Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 March 1885 — LATER NEWS ITEMS. [ARTICLE]

LATER NEWS ITEMS.

A large consignment of articles manufactured by prison labor in the United States has been seized at London. Ontario, under the new Canadian law prohibiting the importation of goods made by convicts. Gen. Buller’s rear guard has arrived at Korti from Gakdul in a terribly' fatigued condition. Two Italian men-of-war and six torpedo vessels have arrived at Port Said. A special force of clerks is employed in filing applications for postinastersbips. First Assistant Postmaster General Crosby has resigned, and his resignation has been accepted. Col. Nelson H. Davis, who is now located in Chicago, will succeed the late Gen. Sacket as senior Inspector General of the army. A New Orleans dispatch says that before relinquishing his prisoner, the Chief of Police of that city demands the reward offered by the Adrian (Mich.) authorities for the arrest of ex-Mayor Navin. The requisition papers for the return of the fugitive have been signed by the Governor of Louisiana, but, unless a reward is forthcoming, the police may let the prisoner slip through their fingers. An earthquake at Lancaster, Pa., shook buildings and threw plates from tables. Services were suspended in the churches until the shock subsided. Gen. Weaver, of lowa, and the Hon. Sidney Clarke, of Kansas, interviewed President Cleveland the other day in behalf of the Oklahoma colonists. Mr. Clarke urged that, these people were law-adiding citizens, who only desired to obtain their right to settle upon lands which had been bought and paid lor by the United States long ago. A large amount of information was laid before the President showing that the whole of Oklahoma is now illegally occupied by cattle companies, and that it would have been opened to settlement long ago had it not been for fraud and conspiracy between dishonest public officials and the cattle syndicate. In conclusion Mr. Clarke asked the President to withdraw the United States troops. Gen. Weaver argued that the settlers, far from being the desperadoes they are painted, were among the most respected citizens of lowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Kansas, and other States, who were anxious to go to Oklahoma to make homes. The invocation of the military power Gen. Weaver declared to be wrongful and without precedent. President Cleveland said that he would investigate the matter at once, and suggested that Secretary Lamar should be conferred with.

Communications from the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Attorney General, conveying notification of their acceptance of Cabinet positions and requesting the President of the Senate to so notify the Legislatures of their respective States, were read to the Senate on the 9th Inst. The President sent to the Senate the following nominations: C. 8. Fairchild, of New York, to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury; John C. Black, of Illinois, to be Coihmißsioner of Pensions. Mr. Van Wyck’s resolution making inquiry of the Secretary of the Interior regarding the issue of patents to the “Backbone” Railroad was taken up. Mr. Van Wyck detailed the “mysterious record" of the Backbone Road. He said that Gould and Huntington were at the bottom of a scheme to get possession of the land-grant. It was claimed that there was a special meeting of the Cabinet to legalize the fraud; but the settlers did not have any advocate there. The Cabinet did not protect them. On the contrary, it turned them over to the tender mercies of the corporation. The whole history of the land bureau of the Interior Department was a record of demands by land grant corporations and decrees of the department in obedience thereto. When the demand was too exacting, as in this case, the opinion of the Attorney General was sought behind which to hide. By what mysterious power, Mr. Van Wyck asked, could this compary coerce the Government into an extra session of its Cabinet and compel the Interior Department to work nights and Sundays in order to secure action foreclosing Congress and the people from rending the spoiler from his prey? Mr. Van Wyek gave notice that the patents issued would lie contested. Ex-Secr§-tary Teller in his reply said that Mr. Van Wyck was a professional anti-monopolist, and that his object was to pose before the public and to gain notoriety. Mr. Teller's speech was an elaborate legal argument to show that the “Backbone” Company was entitled to the grant.