Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 March 1883 — WASHINGTON NOTES. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON NOTES.

Washington is gradually filling up with rich men retired merchants, bankers and the like—who are buying and building elegant mansions, with a view of spending a major part of the time in the capital. The statement , of the United States Treasurer shows gold, silver and United States Notes in the Treasury as follows: Gold coin and bullion ..............$180,085,272 Silver dollars and bullion Fractional silver coin .....1.!......;... 27,885,896 United States notes... 45,863,* 66 , Total., 3^9,872,878 Second Assistant Postmaster-General Elmer has ordered the establishment of a postal route in the Territory of Alaska,to extend from Haines to Janna, a distance of 1,000 miles, the servioe to be monthly. The mail will probably be carried by canoe. Hie contract was awarded to Sheldon Jackson, of the New Tork Presbyterian Missionary Society. This is the first mail route between points within the Territory of Alaska, In reply to a resolution of Congress regarding the costs of the star-route trials, the Secretary of the Treasury states that there has been paid to George Bliss $28,336.05, making a total paid Bliss since he was retained of $59,069,09; to Richard T. Merrick, $20,090; to W. V. Ker, $23,912,87; to H. H. Wells, $2,622,45; to W. A. Cook. $5,250; to A. M. Gibson, $5,000 The total expense on aoooont of lawyers foots up $115,858.41. It would be of in. tereet now to know how much Brady and Dorsey have had to pay their lawyer.

There has been a number of designs submitted to the Postoffioe Department for the proyosed new two-cent stamp. Upon the return of the Postmaster-gener-al he will decide upon some design. It is probable that the head of Washington, now on the three-oent stamp, will be retained on the new stamp, perhaps with some changes in the border. Hie new stomp will not beoome the single-rate postage until after Oct. 1 next, when the present supply of tliree-cent stamps will be about exhausted. The Governdr of Georgia has informed Secretary Frelinghuysen that the case of the Chinese brothers driven out of Waineebore by a mob will be immediately referred to the States’ prosecution officers of the judicial circuit embracing that town, with a request that the full power of the courts be used in administering justice in the matter. Governor Boynton adds that the good people of Georgia sanction no kind of lawlessness.

A statement has been prepared for the Treasury Department showing the total estimated receipts of the government for the fiscal year ending Juns 30, 1883, under the operation of the new tariff act, will be $405,000,000; of this amount $220,000,000 is estimated revenue from customs, $143,500,000 from internal revenue, and $41,500,000 from miscellaneous sources. The revenues for the fisoal year ended June 30, 1882, were: From customs, $280,410,000; internal revenue, $146,496,000; miscellaneous sources, $36,610,009; total, $403,525,000. Judge Atchison, in the United States District Court, filed an opinion in the case of the United States vs. Wm. Jenkinson, of great importance to the tobacco trade. The defendant was indicted for selling tobaooo contrary to seotion 3,363 of the Revised Statutes. His offense consisting of having sold five, pounds of plug tobaooo from a broken package to a smaller dealer. Judge Atohison says the government has no right to inquire whether Jenkinson sold the tobacco to be sold again, and consequently discharged the defendant. This opinion is contrary to all recent rulings of the Umted States Internal Revenue Department. JjL

The charges against Supervising teot Hill were made by Mr. March, of Maine. They cover over twenty pages of legal cap paper written with a type-writ-er. Betore Congress adjourned Mr, Murch read the charges, which he subsequently filed with Secretary Folger, to a number of persons about the Capitol. One charge is that the system of paying for cutting stone adopted by the supervising architect is extravagant. Mr. Muroh, it is understood, has made such complaints before,but neveer in the shape of formnlated chargee. Supervising Architect Hill says it is J. G. Mills who is said to be pressing the charges against him (Mr. Hill), not A. G. Mills, formerly Chief clerk of the architect’s office, as heretofore <published. The members df the Civil-service Commission met by appointment at Willard's Hotel Monday morning, and then pro* oeeded to inspect the apartments offered as headquarters. Judge Thoman, one of commissioners, said: “We want three rooms for the commission proper, and a large room in Which to conduct examinations.’ After the commissioners have scoured quarters they will prepare for the work for Which they were appointed. Buies for the -government of the commission have notyOt formally considered the matter of the appqjntment of examinerin -chief, but will 1 doso after they have established themselves in headquarters.

Pll Ml 111 AI f I , • n f * has called Dr, Salmon t j Washington to make investigations into the diseases of swine and poultry, on land provided for the purpose, and supplied with the necessary animals, proper buildings and apparatus tor inoculation, autopsies and chemical analyses. The system of inoculation adopted by Pasteur will be contained, pon the valuable discoveries made by Dr. Salmon in this country wil be applied. The investigation will be made especially in Texas fever, pleuropneumonia and hog and chicken cholera. Dr. Salmon feels confident that he can, ere long, place in the hand* of the farmer means by which these duKsmew can be prevented and cured. The Forty-seventh Congress was not a bonanza for the old pensioners whose claims date back of the late civil war—to the Mexican, the Indian wars, the war of 1812, etc. At the late session 315 claima were referred to the House committee on pensions. About twenty-five of these were reported to the House favorably as many adversely, but not more than twelve or fifteen passed. The oommittee did not press these claims toward the dose of the session,owing to the fact that a day had been fixed for consideration of a Mexican service pension bill and the belief that a law oovering all these oases would have been passed without serious opposition had the matter been reached. The rush of business and the precedence of the tariff and appropriation hi Ha prevented the bringing up of the measure, so these cases are left over.

A statement has been prepared by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue which shows the receipts of that office for the last fiscal year to have been $146,400,000. The receipts from July 1, 1882, io March 21,1883, exceed the receipts for the corresponding period last year by $2,200,000. It is estimated the receipts for the current fiscal year, if there had been no reduction in taxation, would amounted to $148,625,000; deduction on aooount of changes in the revenue laws, $5,000,000; total estimated receipts for the current fiscal year, $143,625,000. The estimated increases or decreases of revenue for the remainder of the current fisoal year, compared with last year, are as follows: Increase on spirits, $1,600,000; decrease from banks and bankers, $2,400,000; decrease from special taxes, $1,600,000; decrease from adhesive stamps, $500,000; decrease from tobaooo, $2,000,000; total increase, $1,500,000; totel decrease, $6,500,000; net estimated decrease, $5,000,000. At the time the Chinese immigration bill was being discussed, it was understood that the Chinese government represented that they were indifferent to the action of the United States in the matter,and readily assented to the treaty which was made the basis of the restrictive emigration legislation. It appears, however, that the impression received that China was oblivious to the enactment of the Chinese bill was erroneous, and that the position of the United States in the matter is deeply resented. The Department of State is‘informed that every means is being adopted by the government to drive Americans from the empire. All sorts of onerous restrictions are placed upon their business, and new enterprises are entirely prohibited if conducted by Americans, in other words they are making it so unpleasant that Americans find it more convenient to leave the country than to remain in the face of suoh difficulties, and it is absolutely impossible, it is reported, for them to oarry on successful business, owing tolhe retaliatory measure* resorted to by the Chinese government The Department of State is engaged upon a work of the greatest importance ito the business interests of the country, anjd the people are awakening to a consciousness that the diplomatic servioe is of some practical use. The special line t*. which attention is now being directed chiefly is the oollation of information bearing on the progress of the European crusade against American pork, and ths accumulation of facts which will enable Congress to go to work intelligently when it takes up the question of reprisals next winter. There is every reason to believe that this q aestion will come up in the Forty-eighth Congress and that something will be done to put a stop to the unjustifiable attacks upon one of the leading interests of the country. The very offensive action of the German government in excluding American pork from its market has aroused a powerful spirit of retaliation. Exporters are making suoh a demand for protection that Congress cannot well refuse to move. The Sta'e Department people have been closely watohing the development of the issue from day to day. Franoe began the agitation against our meats years ago, and they are now satisfied that it is time for action ou this side of the Atlantia Meat exports last year amounted to about $120,000,000, a falling off from the previous year of owing in a great measure to the effaot of the hostile attitude toward American productions. The stand taken by Germany will serve to m-

•dnp in forthS rZw the volume ot trade in that line this year Itis probable that Congress will be called upon to consider the question of enlarging the Capitol. Rosooe Conkling, when Senator, had the best idea for the enlarging of the building, His plan was to raise the center forty feet nr»d then build out each way, east and west, from theoenter wings, so that the form would be in the shape of a Greek cross. This would give ths necessary hight to the dome, relieve the squatty appearance of the existing building and give ««niigi» room to accommodate all the needs for the next fifty years. The hail of ths House of Representatives is now haing given a thorough overhauling before Congress meets next winter. The necessity of placing additional desks in ths hall to accomodate the increased membership will very seriously cramp the floor space, and if the oounfry gains in the ten years as it has in the past the hall will have to be enlarged. The old desks will be used for the next session, bat a new carpet is to be laid. The great trouble at the Capitol new i 9 to know whether tor put the archives which accumulate every year. The fact is every paper in manuscript which comes to Congrers is pieserved; even the manuscript of papers ordered to be printed is preserved or filed away. The files of the House now oocnpy a space over the olerk’s office running from the floor of the House to the eaves of the bnilding.