Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 January 1887 — LATER NEWS ITEMS. [ARTICLE]

LATER NEWS ITEMS.

The protection Democratic Congressmen have completed consideration of the bill to reduce the surplus revenue upon which they had been at work for some time, says a Washington telegram. The principal and general features of the bill are the same that have been published from time to time: It wipes out the tax on tobacco and weiss beer, and also the license tax on dealers in whisky. Tne question whether the tax on alcohol used in the arts should be removed or the tax on whisky should be reduced is left an open one to be decided by the House. The provisions of the Randall bill which increased the duties iu certain cases are stricken out. The free list of the Randall bill has also been augmented. Lumber, ergots, fur used in making hats, jute, and jute butts are among the articles placed on the free list The duty on steel rails is reduced to sl3. The principal features of the Hewitt customs administrative bill are incorporated in the new bill, together with some additions adjusted by the Treasury Department. What is known as the “warehouse" section of the Hewitt bill, however, is eliminated. It is expected that the customs sections of the bill will effect a reduction of about $10,000,0.10, and that the total reduction of revenue made by the bill will be from $55,030,000 to $60,000,000. The intention in framing the customs portion of the bill was to avoid as far as possible all questions likely to lead to controversy. The committee appointed at the last meeting will confer with Speaker Carlisle as to the best mode of procedure. The United Labor party of Philadelphia have put up a ticket for city officers, a shoemaker, a cigarmaker, a car-driver, and an attorney being nominated for the principal positions. Four steel boilers exploded in the works of a steel and iron establishment near Allegheny City, Pa., destroying the works and killing two men. Gen. Charles P. Stone, better known as Stone Pasha, died in New York last week. Gen. Stone was born in Massachusetts, entered the West Point Military Academy in 1841, served with distinction in the Mexican war, and eubsequently settled in California. At the breaking out of the late civil war he was in Washington, and was the first volunteer officer sworn into the service. He was arrested in 1862 aud confined in Fort Lafayette seven months for alleged misconduct in the field. No charges were preferred against him and no explanations w-ere ever made to him for the outrage. He entered the Egyptian army in 1870, where he held the rank of Brigadier General and Ferik Pasha and general aid-de-camp to the Khedive. He was an engineer, and his last work was the construction of the Liberty pedestal in New York harbor.

A cyclone swept over Queensland, accompanied by an extraordinary rainfall. Many persons were drowned. A Paris cablegram states that General Boulanger has ordered the commanders of all French fortresses to be at their posts before Feb. 20. Herr Bennigsen, in an address to several thousand National Liberals at Hanover, urged that the passage of the Septenate bill was the only means of avoiding war. The bill to authorize the President of the United States to protect and defend the rights of American fishing vessels, American fishermen, American trading and other vessels in certain cases, passed the Senate January 24. Riddleberger of Virginia was the only Senator voting in the negative. The bill concerning postoffices of the third class, providing that they shall not be changed into postoffices of the fourth class, where the gross receipts amount to $1,900 a year, or where the box receipts and commissions constituting the postmaster's compensation amount to $1,030, passed the Senate. Senator Allison introduced the primary bankreserve bill in the Senate. A resolution was introduced in the House by Congressman Lawler directing the Committee on Naval Affairs to inquire into the expediency of a bill appropriating $50,000,000, to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of the Navy, for the construction, equipment, and armament of such new vessels of war as may be deemed necessary. Mr. Springer, of Illinois, introduced a constitutional amendment changing the time for the assembling of Congress to the first Wednesday in January of each year. Mr. Thomas, of Illinois, introduced a bill to increase the naval establishment. It authorizes the construction of two steel cruisers, of about four thousand tons displacement, of the type of “cruiser No. 1,” at a cost, exclusive of armament, of not more than $1,303,000 each; five steel gunboats, of the type of “gunboat No. 1,” at a cost, exclusive of armament, of not more than $520,0J0 each; and six steel torpedo boats, having a maximum speed of not less than twen-ty-four knots per hour, to cost, exclusive of armament, SIOO,OOO each.