The Helena Independent

GOTHAM SCORES A JOLT.
Chicago Meets a Defeat in the Fight
for the Location of the
World's Fair.

A Decision by the Assistant Secretary
of the Interior of Interest
to Homesteaders.
The Luck of a North DakotanColored
People Want a Federal Election Law
The Day in the House.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.—There was another
protracted struggle in the house committee
on the world's fair to-day, out of which the
New York party came victorious. The battle
began as soon as the sub-committee reported
to the full committee that it did not
recommend either of the propositions referred
to it, and asked permission to frame
a bill providing for the place in 1892 and
leaving the question of its site for future
settlement. This was finally adopted after
a lively discussion. Mr. Bowden was present
for the first time.

Mr. Springer assailed the report, charging
that the committee was violating the
spirit of its instructions by the house,
which meant that the resolution providing
for the selection of a site should be reported
in three days. He repeated what he had
already said touching the dangers of a delay.
Taking up a New York newspaper he
read from it an account of the proceedings of
the legislature at Albany and the remarks of
Mr. Sheehan to the effect that all of the
money for the fair would be furnished by
New York city; that the New York representatives
were waiting anxiously to hear
from the legislature; that Messrs. Flower
and Belden had telegraphed them to act at
once, and that delay meant danger and the
loss of the fair to New York.

Springer said that the committee was
asked to sit here and do nothing until the
New York legislature had leisurely acted
upon the proposition. When that was formulated
the New York representatives were
to go into the house and assert that New
York asked no financial aid from the government
and thus use their fifteen million
fund columbiad to blow up the other cities.
He was surprised to see the representatives
of these other cities surrendering their
prospects and acquiescing in that programme.

Mr. Flower in reply said Mr. Springer
had been taunting the committee with delay,
but it might pay to wait for fifteen
days, if the government saved a million
dollars a day, as it would if the legislature
acted favorably upon the bill. Continuing
Flower said: Mr. Bowden had just come
from a sick bed, and Hatch, another member
of the committee, was still sick. It was
not fair for the committee to expect to rush
along with so important a matter until all
the members were acquainted with the subject.
Other members of the committee
could at least have the opportunity Hitt
had had, as a member of the committee on
foreign affairs, to study the subject before
undertaking to report a plan to the house,
and they should not be deprived of that
right by yielding to the desires of one city
(Chicago).

It was proper and prudent that the house
should decide that there would be a fair before
an attempt was made to fix the site;
otherwise after naming the site the malcontents
might succeed in defeating the main
proposition, and there would be no fair.

Mr. Hitt replied briefly, urging prompt action.
Mr. Bowden thought he had all the
information necessary for his guidance.
Finding themselves in the majority, the
New York men pressed them for action upon
the sub-committee's report and it was
adopted, Messrs. Hitt, Springer and Bowden
voting against it. The committee then
adjourned subject to the call of the chairman,
which will be issued when the sub-
committee reports its bill.

The following additional section offered
by the ways and means committee was
adopted: Merchandise deposited in a public
or private bonded warehouse may be
withdrawn within three years from the date
of the original importation on the payment
of the duties and charges to which it might
be subject by the law at the time
of withdrawal, providing nothing herein
shall affect or impair the existing
provisions of law in regard to
the disposal of perishable or explosive
articles, and provided, further, that this section
shall not apply to any article which has
been exported from the United States and
reimported. The committee finally completed
consideration of the bill, rose, and
reported the bill to the house formally. The
first vote was taken on the amendment to
the carton section adopted yesterday. The
action was reversed and the amendment defeated.

Hitt offered a resolution increasing the
membership of the world's fair committee
from nine to thirteen, and providing the
committee shall have jurisdiction over all
questions relating to the fair except
that as to location. The location is to be
selected as follows: On one day representatives
of the competing cities shall present
their claims and on the following day the
members shall vote their choice of location.
Referred to the committee on rules.

Clement offered a resolution calling on
the secretary of war for information as to
whether the contractors for lining the
Washington aqueduct tunnel are not liable
individually and on their bond for the loss
to the government incident to the defective
work done therein, and if so whether any
legal proceedings have been or will be instituted
against them. The house then adjourned
and a republican caucus was announced to
be held Monday evening.