Senator Patterson, of Colorado, who bolted the Democratic caucus on the Santo Domingan treaty, introduces a resolution declaring party caucus dictation unconstitutional. Senator Bailey, of Texas, replies to Senator Patterson, and severely criticises the President, the senator and the treaty. February 8.—John A. McCall, former President of the New York Life Insurance Co., is seriously ill at Lakewood, N. J. Richard A. McCurdy, former President of the Mutual Life Insurance Co., plans to leave the United States and make his home in Paris. The New York Life Insurance Company’s “house cleaning” committee reveal that Judge Andrew Hamilton has received $1,347,382 from that company since 1892. This is $283,383 in excess of the total payments disclosed by the Armstrong Committee. The committee recommends legal action against John A. McCall for the recovery of the amount. Senator La Follette, of Wisconsin, introduces a bill in the Senate making it a penalty for any Government officer, official or employee to accept a railroad pass or franking privilege over telegraph lines. By a vote of 346 to 7 the House of Representatives passes the Hepburn Railroad Rate Regulation bill just as it came from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce and declared by Chairman Hepburn to be exactly in accordance with recommendations of President Roosevelt on the subject. The House of Representatives passes the General Pension bill for the year ending June 30, 1907. The bill appropriates $140,245,000. Congressman Gardner, of Michigan, declares that when the last pensioner on account of the civil war has disappeared from the rolls, $12,000,000,000 will have been expended. _Foreign News_ January 8.—Another plot to kill the Czar of Russia is discovered. The massacre of Jews in Russia is denounced at a public meeting in England. King Edward dissolves the existing parliament, and orders the polling for the new one to begin January 13 and end January 27. Negotiations for a settlement between the Bermudez Asphalt Co. and Venezuela again fail. Secretary Root will probably ask Congress to settle the dispute. A few minor disturbances occur in Russia. Many arrests are made by the police. St. Pierre-Miquelon agrees to aid Newfoundland in her campaign against American fishermen. January 9.—A general uprising in Siberia is feared by the Russian Government. Martial law is being extended to more provinces. The peasants continue to burn and pillage in the Baltic provinces. Russia pledges some of her railroads to secure a loan from Paris bankers. The Japanese Government plans to give $75,000,000 in pensions and bonds to the soldiers and sailors who fought in the war with Russia. January 11.—The cost of the Russo-Japanese war to Russia reaches $1,050,000,000.