Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1886 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

The Secretary of the Treasury Las sent to Congress the estimate of appropriations required for the ft (cal year ending Juno 30, 1888. Tho total amount estimated as required for all expenses of the Government is $325,185,701, which is 14,403,750 less than the sum called for in the estimates submitted last year, and $3,273,6,01 loss than the aggregate of appropriations for the present fiscal year. The estimates for 1888 .are made up of tho following items: Legislative establishment $3,330,883 Executive establishment 18,125,408 Judicial establishment .. 416,200 Foreign intercourse 1,935,721 Military establishment 25,817,68!) Naval establishment. .. 20,639,7 -6 Indian affairs .’ 5,608,873 Pensions 76,252,500 Public works 27.400,694 Postal service 4,729,553 Miscellaneous 24,138,089 Permanent annual appropriations... 118,699,822 Grand total $325,185,789 The Society of the Army of the Cumberland. will hold its eighteenth reunion in Washington May 18 and 19,1887, at which time the Garfield statue will be unveiled. The report of the Comstock Board of Engineers on the Hennepin Canal is in the main acceptable to tho friends of the project Says a Washington telegram: But there are some parts of it that do not suit them. The report presents in a very strong light tho commercial importance of the canal, and shows that thero are no serious difficulties in the way of its construction. The board makes no estimate of its cost. Its cordial indorsement of tho canal on commercial and military grounds will prove a material help to the friends of the canal. The board, however, leans to the Marias d’Osier route. This is the shortest and cheapest, but much of it lies through such low flooded lands that when Major Benyaurd made his survey of it three yoars ago in the dryest month of the year the surveyors were unaole to pa-s over a good part of the line. Besides, thero are no commercial linos at this end of this route to make use of tlie canal, and the mouth of the canal would be in the middle of a long reach of rapids. Boats might easily go down these rapids to outer the cunal at Rock Island, but they would hardly caro to go to the rapids to enter the canal at Marais d Osier. In his report Maj. Benyaurd, without strongly deciding in favor of any of the routes, plainly gave the Rock Island routs the preference for commercial reasons, Tho Handbury report, made a year ago, preferred the Marais d’Osior route on account of its lesser cost, but the commercial reasons for having the canal end at Rock Island were so otnious that Gen Newton, then chief of engineers, prefixed to the Handbury report a strong argument for the Rock Island route, and Gen. Bonot, who was then Acting Secretary of War, transmitted the reports with a very emphatic indorsement of the Hock Island route There is good reason to expect that Gen. Duane, the present ch-of of engineers, and Secre.ary Enelicott will both cast their influence in favor of the Rock Irinnd route. It lias been decided to call up the Pacific Railroad funding bill in the House us soon as possibl \ The Conference Committee on the interstate commerce bill has finished its labors and will report as soon as the measure can be printed. The special committee to investigate tho Southwestern strikes wdl hold an adjourned meeting in Washington Jan. 3 to listen to any person who may wish to be heard. Minister Tree reports that a contract j has boon made for tho establishment of a regI ular line of Belgian steamers betweon Antwerp j an I tlio Congo, leaving every six weeks. M. H. Day has withdrawn from the race Sor Governor of Dakota, and Judge Cunr di w U probably got the place. The Secretary of the Interior has signed an order for the sale of so much of tho Atlantic and Pacific forfeited lands as lie in New Mcx'co, tho price to bo $2.50 per aero. Treasurer Jordan has asked for an appropriation of $3 *,OBO to pay for recoining $26,003.1 GO in subsidiary silver and nickeL A Washington dispatch says the Hennepin Canal Committee is trying to gjt tho engineers t) change their report iu favor of tho Rock Island routo, a id accept tho canal from Chicago to La Salle, instead of from Chicago to Joliet.