some men seem to think) they must put in ail their time at it.