Washington Letter

! Krom our Regular Correspondent.) Washington, D. C, Feb. 25, 1895. It is a toss-up whether congress will, during its remaining week of life, make the immediate calling of an extra session necessary. It can do tliis by the adoption of objectionable amendments to the' regular appropnation bilis, or by failure to pass one or more of the regular appropnation bilis. President Cleveland will certainly veto any appropriation bilí that has objectionable amendments tacked upon it, and there is no question that several of those which are pending belong to the objectionable class. There is an enormous lot of work yet to be done to get the appropriation bilis througli, and some of the proposed financial amendments will be certain to cause bitter and more or less extended debate, which will leave just that much less time for solid work. There is no good reason why any of the appropriation bilis should fail, and if any does it will be the result of a put-up job, and the republicans dread an early extra session too much themselves to engage 'in that sort of 'hing just now. But in congress there are others. No appointment made by President Cleveland has given more satisfaction in congress, regardless of political opinioQs, than that of Senator Ransom to be minister to Mexico. The unanimous confirmation of his nomination without reference to committee was moved by Senator Sherman, who took occasion to speak in the highest terms of the fitness of the nomination and of the ability, character and patriotism of Senator Ransom. He will be thoroughly at home in Mexico, as he speaks both French and Spanish. There was a meeting of the silver men here Saturday, and it is understood that they discussed plans for a silver presidential ticket. It was significant that none of the republican silver men in congress attended this meeting, Hon. Walter B. Ritchie, of Lima, Ohio, supreme chancellor of the Knights of Pythias, is in Washington on Pythian business. He keeps posted on the political situation in his state, and he does not consider McKinley's prospects bright. He said: "It is doubtful whether Gov. McKinley will command the solid support of his own state delegation for the presidential nomination. Some of the leading men of his party care very little for McKinley, and will knife him at the first opportunity. State pride may cause them to give a sort of lukewarm adherence to his candidacy, but they will not stand by him through thick and thin.i They realize that the McKinley idea of the tariff has been weighed in the balance and found wanting. It would be too heavy a load in 1896, and they are not going to assume the burden." In accordance with the opinión that President Cleveland has several times expressed, the senate committee on appropriations has agreed to an amendment to the sundry civil appropriation bill, appropriating $5, 238, 289 to pay the bounty on sugar produced in 1893 at the old rate and to pay eight-tenths of a cent a pound upon the erop of 1894. Secretary Herbert is much pleased that the house adopted his recommendation for building three battle ships, and he has no expectation that the senate will do otherwise, but he deeply regrets that so many democrats worked and voted against the battle ship clause of the naval appropriation bill, in the house, although fully aware that it was a matter of conscience and principie with those who do so. The senate still insists upon ceptance by the house of its r ian cable amendment, although the! latter has once by a yea and nay ; vote refused to do so. The araendment is now for the second time in conference. The Howgate trial ended with a hung jury. The district attorney says he has other indictments upon which Howgate will be tried. It is said that the reason the trial was so tatne and free from the expected sensational developments was that parties who might have been compromised convinced Howgate that the art of "fixing a jury" was still practiced, for a consideration, by experts, and further that he would not have to furnish the "consideration." It is believed that the railroad pooling bill was finally shelved when the senate by a vote of 42 to 24 refused to take it up. Senator Wolcott is afraid that some of the European countries might during the congress'onal vacation get in the notion to hold an international monetary conference and find the United States unprepared to take part therein. In order to avoid such a predicament he has offered an amendment to the sundry civil appropriation bill, authorizing the president to appoint three commissioners, should they be needed, to act with a joint congressional committee of six, as representatives of the United States,