IIGLISN MINERS 60 OUT Three Hundred Thousand Quit Work at Noon. Ji* Co»l Production for Two Weeks—Prices to Be Forced Up to Prevent the Cat ting of Wngee — The Move W1U Affeat Million*. London, March 12.— At soon today the greatest strike of coal miners in the history of this country, or for that matter of the world, will be inaugu rated. Nearly 300,000 men will have their time on their hands on Monday morning. They are all member* of the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain, which in cludes Yorkshire, Leicestershire, North and South Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Monmouthshire, north Wales and Cumberland. As a matter of fact the strike fs not * strike, but a closure, the miners quitting work for two weeka Their object in doing this is to bring about a coal famine so that the employers will have no excuse for reducing wages, as they have threatened to da So far as the famine is concerned it may be said to have already commenced, for coal has gone up to an enormous figure, and iactory after factory in the lead ing trade centers has been compelled to shut down. The poor people who are compelled to buy their coal in small quantities are suffering terribly, while the weather is unusually incle ment for this time of year. Moreover, before three days have elapsed there will be an almost entire cessation of labor in most of the great industrial centers, including Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, London and Liver pool. All the rolling mills and cutlery es tablishments in Sheffield will shut down on Monday and so will vast en gineering establishments, iron foun dries, soap manufacturies and cotton and woolen mills by the score The total number of people that will tem porarily be thrown out of employment in the strike, if the closure continues, cannot be estimated, but it will cer tainly run into the milliona Many of the mine owners have given notice that they will not start up again ex cept at a reduction of 8% to 10 per cent. The miners have a reserve fund of several millions of dollars and will not suffer even if the struggle be prolonged beyond the period now designated. Speculators are taking advantage of existing conditions, and already the price of bread has been advanced in many parts of the country, even where the bakers have stocks of coal on hand. Agents of many big manufac tures have been purchasing supplies in Belgium, France and Germany, but the Longshoremen’s union is in accord with the miners, and threats have been made that they will not only refuse to unload any imported coal, but will boycott the lines by which it may be brought in. Public sentiment is largely with the miners, although there is an undercurrent of feeling that it is dangerous for any or ganization of labor to take a step fraught with Buffering and possibly destitution to hundreds of thousands of fellow beings in other trades Probably the sentiment in their favor is largely due to the fact that it has been demonstrated that the mine own ers are already receiving what, in any other business, would be regarded as a very fair profit, and that consequently there is no ground for their allegation that coal is too cheap for profit and that wages must be reduced. The outcome will be watched with more interest than has over before at tached to a labor movement. At the clubs frequented by the upper ten there is a question of invoking the in terference of the government, al though just how this con be accom plished none of those pressing it seem to know. A general election is not very far off, and even the tory govern ment would be slow m making a move that would tend toward bringing against it the combined effort of the trade unionists of the entire kingdom. The miners’ federation has issued an address to all its members urging them to maintain order and keep the peace in order that there may not be the slightest ground for invoking the in terference of the authoritiea SIDETRACKS INCORPORATED the Inter A Scheme Which Endn state Oemmeroe Lav, Chicago, March 12.—When a great shipper sets out to get a cut freight rate there seems to be many ways of sccomplishing that object The Illi nois Steel company appears to have found one of these ways, and it is a method so comprehensive that it can he made to apply to %very one of the 150,000 to 200,000 cars of freight which that company receives and sends out tk y?ar- 1’his plan is not open to he objections against the system of «*sh rebates which the big grain ship pers take advantage of, but which at he same time opens a jail oor for them if they can be 'Aught at it. While the method is Hhite as effective, so far as furnishing eans for annulling the provisions of he interstate commerce law, the law ln this case completely evaded with out being actually violated. l secretary of state some time ago ued charters to the Calumet and ue Island Railway company, the Chi n«5° aud Southeastern Railway* com •"•hy. the Joliet and Blue Island Rail VJ co>npany, the Milwaukee, Bav wand Chicago Railroad company. rau'86 j‘^es read like the names of reuj ar.roa?*•. As a matter of fact, they tho a . °‘ce collection of sidetracks at various plants of the Illinois Steel pany at South Chicago, Joliet, etc. aru,v incorporating their sidetracks jitic,tr°ating all the machinery of dis otwn ja“way organizations a way was win. ,whereby the law can be evaded sions t'ruCtualIy y*°lating its provi can >. j le easiest way in which this can be done i. __ Dani 8 doae I® for the switching com • es to establish a switching tariff Whin I «=on»uiisa a switcning lann rau » nJay be absorbed in the through ad the rate cut to that extent, has been done, and the variou* pnblUh a tariff sheet showing twitching charge varying from •1.50 to S3 a car has been made. That alone would be an important item, ai the company'* freight buslnea* ha* run up as high a* 200,000 car* a year, but the scheme U capable of making even greater profit* than that It Mem* to have been the original intention to nave a division of rate* as if it were a through shipment over two lines and thus get all the railroads to divide the regular tariff, but the Central Trafflo association refused to allow such an arrangement Any such arrangement is in violation of the rulings of that association, but it is understood that one or two roads grant it, neverthe }?**> that the division the termin'*! line gets amounts to 40 cents a ton. As the company received 1,900,000 tons of raw material and shipped 795,000 tons of finished product it is evident that if 40 cents a ton can be saved on ^t °f even a small proportion of that the saving might be an impor tant matter. A GREAT COPPER COMBINE. The Mftee Owners Propose to Limit the Production. Nkw York, March 12.—Rumors of a great combine which, if effected, will involve millions of dollars, just now are proving matters of prime interest to manufacturers and dealers in cop per and to holders of copper mining stock as well as to mine men gener ally. For the past two or three weeks the reports that a project was afoot to secure unity of action among the cop per producers in all parts of the world have been numerous and have been gradually crystallizing Into definite form. For many months copper prices have been very low, and the tension upon most of the cop per mining companies in the Lake Superior region, Montana, Arizona and New Mexico to keep things going has been a severe one. It has long been urged by copper men that some com bination to limit production should be formed, but only within a very recent time has the matter assumed shape. The negotiations have been carried on very secretly. The course of prices, however, in the boston market—the chief and in fact the only copper mining market in this country—has shown that things are getting on favorably. The price of the stock of the Calumet and Hecla. Quincy and other big Lake Superior co/per mines has steadily improved. A boston dispatch says: “The statement is made here on very good authority that the proposed combina tion of copper mine properties, with the exception of the Quincy company, which declined to join, has been prac tically effected. It is stated that the annual production of the Anaconda mine is fixed at 70,000,000 pounds, and that of the Calumet and Hecla at 60,000,000.” ENGLISH CAPITAL INVESTING Options Secured for •0,000,000 Worth ol Land and Water Bights. Denver, Colo., March 12.—The Trav elers' Insurance company has given an option on all their property in Colorado to John C. Montgomery of this city. The transaction will be closed this week and a new company of gigantic proportions will be formed. So far as can be learned it is the intention of Mr. Montgomery to place this enter prise in England. To it will be added a grant ofi 100,000 acres of land owned by O. W. Show, of boston, adjoining some of the insurance lands and situa ted in Colorado and New Mexico. The options cover all the real estate, irrigating ditches, and canals and water rights owned by the insurance company. Among these are the Grand River, Fort Morgan, Del Norte, Citi zens’ and Uncompaghre Land and Ditch companies. The amount of the option is said to be $1,000,000. The land put into the scheme by Mr. Shaw is valued at $4,500,000, which would make the enterprise reach the enor mous sum of $6,000,000. AN INFLUENTIAL PAPER. Over a Hundred Congressmen Sign a Peti tion for Channel Improvement. Washington, March 12.—Over 100 congressmen have affixed their names in an official capacity to a circular let ter addressed to the river and harbor committee, as follows: I respectfully ask that your committee make a favorable recommendation regard ing the further improvement of the chan nels between Lakes Superior and Huron, and Huron and Erie, as proposed in the report of General O. M. Poe, for a twenty and twenty-one foot channel on the lakes and that you authorize in the bill that cont nets may he made for the entire work to cost as estimated, $3,." 10,000, and incorporate in the bill such amounts an an initial appropriation, as you may in your judgment deem proper. The signatures show that practically the entire delegations of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Penn sylvania, Ohio nnd Wisconsin have signed this recommendation. EIGHT-HOUR* MOVEMENT. The Labor Organizations of Mew York Preparing for a Demonstration. New York, March 12.—Representa tives of most of the labor organiza tions of this city will unite tomorrow in a conference called by the social istic labor party at Labor lyceum for the purpose of considering preliminary arrangements for a great eight-hour demonstration. This year that day falls on Sunday and it is proposed to make the demonstration one of the largest of the kind ever seen on this continent Delegates are to be in vited from all the leading industrial circles of the country and England, France, Germany and Switzerland will also be asked to send representativea SCOTT TAKE i A VACATION. The Energetic Publisher of the Chicago Herald Nall, for Europe. New York, March 12.—Among the passengers who sailed for Europe to day on the North German Lloyd steamer Fulda, was James W. Scott, president af the American Newspaper Publishers’ association, and publisher of she Chicago Herald and Evening Post of that city. He was accompanied by his wife. He proposes to visit Italy, France, Germany, and to take a coach ing tour into the north of England, re turning to this country in about three month* A large number of local newspaper men were at the dock to bid him bon voyage. TREY SCARED JOHH DULL The Men Who Beat the Bank of England in Chicago. **• Famous Bid well Brothers, Who Forged Bills of Exchange for s millOD, OB Brltslo's Big Bank, OB b Lccturlag Tour, Chicago, March la—Nearly twenty years ago a thrill of horror ran through the stupid old financiers who sit around the directors' table of the Bank of England. They were placid fellows, these directors, who had gone through life transacting business in the knee-breeches-and-tye-wlg fashion of their predecessors. Such a thing as a forgery of any size had not disturbed such minds since the day when forgery was a capital crime and men were taken out and hanged for it before a gin-drinking mob from Whitechapel road. One of the directors, a stout old gentleman who had acquired gout be fore the Crimean war, became purple in the face and had to be removed when the announcement was made: “Americans have forged bills of ex change for 800,000 pun on the bank.” Two of the men who caused this re markable scene in the board were in Chicago yesterday. One of them is a rather corpulent man whose naturally sharp face bears lines cut in as if by some great misfortune long continued. The second is tall and straight He has a merry face, this Austin Bidwell which rather disarms one and leaves one at the mercy of the other brother, Ueorge Bidwell, who did one of the most remarkable pieces of plan ning ever evolved. George Bidwell has been out of pri son four years. Austin was released with the help of the Pinkerton agency and througa the efforts of his sister February 13 last. They have come on here to deliver a lecture, which will supplement a book written by Ueorge Bidwell. They went to the Urand Pacific first, but were afterward sent to the Palmer house. They talked about their case freely last night—George Bidwell in a cur sory manner, Austin Bidwell with con ciseness affected by a nervousness that stamps the convict deeper than the pallor of life in a. cell. Both the men and a third brother lived in Chicago One of them owned a candy shop here before the fire. The other two,Ueorge, a grocer, and Austin, his clerk, came here from New York in 1871. "We went to EuropeJ' said George Bidwell last night. “YVe took up with George McDonald and Noyes. We believed the Bank of England could be beaten, but we did not know how till we sent a bill of exchange to London, which was cashed by the bank with out identification. McDonald got the money. He had been a square fellow; he was a graduate of Harvard, but he had fallen by the wayside. We did not know how to get to the Bank of England, so we put out feelers. I in troduced myself to a tailor named Grear as a wealthy American who was about to open a Pullman branch in England. I bought clothes from him and deposited money with him. I left £1,200 in his keeping. He said that was too much, lie would place it in the bank, and he took me over to the western branch of tbe Bank of Eng land and introduced me.” George Bidwell stopped here to laugh and the sedate brother smiled in a dreamy way. Then Ueorge Biuwell Went on: “YVe had procured square bills of exchange from a number of foreign firms I said: ‘We can forge these bills as well as the men can write them.' We forged bills for thousands of pounds, stamped them with stamps we made ourselves and passed them on the unsuspecting bank. We forged acceptances of the Barings, the Rothschilds, the Anglo-Austrian bank and the Russian bank of ex change, and we might have gone on to the extent of millions of pounds if a slip of McDonald’s in neglecting to put on a date had not started an investi gation that discovered to the bank our forgeries. That day Noyes came to me and asked for £1,000. I didn't want to give it to him at first, but he pleaded so hard that I finally sent him back to the bank with a check. As usual, I followed him and as he entered the door and handed in the paper I saw two men leap at him. 1 knew it was all over. The forgery was detected and I skipped.” ueorge umweu was arrested in Scot-1 land. McDonald was taken at New York. Austin Bidwell, with 9100,000 or more in his possession, made his way to America, and, having bought a Slantation in Alabama, intended to ▼e his life out as a wealthy planter. He was a handsome fellow, and he had married a pretty girl, the daughter of a brevet-major in the Uritish army. He was routed out of the plantation and fled to Havana, where he was arrested by the Pinkertons, and by consent of the Spanish government, which at that time did not have an ex tradition treaty with England, was carried back to London. The trial was most interesting. The stolid British public was waked up to a point of frenzy by the thought that the great bank which was supposed to be impregnable had been cheated out of a fortune, and it was lucky for the Bidwells that the day of hang.ng for knavery had passed. They had the next thing. When the jury had brought in its verdict of “guilty” Jus tice Archibald, wigged and gowned, arose, and looking down upon the group of wigged and gowned men at the tables, said: “The sentence is that each and all of you be kept in penal servitude for life.-’ George Bidwell picked oakum for fifteen years, Austin Bidwell for nine teen years. Picking'bakum was not a congenial occupation for this man. The doctor said he must be released from prison or he would die, and he was sent to America a ticket-of-leave man. His sister, Mrs Henrietta G Mott, of Hartford, went to work for the re lease of the other brother. She was untiriug. She enlisted the sym pathy of the Pinkertons; 'she saw the president of the United States; she talked with James Russell Lowell; she secured the help of Lady Henry Somerset, who Is now In Chicago, end of the late Mr. Spurgeon: she broke Into the same old governor's room of the ltank of England that had been shaken by her brother's forgeries; she had a member of parliament arise and question the home secretary; she spent 10 shillings in a basaar in order to speak to Prlnoess Mary, of Teok; and finally all these energlesaoncentrated, after Austin Bidwell had saved a pris oner from drowning, in his release from prison. "She is a good woman,” said Austin Bidwell, simply, last night "Aye, she is that,” said George Bid well. "It Is worth one's while to live in a cell and to be maimed by crnel guards to have suoh love shown as that We don't deserve it” "No,” said Austin Bidwell. “We de serve everything but that” McDonald and Noyes are still prison ers, but an attempt will be made to free them. THE “FLYING ROLL” A FRAUD One of the Nine Aug sis Uenooneee Prince Michael. Toronto, Ont, March 10.—"A foul, festering plot upon a Christian com munity” is the way Mary Armstrong, who has recently returned from De troit, describes the colony of "the fly ing roll” in that city. She ought to know, for she was one of the nine angels who accompanied "Prince Michael” on his recent pilgrimage to England and who hare been living in the same house with him in Detroit She was one of the first who were led by the promises of the prince to desert their homes in this city and join the long-haired fanatics in Detroit, llut her eyes have been opened, and she has returned again to her family, but in a weak and pitiful condition. She declares that the Toronto people in the colony are sick and tired of the whole thing, and would gladly return at once were it not for the fact that the "prince" has all their money and in tends to koep it. Neither she nor any of the others who have returned will make any definite charges of immoral tty against Michael. They admit that he lives in a house with his wife and the nine angels, and that two of his mottoes are "Let Nothing lie Hid” and “To the Pure All Things Are Pure.” Heyond this they say nothing except that they believe lie is hypnotized and practically made a dupe by the mes meric influence of one E. II. Durand, who is the Lucifer of the colony, and Lizzie Courts, his "spiritual’’ wife. Prince Michael is a native of Elgin oounty, Ontario, and was formerly an almost illiterate molder. When the Mormon elders were in Elgin oounty some years ago Miolieal became one of their converts, and he has evidently taken his now scheme, from that oC Joseph Smith. This disclosure seems to explain why it Is that the long haired prince is so earnest in his en deavor to secure a large number of "spiritual” wives for his colony and why he has the nine angels in his house as well as his wife. The recent developments have caused trouble In the camp of the Toronto members of the flying roll. The other night a meeting was held in which the “false reports” of Miss Armstrong wore denounced. But now a strong anti Michael faction has arisen. As Mich ael is not recognized by the English branch of the sect, which was founded in 1837, he may soon be deserted as a false prophet A DISASTROUS DEFEAT. Iht Fall of Mercier a Groat Victory for the Conservatives. Ottawa, Ont., March 10.—The elec tions in Quebec province have resulted in a clean sweep for the conservatives, the stock of that party, already high by reason of its success in the domin ion by-elections, is simply beyond quo tation now. The liberals were divided among themselves, many of their best men refusing to follow the leadership of ex-Premler Mercier. This is after all the cause of their defeat. The re sult will probably bring the affairs of the whole liberal party to a crisis. The straight party men from Quebec now in the dominion parliament attribute the division in their ranks to the influ ence of the Ontario liberals, who de nounced Mercier for boodiing as bit terly as the conservatives did. There will probably be an open rupture in the party. Leader Laurier is a French Canadian and the representative of Quebec. He is personally a man of un blemished character, but it will be al most impossible for him to lead with the representatives of his own province denouncing their Ontario allies. 8uch a political overturning has never been known in Canada’s history. It was virtually a clean sweep from one end of the province to the other for the De Boucherville government in condemnation of the mothods of gov ernment which led to Premier Mer cier's dismissal. Mercier did not attempt to defend the charges which were brought against him, probably because they were indefensible, but raised the cry of Quebec for the French and made an attempt to spread in the country dis tricts the idea that this opposition to and attacks upon him were due to hos tility to the Roman Catholic church, of which he has long posed as the cham pion. The clergy stopped that by de nouncing him from the pulpit, and the French habitant, which forms three quarters of the population, for once saw through the race and religious cry which is usually successful and voted against the deposed premier. The result makes Quebec overwhelm ingly conservative, and strengthens the federal government, also conserva tive, enormously. WIND IN WASHINGTON. Sirs. Senator Palmer Dashed to theOroun* and Injured. Washington, March 10.—A severe rain storm accampanled by a wind that attained tremendous velocity passed over Washington shortly after noon to day. The wife of Senator Palmer was approaching the senate wing of the capitol on foot when the storm broke. She was taken off her feet and thrown with considerable force against tile steps, suffering a deep cut in her head. Her sister, who was with her, was un injured. Mrs. Palmer’s wound was dressed in the capitol and she was taken to jier home. TO RAI8E CARPET PRICES. ■satsra M«nnrb«tnron Combining Tot Larger l'roflu. Chicaoo. March 13.—Secrecy velli the proceedings of the eastern manu facturera of carpets, bat those convers ant with the trade in thla city any th« manufacturera are combining to lessee the output and inoreaae prices. J. CX Carroll, of the Chicago Carpet company, aald; "The manufacturera ol body bruaaela carpets have been com plaining bitterly that they are not making anything. Philadelphia flrmi were specially dissatisfied. The Phila delphia and Worcester, Mass, firm* have been calling on other firms eaat to hold meetings In New York. The largest houses In tho country have re fused to enter any combination. There is certainly an overproduction. The scheme of the 'kickers’ Is to have all the firms agree to make only a certain amount o{ carpet and at a specified price. For instance, a factory having ISO looms will be asked to work only 100 looms It will not work because all will not enter tho combination." E. Cl Richardson, of O. W. Ricardson A Co, said: "I have heard of the In tention among eastern manufacturers to pool their intere its, but it will not succeed. A year ago an agreement was made by several large manfsetur era to force up prloes, but competition was so keen that th# rules wore soon broken over." F. Eumea, of Marshall Field A Co.'s carpet department, said: “It Is un doubtedly a faot that a scheme Is on foot to raise the prices of carpets by combination among the manufacturers Some of the body brussels people are going to make a desperate fight. Meet ings with strictest seorecy are being held In New York. The scheme Is to make eaeh "firm sign an agreement to run only a certain number of looms and stick to a schedule of prices ” LADY HENRY SOMERSET. The Noted En?llsli I.udjr will 8liorlly Bo , turn to Burojio. Chicago, March 18.—Lady Henry Somerset, the noted Enjllih aristocrat, whose time and great fortune havo for some years been devoted to the tem perance movement, and who for sev eral months has been in this country studying the methods of evangelical work pursued by the Women’s Chris tian Temperance union, will shortly sail for Europe, and tonight a great farewell demonstration Is to be given in her honor at Central Music hall. At the recent pntlonal granger and labor convention at St. Louis, Lady Somer set's name was, by unanimous consent, placed upon the roll of delegates, the compliment being more marked from the fact that she was the only partici pant in these proceedings that did not represent an organization of voters. MISS NEVINS' LETTER. She Will Give It to Mia Public Sunday II Well Enough. New York, March 18.—If tho health of Mrs. Mary Nevlns Blaine permits her statement in reply to JamesG. Blaine's letter, published nearly two weeks ago, will probably be given out by Sunday. As matters appear now, however, it is exceedingly doubtful that her condi tion will be such as to enable her to prepare the statement. Ever since her arrival at the Now York 'hotel last week she has been ilL Wednesday last she was so low that her life was for a time despaired of. During the previous evening she had made an ex tra effort to do some writing on her statement Wednesday morning Mrs. Blaine was found in a comatose condi tion, and her breath came in short, labored gasps. Fortunately there was a physician in the hotel, Dr. Constable, who reached the sick woman's bedside within ten minutes after she had been found. Three other doctors were sum moned, and after six or seven hours of incessant labor they brought back the young woman's fleeting vitality, and by midnight she was pronounced almost out of danger. THE MARKETS. Live stock. Sioux Citt, March la Hogs—Light, $1.70(31.75; mixed, 11.553 heavy, $4.55(31.16 Caltle—Steers, 1,100 to 1,800 pounds, I3.0031.H0; feeders, $2 5fc3 1.25; stockers, (2.(032.50; cowe, common to good, $1.00 m 2 75; yearling*, (>.0u3A75; bulls, (1.503 2.75; veal calves, (1.5034.50. Chicago, Cuicio >, March la Cattle—Choice beeves, (3 8535.26; cows, iJl.2538.75; feeders, (.'.2533 75; bulla. (1.253275; 'l'exans. 2.’.538.80 Hogs—Light. (16035.05; mixed, (1.603 E05; heavy, (1.5.135.0 >. Sheep—Natives, (1.0036.00; westerns. (3.0036.75; Tcxaus, (66035.40 South Omaluk. B iutu Omaha. March 16 Hogs—Light, (1.6034.75; mixed, $160di 4.75; heavy, (4.5534.70. Cattle—Stockers and feeders. (2.403620; cows, (2.403620. common, (L0U@i. Id. Kansas City, Kansas Cm, March l& Cattle—Extra fancy steers, (6 5034.20; cows, (1.5033.25; Stockers, (62533 60: feeders, (6253660. ’ Hogs—Extreme ranges, (4.2034.75 Produce and Provisions. • Chicago, March 16 Flour—Spring patents, (1.4031.75; win ter patents, (4.4034.75 Wheat—Cash, 85^a; May, 87 V3875-/C. Corn—Cash, 80%a; May, 41c; new*No, 6 88Ji3»c. OaU—Cash, 29c; May. 80c. No 2 white, 31K@82%cj No. tt white, 2'Jk'c. Bye—82J4C. Barley—56c. Timothy—(1.3L Flax—97Mc. Whisky—$1.16 Pork—Cash, (10.72>f; May, (10.90' Lard—Cash, (6.30; May, (6.40 Shoulders—(1.7535.50; short clear. $6.25. abort ribs, (5.753.77)*. * ^Butter—Creamery. 20328J*c; dairy, 193 Cheese—Full cream Cheddars, 11312c; Bats, 11312c; Young Americas, 113i3c! Eggs—Fresh, 13313^0. Hides—Heavy and light green salted, 5c; salted bull, 4)*3i>*e: dry flint. Sc; dry salted hides, t>37o; dry calf, 83V0; dcaoons. jach. 25c. Tallow—Na 1 solid, 4c; packed, i take, 4>*a Minneapolis, March 16 Wheat—Closing: March 88)*c; May 53c; en traok, Na 1 hard, 81)*®; Na i sorthern, 83)*c; Na 7 northern, 78380a FIFTY-SECOND CONGRESS* Tin* Washinoton, March R— In tho senate today Mr. Hi|ulro presented a partition from the chamber of commerce,.of Port Townsend, Wnnli,, sotting forth that tb«t present condition of the Borin* »«a flaherlea question worked the greatest hardship to American fishermen, and praying that the flaherioa of these eoaa be'tlirown open. Mr. Bqutrea said he regarded this a* a matter of great Importance, aud asked that It be referred to the committee on foreign relatlona. It was so ordered. Mr. Stanford, of California, Introduced a hill to make tho duty On opium Id a pound. Washington, March 0.—Tho pure food bill passed the senate without a division, and an cxeautlve session will Immediately he called on the Bering sea question. The text of the correspondence was submitted by the president to the sonata at U:IIU, Wasiiimoton, Minch in.—In tha senate today Mr. Morgan's resolution Instructing the committee on judiciary to report on the legal propositions Involved In the Idaho contest was passed. On motion of Mr. Taller the secretary of the treasury was called u|ion for Informa tion as to what v mount of treasury notes had been Issued under the act of July 14. 180(1, tho amount of sliver dol lars coined, the amount In the treasury and whether silver dollars were being paid out by the treasury In discharge of ordinary Indebtedness and whether they were being; held for the redemption of treasury notes. The agricultural deficiency bill appro priating $IM),000 for the bureau of animal Industry and 110,000 for experiments In sugar cultivation was passed. Washington, March 11.—In the senate to-day Mr. Stewart, of Nevada, offered • joint resolution providing for a constitu tional amendment that no person who baa held the office of president of the United States for a term of fonr yarra or any part thereof shall he eligible to that office within four years af ter the expiration of that time,this amend ment to takh effect after the 4th of March, mur. lie suggested that the resolution he referred to the committee on civil service reform and retrenchment It was so or dered. Mr. Daniel offered a Joint resolution confirming on the part of the United States the rights granted by the states of South Carolina and Virginia to the Freneb Telegraph nompnny. Referred. Wasiiinoton, March 14.—In tho senate today au unusual potlllon was presented from tha Baltimore Methodist Episcopal conference, protesting against further re strictive Chinese legislation, for the rea son that It tended to restrict missionary work In that country by provoking retail ntory measures. The judiciary committee reported favor ably the house hill plnolng the secretary of agriculture in the line of tho presiden tial succession. By the provisions of tbte bill, should the president and vice-presi dent both die nnd all the members of tho cabinet also die or become disqualified, down to the secretary of the Interior, the last of tha list of ellglbles. as It at present stands, then the secretary of agriculture should bcoome president of the United Stales. Tit* IIuum. Washington, March 8.— In bis opening’ prayer In the home today the chuplaiis feelingly alluded to the nudden death yes** terduy of Representative Kendall, of Ken tucky. Mr. McMillin gave notice that be would call up the free wool bill'' tomorrow. Tb* way* and moan* committee had In*trusted him to ask con aide ration tomorrow of th# tariff question. On motion of Mr. McCreary, of Ken tucky, who announced the death Of‘bla colleague, John W. Kendall, the houit agreed to adjourn iu respect to the mem ory of ita late member.. The speaker an nounced aa a committee to accompany Mr. Kendall's body to Kentucky, Mr., Paynter. of Kentucky; Mr. Mansur, of Missouri; Mr. Amerman, of Pennsyl vnnln; Mr. Bailey, of Texas; Mr. OwetiSp of Ohio; Mr. Wilson, of Kentucky; Mr. Belknap, of Michigan. The commlttew will leave at 2 o'clock tomorrow. Washington, March 0.—In the house, after some unimportant business hadfbeeia done, the house went Into committee of th* whole on the free wool bill. Mr McMUIlia took the floor and opened the tariff debate. He herein by saying tt»t the last congress imposed the highest tax ever levied Id this country and made the most extrava gant appropriations e»cr made In time of peace. 1'he p esent congress would cor rect this. The farmer now realized fron» 2 to H cents per pound loss ou his wool than formerly; labore s' wages have not increased under tlie McKinley law and he had to pay more for the necessities of life. The McKinley bill had' increased the tariff of i*83 15 per cent, and th* rate of duty was higher on the necessariea than on the luxuries of life. The con sumer had not been considered and tb* manufacturer and trust combinations bad been protected. The greed of the seller and not the need of the buyer was the measure of the rate of duty. 'this only differed from highway robbery in having the sanctity of the law. He alluded to Blaine's reciprocity aclieme which bo called undemocratic and unrepublican and # unamedcan. The president in bis disere-* tlon could impose or remit certain taxes*. ‘ Such a power was unprecedented and if exercised iu England the queen would lose her orowu if not her head. Washington, March 10.—The attend ance in the house today was sraalL Them seems to be little interest iu the tariff de bate. The naval appropriation bill was re ported and referrc.i to the committee oi the whole. The bilk to classify and pre scribe salaries of railway postal clerk* was reported; also a bill to protect for eign exhibitors at the world’s fair against prosecution under the United States in im post tax. Washington, March 11.— In the house today Mr. McMillin asked unanimou* consent that the private bill day be dis pensed with in view of the tariff discussion and that the two hours tomorrow previous to lb* eulogies at 2 o’clock on Hon. J. R Gam ble, of Dakota, be devoted to the consid eration of private bills. The house then went into committee of the whole on the free wool bill. Mr. Stevens, democrat, of Massacho setts, spoke fr, in the standpoint of the manufacturer. Reduced taxes aud lower prices, he said al ways increased consumption. Fre* wool meant lower prices and belter goods. T he one was equivalent to the other and the American people would have reason to complain if this did not ensue. Quoting from leading manufacturer* of this country he showed that the free wool bill was satisfactory to them. If the bill was passed it would result la infinite good to the people. Mr Montgomery, democrat, of Ken tucky, followed with a long argument I* support of the bill. Washington, March 14.—In the boose today a message from the president trans mitting the agreement between the United States commissioners and the Cherokee r ation regarding the Cherokee outlet in Indian territory, was refened to the comr mittee on Indian affairs. A joint resolution was passed authorise ing the joint committee on printing to in vestigate the subject of a site for the pub lic printing office and report to congress. On motion of Mr. Bowman, of Iowa, a bill was passed to make Couneil Bluffs, la . a port of delivery. The following reports were made: Bill for the settlement of claims of officers and militiamen in the state of Missouri; bill to construct a bridge across the Mis souri river at Dewitt Carroll county, Mis souri; bill to enable intermediate ports o* the great lakes to obtain official statistics of the amount of bu does transacted at such *x>rts.