Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 March 1883 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

James Gilfillan, who has for several years occupied the position of Treasurer of the United States, has resigned that office and will go into the banking businessinNew York. The following appointments were made by the President just before the adjournment of Congress: Russell Errett, Pension Agent at Pittsburgh. John Bissell, Register of Land Office at Kerwin, Kaa S. Hollister Dodge, Register of the Land Office at Concordia, Ka& Edward 0. Graves, of New York, Chief Examiner of the Civil Service Commission, vice Silas W. Burt, declined. Lew Morrill, of Indiana, Surveyor of Customs at Michigan City, Ind. James B. Edmonds, of lowa, Commissioner of the District of Columbia. Paul Stroback, of Alabama, United States Marshal for the Southern Middle District of Alabama. Max Polacheck, of Illinois, United States Consul at Zanzibar. Edward L Curtis, of Idaho, Secretary of the Territory of Idaho. Charles F. Babcock, Receiver of Public Moneys, McCook, Neb. Christopher Hostetter, Register of the Land Office at Grand Island, Neb. Gilbert L Law’s, Register of the Land Office at McCook, Neb. Norns Marks, Receiver of Public Moneys at New Orleans. Joseph Bookwaiter, Collector of Customs for the District of Minnesota. Two important decisions have just been rendered by the Supreme Court of the United States. One related to what is known as the “Riddleberger bill,” which forbade the Virginia tax collectors to receive in payment of taxes any coupons of State bonds of 1871 and 1879 until the genuineness of such bonds shall ie established by judicial decisions. In this case the Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Virginia Court of Appeals and declared the law to be unconstitutional In the other case it was decided that under the Federal constitution one State has not the right to sue another State by any method of indirection. This disposes effectually of the attempt recently made by the Legislatures of New Hampshire and New York to authorize creditors of a State to bring suit against it in the name of their own State. Justices Field and Harlan dissented from the last decision, the case under review being one where a citizen of New Hampshire burdened with some repudiated Louisiana bonds brought suit in the name of his State against the Louisiana State Government Congressman Belford, of Colorado, was called to the witness-stand in the trial of the star-route cases, and testified relative to his efforts at the Postoffice Department to secure the expedition of certain mail routes. In the course of his examination some questions were asked which Mr. Belford construed as an Imputation upon his honor, and after leaving the witness-stand he asked the privilege of making a statement to the court Judge Wylie curtly refused him the permission requested, when Mr. Belford denounced the action of the court He was called to the bar of the court, where he repeated his remarks with emphasis, and the Judge fined him *IOO for contempt of court After some hot words between counsel the fine was paid and the trial proceeded. It now appears that Charles H. Read did not succeed in getting his *B,OOO appropriation for defending Gulteau, the item having been stricken out by the conference committee at the last moment The new Tariff law will devolve upon the treasury a vast amount of work, and it is doubtful, says a Washington dispatch, whether there will be force enough in some of the bureaus to perform the new duties Judge David Davis was the recipient of a solid silver service from the employes of the United States Senate. The opinion prevails at the Treasury Department in Washington that the law removing the tax from bank deposits, etc., is retroactive, relieving banks from taxes that have accrued since the Ist of January.