Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1888 — THE NATIONAL CAPITAL. [ARTICLE]

THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

The surviving supporters of Gen. N. P. Banks, at his election for Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1855, celebrated the thirty-second anniversary of the event at Washington the other night A Washington special to the Chicago Daily News says: Gov. Swineford of Alaska says that be will ask President Cleveland to relieve him unless Alaska can be given a proper system of law. He wants local legislation or a council to form local laws and a system of land laws, so as to insure titles to occupants. Unless he is satisfied that Congress will recognize Alaska’s wants he will tender his recognition before he leaves Washington. In case of his resignation he will not return to Michigan, but will give all his attention to his mining interests in Alaska. The Chicago Tribune's Washington representative telegraphs that— The majority in the Ways and Means Committee have substantially agreed upon the Tariff Reduction bill. It provides for a total cut of more than $80,000,000, possibly $85,000,000. In the process of legislation this will probably come down to $75,000,0(0. The members are now making the final revision. A few changes will be made here and there to adjust it to the necessities of the hour, but its leading features will go before the House just as they stand today., The only important point that is uncertain is the amount of the cut on pig-iron and the question of placing coal on the free list. Iron ore will not be disturbed. The outcome will probably be that pig iron will be tenderly handled. and coal will not go on the free list. Here is a bare outline of the committee bill: "Free list —Wool, salt, lumber, 150 chemicals, and numerous raw materials of no great importance. Metal schedule—Steel rails to sll or sl2 per ton; pig iron to $5 per ton; tinplate about 30 per cent. Reductions are also provided for in about all the articles entering into agricultural implements and tools. Sugar, 20 per cent.; tobacco, 66 per cent.: fruit brandies, free ; glass, amount not yet decided on.” The following is a recapitulation of the debt statement issued by the United States Treasurer on the Ist inst.;

INTEREST-BEARING DEBT. Bonds at per centß 230,544,600 Bonds at 4 per cent 732,447,600 Refunding certificates at 4 per cent 147,350 Navy pension fund at 3 per cent... 14,000,000 Pacific railroad bonds at 6 par cent 64,023,512 Principa1;51,041,763,062 Interest 6,837,237 T0ta1.51,048,600,299 DEBT ON WHICH INTEREST BAS CEASED SINCE MATURITY. Principal...,...,s 2,914,365 Interest 176,931 Total§ 3,031,346 DEBT BEARING NO INTEREST. Old demand and legal-tender notes.S 346,737,956 Certificates of deposit 10,645,000 Gold certificates 104,853,971 Silver certificates 179,321,053 Fractional currency (less $8,375,934 estimated as lost or destroyed).. . 6,941,825 Principal.....s 648,499,805 TOTAL DEBT. Principa151,693,177,232 Interest 7,014,219 Less cash items available for reduction of the debt.....s 304,749,624 Less reserve held for redemption of U. B. notes 100,000,000 Totalß 404,749,624 Total debt less available cash item5|1,£95,441,827 Net cash in the Treasury 85,230,746 Debt less cash in Treasury Feb. 1, 18»8$1,210,211,081 Debt less cash in Treasury Jan. 1, 11,225,598,401 Decrease of debt during month .$ 15,387,320 Decrease of debt since June 3J, 1887 69,217,655 CASH IN THE TREASURY AVAILABLE FOB THE REDUCTION OF THE PUBLIC DEBT. Gold held for gold certificates actually outstandings 104,853,971 Silver held for silver certificates actually outstanding 179,322,053 U. S. notes held for certificates of deposit actually outstanding 10,645,000 Cash held for matured debt and interest unpaid 9,088,584 Fractional currency 1,015 Total available for reduction of debtß 304,749,623 RESERVE FUND. Held for redemption of U. S. notes, acts Jan, 14,1875, and July 12, 1882 $100,000,000 Unavailable for reduction of the debt— Fractional silver coin $25 019,973 Minor coin 113 617 „ $25,133,590 Certificates held as cash 35,878,727 Net cash on hand 85,230,746 Total cash in Treasury, as shown by the Treasurer's gen'l account. $550,992,686 The Senate Indian Affairs Committee has favorably reported a bill authorizing the removal of the Southern Ute Indians from the State of Colorado to the Uintah Valley reservation in Utah.

The President has approved and promulgated a revision of the civil-service rules which makes several very important changes in the system of appointments upon tests of fitness applied to applicants for places in the departments at Washington and in the classified customs offices and postcffices. The commission has also revised the civil-service regulations to conform to the new rules. These revisions, says a Washington telegram, have been under consideration by the commission during the greater part of a year, and both have received careful consideration by President Cleveland. He read them at length several times, and made changes and modifications, both of matter and phraseology. Not one of the old rules or regulations remains in its original form. The new rules are divided into four parts—general rules, department rules, customs rules, and postal rules. There are nine general rules, and they are applicable, except in one or two particulars, to all parts of the classified service, and to some parts of the service uot yet classified under the law or rules. By these rules it is made an offense punishable by dismissal in any officer of the executive civil service to use his official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with an election or controlling the results thereon, or to dismiss or use influence to procure the dismissal of any person from any place in the service because such person hum refused to be coerced in his political action, or has refused to contribute money for any political purpose, or to render political service.