Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1882 — FROM WASHINGTON [ARTICLE]

FROM WASHINGTON

News and Gossip From the National Capital—A Legation Clerk’s Mistake- ■* Hah. John C. New, of Indiana, Appointed Assistant Secretary* of the Treasury. Rumors of Future Changes in the Cabinet—Commissions Signed, Etc. Lanier, tbe contestant of the seat in the House from the Third Louisiana District, against King, now holding, will send a memorial to the House next week, claiming that there was bulldozing in the district, and that there should Ire a new election. The bill before the House to build bridges over the St. Johu and St. Francis rivers, to connect the United States with New’Brunswick, will be considered by the Foreign Affairs Committee Monday. Mr. Smith’s Vaccine Virus bill is in a fair way to pass the House and become a law. The Republican this morning Days a handsome compliment to Mr. Aldrich, of Illinois, on account of his kindness to a poor woman who called on him at the Capitol, asking aid. Hon. William E. Chandler is here, and the rumor that he is going into Secretary Hunt’s chair, and Hunt is to go on the Supreme Bench, is revived. Nothing could please either r f them better. Hunt prefers the Supreme Court to the navy. The rumor is revived that MrVSargent, of California, will go into the Cabinet as soon as some business he has in the Interior Department is finished up. The Nicaragua Interoceanic Canai Company appears before the House Committee next week. It wants the government to guarantee 3 per cent, on $60,000,000 of bonds for twenty years, and it will permit the government to take the controlling interest of the stock if it desires. The committee will report against the admission of a delegate from Alaska. The President has signed the commission of Frederick A. Tuttle to be Governor of Arizona; George P. Dunbar to be Collector of Internal Revenue of the Sixth district of Ohio; William H. Armstrong, of Pennsylvania, to be Commissioner of Railroads. The House Committee on Elections have agreed to dismiss the contest without prejudice iu the case of Mabson vs. Oates, from the /Third District of Alabama. The sub-committee of the House Committee on Territories has agreed to report to the full committee Tuesday next in favor of the proposition to admit as a State all of that portion of Dakota lying south of the 46th parallel of latitude, the northern portifm to constitute, as now, the Territory of Dakota. The sub-committee will prepare a substitute for the pending bill providing for the necessary machinery, of government, etc. David Dudley Field appeared before tbe select committee of the House on the law respecting the election of President and Vice President and gave the committee at some lenght his views. He fully approved the features of the bill introduced in the House by Mr. Hewitt, and advocated the submission to the United States courts uuder quo warranto, with the right of appeal to the Supreme Court of the Uuited Htates, of all questions affecting title to the offices of the President and Vice President arising under the election for those offices. No action has yet been taken by the committee upon the pending bill. The joint conference of the.sub committees of the House Committees on Commerce, Naval Affairs, and Post Offices and Post Roads, was held today upon the subject of the Ocean Mail Service, and the lollowiug resolution was adopted: Resolved, That it is the sense of this joint committee that it is advisable to promote the postal and commercial interests of the United States by proving sufficient compensation for the carriage of the ocean mails from the Uuited States to foreign ports by American ships. This resolution will be reported to the respective full committees. It is believed some measure will shortly be reported to the House, favoring liberal compensation to an American line of fast mail steamships. The feeling grows that Soteldo had no good reason for his assault. His

whole newspaper history has bfeen a repetion of his attack on others. He is still living, but there is ao hope of his recovery. Washington, February 13. The bUI prepared by the Distillers’ Association was presented in the House this afternoon. Its provisions have been pretty well detailed. It reduces the tax to cents; extends the bonded period i efinitely, and permits warehouse dg to be given for one year; also permits distilling by Virginia makers. Senator Maxey’s bill, increasing the efficiency of the Signal Service, will, it is thought, be reported soon. It provides that the offices of the Signal Service shall hereafter be assigned permanently to that service, which is to be made a distinct corps of the army, instead of being detailed from the line as at present. The argument in favpr ot the bill is a strong one. As showing the value and practical benefits of the Signal Service, the following statistics have been laid before the committee . having charge of the bill. The total number of disasters upon the lakes by the stranding and foundering of vessels in the four years preceding the establishment of the cautionary di-play system—from 1868 to IS7I inclusive, was 751, and the net loss of property amounted to $6,714,648. In the succeeding four years, while the system was in process of perfection, the number of disasters was 535, with a total loss of property amounting to $4,896,571. In the next four yeais—from 1876 to 1879 inclusive —the total number of disasters was 373, with a loss of property amounting to ouiy $2,813,330. The attempt to bind the Democratic party to antagonize the tariff commission was a failure. Mr. Randall favors the commission, and controls the Democratic side of the House. The number of women voting for school officers iu Boston has steadily decreased since the fi-st election after the law passed permitting them to vote.

The committee will report favorably the bill making the Commissioner of Agriculture a member of the Cabinet. Mr. Young introduced a bill to-day creating the office ot Commissioner of Mines and Mining, with a salary of 84,000. . A resolution is soon to be reported favorably to the House to make the Agricultural Department an executive department. A resolution was reported to the House to-day to make avilable the appropriation for the pay of census clerks. The Coroner’s jury find that Soteldo came to his death by a shot from his brother’s pistol.A Another vigolps effort is making to increase the duty on malt. Washington, February 14. Mr. Christiaucy has sent an apology to ex-Secretary Blaine for his complaint of the publication of his personal letter. An investigation by the State Department shows that the Legation Ifclerk had sent the letter on an official letter head, thus making it an official document. The Republican says of the late tragedy: “That while it is clear that Sofeldo was killed by bis brother, so far as Mr. Barton was concerned, if he had killed both assailants, he would have done what any man would do whose life was attempted.” The news of Mr. Farwell’s big contract in Texas is received with lively satisfation here. Mr. Farwell is popular among his fellow members of Congress. Scoville expects to finish his work j and leave for Chicago next week. The indications are that the bill introduced to reduce the tax on whisky will be favorably considered in the House. The high tariff people favor it, as do the distil'lers and dealers, who are urging members to supj ort it. The clause favoring an indefinite extension of the bonded perjod will hardly pass, as Commissioner Raum dots not favor an indefinite extension. The Secretary of War's report to the House shows the total number of militia of the couutry to be 125,34 b, of which Illinois has 7,919 and Missouri 1,772. The total number of men available for military duty, but not organized, is 6,471,767. * The Senate Committee ou Public Lands discussed at length the resolution to instruct the Attorney General to defend the titles of the Western homesteads which are claimed by railroad companies to have been included in laud grants to them. This resolution involves directly the lands included in the, receut decision of Judge Miller, at but indirectly it touches the titles of many other 'fiomesteade. The question is, whether entries made upon the land Included in railroad grants before that laud was form •. iy and finally withdrawn by G v nt use are good or not. * *

Senator P unA, Kansas,. Stated that he knew a i-:i- 5-0 cases where this question - r-.. uto tHle, and that there wei- tn> -Js of other cases. The committee u d not come to any conclusion. , The nomination of John C. N?w, |of Indiana, to be Assistant Secretary of the United State Treasury, was a general surprise. It is said New could have had a foreign mission, tout preferred a place in this country. It is now rumored that Filly, of st. Louis,“.will soou be provided with a good place. John M. Frew, of Duraneo, Col., was examined as a witness before the Grand Jury In the star route eases. He w^i instructed to bring all letters received him from S. W. Dorsey, J. W. Dorsey; J. R, Miner and M. A. Reerdell, or any of them, iu relation to the mail service in Colorado since July 1, IS7S.