Evening Star Newspaper, December 14, 1893, Page 1

THE EVENING STAR. PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY. AT THE STAR BUILDINGS, ne Wwania Sag corner 11th St, by- ‘The Evening Star Newspaper Oompany, 8. H. KAUFFMANN, Pres't. New York Otfice, $8 Potter Building, a Tee Evexrvo Stam is served to subseribers in the efty by carriers, on their own account, at 10 cents week. oF 445. per month Copies af the counter conts each. By mail—anywhere in the United Seaton or postage prepaid—s0 cents per SaTUEDAY PLE SHEET Stan $1.00 3 a ntered at the ie OF at Wash! . as second-class mail matter.) (@-A.1 mail subscriptions must be paid in advance, Rates of a'vertisine made known on application —— Che Lvening Star. Vor 83, No. 20,755. = WASHINGTON, D. C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1893-SIXTEEN PAGES. TWO CENTs. | Am index to advertise- ments will be found om Page 3. MR. DOCKERY’S BILL. The Joint Commission Gets Its First Measure Through the House. THE SIXTH AUDITORS OFFICE. The Report Tells of a Complicated System of Accounts. REDUCING THE FORCE. ‘The supplementary report of the depart- ment joint commission, which was submit- ted to the House just before adjournment yesterday evening, proposes to make re- duction of thirty-five clerks in the sixth euditor’s office and of five clerks in the examining division of the office of the super- intendent of the money order system. .The reduction will be consequent upon the in- suguration of the new system of keeping e@ccounts in the sixth auditor’s office, which 4s proposed ‘to be put into effect January 1 next, if Congress adopts the report of the commission; but the reduction will not go into effect until July 1 next, the clerks affected by the change being put to work on other duties until the latter date. The clerical force of the sixth auditor's office is now organized as follows: No.of Am't of 2» $30,200 23 ‘89,000 i 17,200 pr 17,400 7 95,240 52 65,960, ST 63,800, ei 87,260 48 46,960 36 37,120 «2 400 500,140 The proposed reorganization of the office will reduce the divisions from ten in num- ber to seven, and they will be formed as follows: Presidential and fourth-class of- fices and general accounts division, 84 clerks, $105,840; correspondence and files di- vision, 26 clerks, $82,980; pay division, 26 clerks, $40,800; money order examining di- vision, 71 clerks, $81,000; money order Dook- keeping division, 64 clerks, $80,540; money order assorting and checking division, 91 clerks, $71,600; money order foreign division, 12 clerks, $15,600; total, 374 clerks, $428,360— taaking a saving to the government of 35 elerks and $71,780. Simplyfying Accounts. ‘The report of the department joint com- mission says: “For the information of Congress the foint commission submit this report, which covers substantially the reforms proposed fm the accompanying bill, together with certain modifications of existing regula- tions for and methods of doing business in the office of the auditor of the treasury for the Post Office Department, and in cer- tain offices of the Post Office Department; which modificati methods by the ‘Treasury and have been approved. “These récoinmendations will simplify the manner of keeping and auditing accounts in the office of the auditor and the methods of business in the office of the third as- sistant postmaster general. There is a great deal of duplication and unnecessary work now done in the auditor's office, and the changes proposed will effect a more direct and expeditious settlement of ac- counts, as well as a large saving of clerk Dire. ‘The accounts of the presidential post offices have heretofore passed through four divisions of the sixth auditor’s office, and {t can readily be seen what an unneces- through which they pass are the examining division, the review division, the bookkeep- ing division and the collecting division. ! In all of these four divisions more or less} of examining work is done upon the ac- counts. * “It is now proposed that the accounts of Postmasters shall go to one division, where they shall be settled finally except in ‘where the auditor's clerk finds a differ- ence, when the account will be reviewed by & proposed second division. “By the present system of passing an account through so many divisions the re- sponsibility is divided, and careful and ac- curate work is not obtained, as is proved by an examination of the work in the sixth auditor's office. The larger part of the ance, in the examining division, of the in- spection of money order accounts, whereby the work of about five clerks at, say, $6,000 per annum, may be dispensed with.” The Bill Prepared. The reforms proposed, as outlined by the foregoing report, are provided for in a bil! reported by Mr. Dockery several days ago and published in The Star at the time. The bill has been carefully examined and is approved by the Postmaster General. Section 1 of the bill abolishes the postal note. Section 2 reduces the fees charged for money orders and brings them to the same basis as is now charged by the various ex- press companies. The reduction takes place in the fees charged for orders exceeding 15 cents. Section 3 proposes to reduce the fee paid to postmasiers for the issuing of money orders to three cents. This applies to third and fourth-class postmasters, as first and second-class postmasters at present—and no change is made as to this provision—re- ceive an allowance for clerk hire requisite for the work that is done in the money order business. Section 4 provides for turning into the treasury, for the account of the Post Office Department, the funds that are now held by the latter on account of the numerous unpaid domestic money orders and postal notes accumulated since the organization of the money order system, together with an accurate accounting for the amount in- volved. The government has gone on re- ceiving money for issuing these orders and notes and paid it out as they have been presented, and left to chance or guesswork the question of the balance remaining un- paid. Section 5 repeals the section of the stat- utes which now provides for the payment of a money order more than one year old by issuing a new order in lieu of the old one of the Postmaster General. Section 6 amends by adding to an exist- ing section of the statutes the require- ment that postmasters shall attach to their reports, to the auditor, of money. orders repaid at their offices, the advice sent to the office upon. which the order was drawn, which, as a matter of course, must be re- called for the purpose of preventing the office to which the advice was sent report- ing the same to the auditor as unpaid, after it will have been in his hands more than a year. Section 7 so amends_an existing stat- ute as to abolish the present form of ap- Plication for money orders and empowers the Postmaster General to issue a form requiring less writing and at only such offices as there appears to be Need of hav- ing such form. Section 8 changes an existing statute so that reports from money order offices will go direct to the auditor of the treasury for the Post Office Department instead of going through the office of the superintendent of the money order system. Section 9 amends an existing statute which provides for the Postmaster General's | issuing to postmasters blank money orders | on such printed or engraved forms by add- ing that the form shall include a coupon, which, when detached from the order, will | designate the amount that the order was drawn for. It also provides that the coupon shall be forwarded to the auditos’s office with the postmaster’s report of money or- ders sold. Section 10 extends the facilities of the money order system as an office of | proposed issue only, to small offices that are now en- joying the use of the postal note, and that are not regularly designated as money or- der offices. There are about 700 of these offices, and the provision will afford facili- ties for transmitting money without which there would be some inconvenience. Sestion 11 provides for a means of paying for lost money orders which are covered now by a section of the Revised Statutes,but which need some modification to adapt them to the changed conditions resulting from covering into the treasury the amount of oe unpaid orders more than a year ol Immediately after the reading of the journal in the House this morning Mr. Dockery presented the report and called up the bill for consideration. The report was read at length, and Mr. Dockery pre- sented letters from the Postmaster Gen- eral and the Secretary of the Treasury indorsing the bill. ‘The bill was then taken up and read by sections. There was no debate, and the bill was passed without division. ———“-2——_____ THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS. What Gen. Wheeler Says About Its Probable Action. ‘The caucus to consider the tariff bill will probably be held on Tuesday evening next. If Chairman Wilson’s report is finished by that time—and the chairman thinks it will be—the bill will be reported to the House on that date. Mr. Wheeler of Alabama, who has been the moving spirit in the call, believes that several nights will be spent in caucus. “Forty-three gentlemen,” said he this morning, “signed the call. I only spoke with fifty members regarding the matter, and all but seven indorsed the movement. There seemed to be but one sentiment Postal revenues come from post offices at which there are auditors, and those ac- counts are very carefully prepared, and upon their receipt in the auditor's office, by the proposed plan, it is intended that the ‘accounts shall be taken up at once, cer- tain clerks to examine the allowance for railway mail clerks and letter carriers, other clerks to examine the accounts for certificates of deposit, &c., and the ac- count to be finally disposed of, d= ence written and passed over to the pro- Posed correspondence and files division, Stamp Accounts. “In addition to the safeguard of this com- | plete and consistent audit of the accounts ; {t is proposed that a change shall he made im the stamp accounts, by which the post- master renders to the third assistant post- master general a statemen: of the stamps which he has received @: og the quarter, the amount that he has sold or returned to the department and the balance he has on hand. The third assistant postmaster gen- ral is to check this account by the stamp ledgers which he has in his office, and is to certify the statement and send to the @uditor with the receipts for the stamps. This will give the auditor a complete check of the stamp account of the postmaster, Which is the basis for his account, and the system will comply with the law (U. 8. Re- ised Statutes, sec. 405), which requires that Postmaster General shall certify to the tor that which in any way affects the unts. This law is not now complied as regards postage stamps. By this ent of the stamp account, coming ugh the third assistant postmaster gen- ’s office, another check is obtained upon the account, which ts a more important and valuable check than any check that could take its place in the sixth auditor's office. The system of checking postage stamp ac- counts now is very unsatisfactory and un- Fellable. “At present clerks of the sixth auditor’s office, at such times as it is conventent, fopy into ledgers the items of stamps that have been charged to the postmasters by the ledgers of the third assistant postmas- ter general's office. This is informal and r and applies to the presidential of- fices. For the fourth-class postmasters’ ac- counts the only evidence that the auditor Row has as to the stamps sent is the re- cepts which have been forwarded to him from the third assistant postmaster gen- eral’s office. If by chance any of these re- ceipts have gone astray and the postmaster should fail to charge himself with the stamps the error might not be discovered. Further Retrenchments. “This reduction of annual expenditures ts Rot only to obtain, as a result of the new) system, but the settlement of postmasters’ | accounts will be greatly expedited and a More thorough supervision thereof will be Secured. The preceding exhibit relating to the present organization and the expense of | the auditor's office does not represent all of the expenses, since, in addition to the 40¢ clerks, at an expense of $500,140, there are the auditor, deputy auditor, chief clerk and their clerks, messengers, assistant messen- gers, laborers, charwomen, &c. The num- bers and amounts treated of have reference only to the clerks engaged directly in the | @ivisions in which changes are recom- mended. In addition to the foregoing esti- mated reduction of annual expenditures, there will probably be a further retrench- ment in the office of the superintendent of the money order system, by the discontinu- | commission wish among them. It is better to settle our dif- ferences in private than in the open ses- sions of the House.” “To what schedules will the caucus prin- ctpally devote its attention?” Gen. Whegler was asked. “The whole bill will be carefully gone over. The members from my section will urge the manifest unfairness of putting coal and fron ore on the free list when the men Wao own the mines are paying a duty of 40 per cent on the machinery with which they are operated. ‘Tis one matter which we would like to -e equalized. The sugar men will ask ¢ the bounty be abolished and that a duty of say_ 3-4 of a cent be placed on raw sugars. They will be satis. fied with that, and so, too, will the beet Sugar manufacturers. Then there is the chemical schedule. A number of changes can be made in chemicals that will increase the revenues, benefit the consumers and not injure the trade. Other members will also suggest changes in other schedules, but these I speak of are the ones that occur to me now as being desirable to have modi- fied.” “Do you think the bill will be materially changed in caucus?” “Many of the changes will probably be slight. In other cases I have no doubt that ical changes will be made.” --——______ THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION, Mr. Procter Succeeds Mr. Lyman as President. Commissioner Lyman has resigned his po- sition as the president of the civil service commission, although he still remains a member of the commission. The following communication was received from him by the commission this morning: WASHINGTON, D.C., December 13,1893. ‘To the United States Civil Service Commis- sion. Gentlemen: In May, 1889, my associate commissioners honored me with an election to the presidency of the commission, which office I have continued to hold until the present time, giving to the commission in that capacity the best service which I could render. I now desire to relinquish this of- fice, and hereby tender my resignation of the same, which I ask to be accepted at once. Very respectfully, CHAS, LYMAN. ‘The commissioners upon receipt of the let- ter made a minute, as follows: “In acknowledging the receipt of this let- ter and of the suggestion accompanying it taat Mr. Proctor be nominated as president in the place of Commissioner Lyman, the es to record its gratitude to Mr. Lyman for the painstaking fidelity with which he has discharged his duties as President, and the zeal and ability with which he has served the commission.” Commissoner Proctor was elected presi- dent of the commission at its Sota session this ———_-_+e+—___ TWENTY PLACES WANTED. That Many Resignations Secretary Carli Secretary Carlisle today, by direction of the President, called for the resignations of twenty occupants of presidential posi- tions in the Treasury Department service. The resignations include collectors of cus- toms, naval officers, superintendents of mints and disbursing officers in vario sections of the country. te Called tor by ITO TELL CONGRESS. ‘Lh> President's Hawaiian Message May Be Ready Soon. , AWAITED WITH MUCH INTEREST Some Speculation as to What It Will Say. THE DOCUMENTS READY. Interest in the Hawaiian question is now | directed toward the President's promised | message on that subject. Copies of all the correspondence called for by the Senate resolution are now in the President's posses- sion and await only the preparation of his message of transmissicn, The message was to be communicated on the receipt of “‘defi- nite information” in regard to the condition of affairs in Hawaii. Whether any such information was brought to the President by the Oceanic, which arrived at San Francisco yesterday, will only be known to a certainty by the public when his message is sent to the Senate. The principal point of interest to be established by the message is an exposition of the policy of the admin- istration in the treatment of the Hawalian question now that it {s known that the res- toration of Queen Liliuokalani can be ac- complished only by force and in no other way, in the present temper of the people of the islands, It is almost as difficult to get satisfactory information as to the time of transmission of the message as it is to learn its con- tents. There are, however, unmistakable outward indications at the White House and State Department that it will not go to Congress today. No one at either of the places named will say that much, but it may be accepted as a safe assumption, nev- ertheless. Whether it will be sent in to- morrow, or Savirday, or next week, or not until after that, is a matter of pure specu- lation. Many people believe, however, that the correspondence, at least, will not be withheld from the Senate many more days. The message, it is said, will be long and will review the whole question. The fol- lowing was published today as the sub- Stance of the contents of the message: The President will show that the queen Was overthrown by acts sanctioned by Minister Stevens, and that as they received the approval of the United States and are considered by the present administrauon unjustified and unfrieridly, they must be undone. The President will probably say that Minister Willis was instructed to fit decline formally the proposition for annex: tion and to then announce that the United States demanded that the queen be re- stored to power, peacefully, but that if she vas unwilling to be seated without the assurance of this government that she would be protected from harm and retained in power by United States force, then to take no steps, but await instructions from the United States. The President will say that the minister has found the provisional government much stronger thaa has been stated, or that the administration had been informed, and that its power was increasing each day. “There was a strong sentiment among th better class of Deople against the queen's return to power there were the atrong- est evidences that the existing ‘government would use force to ‘defeat any move that might be made to this end. the con- ditions were such as to ee carrying out of his instructions, and now, President has exhausted the prerogatives of his office to bring about a settlement with Hawaii without calling upon the naval force to assist it, there was no other resort for the President but to leave the question of further action to Congress. “It Is believed that the President will not diverge from his present policy. It cer- tain, however, that he will hardly urge force be resorted to in seating the queen.’ Nothing to Defend or Excuse. It is said that the President, when speak- ing on the Hawaiian situation recently to a | gentleman holding close personal relations to the administration, and whose official position in Congress entitled him to receive confidential information on foreign affairs, said that his (the President's) position was entirely tenable; that he had nothing to de- fend or excuse and that he was more than willing to lay all the correspondence touch- ing the complications with that country before Congress whenever the legislative branch of the government demanded it. The action of the House in calling for the correspondence was anticipated by Secre- tary Gresham. Some days ago all the com- munications between the State Department and our representatives in Hawali were or- dered to be copied in duplicate, and when the correspondence is sent to Congress it will be laid before both houses simul- taneously, —_—____. CAPITOL TOPICS. Naval Appropriations. There is a general understanding on the part of managers of the House that no appropriations for construction on new naval vessels are to be made during this session of Congress, and there is a pur- pose to cease the enlargement of the navy altogether if possible. Admission of Utah. It is believed that the bill for the aa- mission of Utah which passed the House yesterday will go through the Senate, re- ceiving many republican votes. This bill is to be followed in the House by meas- ures for the admission of Arizona and New Mexico, separately, and the indications are that it will be the policy of the repub- licans generally to make no party oppo- sition to the admission of new states into the Union. The prospects appear to be that all three of these territories will be admitted, but if there is any serious op- Position it will be in the case of New Mexico. ‘The Hornblower Nomination. The Senate committee on the judiciary discussed the Hornblower nomination to- gether with others, until noon without taking action, and then adjourned until the next regular meeting day (Monday). Ex-Senator Sawyer. Ex-Senator Philetus Sawyer, as stout as ever, and in apparently just as good health as when he occupied a seat in the upper house, was on the floor of the Senate to- day, in earnest consultation with his former republican colleagues. Vice President Back. Vice President Stevenson resumed his chair in the Senate chamber today, after an absence of nearly a week. He left the city Sunday night for Augusta, Ga. and did not return until yesterday morning. Hav- ing a personal engagement he did not go to the Capitol, and Senator Harris continued to exercise his functions as president pro tempore. At noon today, however, the Vice President opened the session. ———__-o-_. NAVAL VACANCIES That Are Open to Competition by Civillans. ‘There are more vacancies in the navy at present open to civilian competition than usually fall. to the lot of a President in a single term. Six of these are in the medical department and four are in the pay corps. The disposition of the case of Paymaster Sullivan, now before the President, will probably make another vacancy in the pay department. The examination for admission into the medical department is much more severe than for the pay corps, and the candidates for appointment in the latter de- partment are naturally much more numer- ous than for the medical corps. FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Interest Felt in How the Members Stand on Hawaii. Senator Morgan’s Attitude Uncertain —His Previous Utterances on the Administration’s Policy. Should the question of the approval or the ecndemnation of the policy of the President in regard to the Hawaiian Islands be left to the committee on foreign relations of the Senate there will be a good deal of search- ing light thrown upon the membership of that body. It is composed of four republi- cans and five democrats. These four re- publicans, Senators Sherman, Frye, Dolph and Davis, will be very apt to vote in favor of a repudiation of the policy of restora- dion. It is not altogether so certain that all five of the majority wing of the commit- tee will vote to the other effect. The demo- crats are Senators Morgan, the chairman, and Gray, Daniel, Butler and Turple. Sena- tor Gray has outlined his attitude already so strongly that there is.no possible doubt as to his position. He will vote to support the administration through thick and thin. In this he is likely to be accompanied by Senator Turpie. As to the position of the other three mem- bers of the committee there is some doubt. All of them were arrayed against the Presi- dent in the recent struggle on the repeal of the silver bill. All of them showed great bitterness in their denunciation of the President for his tactics of interference. Now they are brought face to face with an entirely different question, that involves their loyalty to the President, as well as their loyalty to their party. The trend of opinion is that Senator Morgan is the least apt to go to the aid of the President in this matter. Senator Morgan’s Peculiar Attitude. Yet he is in a peculiar attitude. As has recently been recalled, he has expressed himself very emphatically against the theory of restoration, and later he has qualified his first utterances, and has given a hint that he might reverse his original judgment. He sat silent in his seat yes- terday throughout the speeches on the more personal phases of the question, and drank in every word like a man who is eager for information, During Mr. Frye’s speech he absorbed the statements of Mr. Stevens Without the least sign of what impression was being made upon his mind. While Mr. Vest was talking about the bigotry of New England and tne bloody flag, Mr. Morgan | sat in front of him twirling a card between his fingers with the air of a man who is re- volving a great problem in his mind. But not a word or a sign did he allow to escape him. The traditional clam could not have been more inscrutable. It is probable that he may feel that his position as chairman of this great committee will cause his ac- tions to be scrutinized more closely, and possibly he will support the President to the last limit of his patience on much the same lines as those laid down by Mr. Vest in his speech of yesterday. This position seems destined to become popular in the Senate. It is a combination of praise and condemnation. It presumes that the Presi- dent bas done nothing that looks to the restoration of the queen beyond -the mere statement that in his opinion it ought to be done, thus bearing a moral force. Further than this, says Mr. Vest, and many other Senators on the democratic side agree with him, though they may not so express them- selves openly, no self-respecting American can go. nals Mr. Morgan’s Utterances. . In this connection it may be interesting to note the words of Senator Morgan on the day of the first publication of Secretary Gresham's report to the President, Novem- ber 11, twenty-four days after it was writ- ten. They are here reprinted verbatim: “Before expressing any opinion as to what is the attitude of the United States on this question, and how far it is to be justi- fied, I would like to know to whom Minister Willis was accredited when he was sent by this government to the Hawaiian Islands. After the provisional government was es- tablished there, the President of the Unit- ed States recognized it as the government de jure by sending Mr. Blount to confer with President Dole. While Mr. Blount Was there the troops were ordered back and the flag of the United States flying over the barracks where the troops were station- ed was hauled down. This merely indicated to my mind, at least, that the bivouac of the troops had been broken up and they had returned to their quarters on ship- board. That act was not the withdrawal of an intervention on the part of the United States except for tne preservation of the peace and the pfotection of American citi- zens on the islands. “I never understood it was the assertion of sovereignty by the United States over the islands, and I cannot understand why the withdrawal of troops under such cir- cumstances could be construed as a with- drawal of the moral support of the United States to the government existing there, unless the United States had invaded Ha- walt and assumed sovereign jurisdiction, which was not the case. The United States did uot intervene to establish a provisional government in Hawaii. It only intervened to preserve the peace and protect American citizens. It withdrew the troops, leaving the provisional government in full, peace- able and uninterrupted possession’ as the sovereign power of those islands. To inter- fere now to reinstate the queen would, un- der the circumstances, be simply the re- establishment of a monarchy, without any other cause than the mere assertion of its legitimacy compared with that of the pro- visional government.” End WANTS UNDERGROUND WIRES. Col. Wilson Thinks Government Lines Should Be Put Out of Sight. Col. John M. Wilson, commissioner of pub- lic buildings and grounds, ts a stanch and consistent advocate of an underground sys- tem of telegraph wires and is doing all he can to have that system applied to the gov- ernment telegraph connecting the Capitol with the executive departments and the gov- ernment printing office. In his last annual report he called attention to the fact that it is becoming more and more difficult to oper- ate the overhead telegraph system, owing to the trees along the line gradually grow- ing up into the wires and interrupting the currents, particularly during wet and windy weather. He says that the necessity for re- placing the present poles, either with taller ones or of replacing the overhead wires with the modern system of underground cable, is so apparent that ft is unnecessary to argue the point. He strongly favors the underground system in preference to taller |poles and only mentions the latter because of its apparent cheapness compared with the proper system. He asks for an appro- priatior. of $31,000 to enable him to replace the present system of wires with a dupll- cate -conductor underground cable, to in- clade in all about 6,625 linear feet of wire. In the fear that Congress may not be will- ing to authorize such a radical change of system, Col. Wilson also submits an alter- nate estimate of $1,500 for the erection of taller poles. He is known to be opposed to the disfigurement of streets and parks with unsightly poles and would not countet ance their erection under any circumstances if he had the power to avoid it. The matter has been brought to the attention of Con- gresg and a determined effort will be made to induce that body to authorize the intro- duction of the underground system into the government telegraphic service in Washing- ton. ———_$__—_____ Secretary Smith Retarns, ‘The Secretary of the Interior has return- ed from Augusta, Ga., where he attended the opening of the exposition. He is de- lighted with his visit and of the great southern fair. with the promise | SENATE AND HOUSE. What is Going on in the National Legislature Today. FEDERAL ELECTIONS BILL REPORTED. The Postal Note Abolished by the House. MR. VOORHEES’ SILVER BILL. Vive President Stevenson, havnig returned from his trip to Augusta, Ga., presided over the Senate today. Ex-Senator Sawyer of Wisconsin was in the chamber at the open- ing of the session and was warmly greeted by his former associates. Several petitions, including one from a “tailors’ union” of West Superior, Wis:, in favor of the government ownership or con- trol of the telegraph system, were presented and referred. Election Bill Reported. Mr. Vance (N. C.), from the committee on privileges and elections,reported back favor~ ably the House bili to repeal the federal election laws, and it was placed on the calendar. Notice of a minority report was given by Mr. Chandler (N. H.), who gave the names of the dissenting members of the committee as Mesrs. Hoar (Mass.), Mitchell (Ore.), Higgins (Del.) and Chandler (N. H.). ‘ Ford’s Theater Sufferers. Senate joint resolution relieving the em- ployes of the record and pension office who were injured in the Ford's Theater disaster, from the operation of the law re- stricting the amount of sick ieave and pay, was reported as On motion of Mr. Cameron (Pa.) it was ordered that when the Senate adjourn today the adjournment shall be till Monday next. To Coin the Seigniorage. Mr. Voorhees (Ind.), chairman of the finance committee, introduced a bill for the coinage of silver dollars, the retirement of small denominations of gold and paper money, and for other purposes. It pro- vides for the coinage of the seigniorage silver now in the treasury at a rate not less than two millions monthly (which shall be covered into the treasury), the purchase and coinage of not less than two millions of silver per month, when the seigniorage is all coined, and the retirement of all notes below $10, in favor of larger notes, and of $2.50 and $5 gold rieces, which are to be called in and canceled. It also for another monetary conference. To Fix the Responsibility. A resolution offered last session by Mr.Har- ris (Tenn.) for the appointment of a select committee on the Ford Theater disaster to inquire into the circumstances and to fix the compensation to be allowed to the representatives of the twenty-two em- | ployes who were killed and to the larger number who were injured in that disas- ter, was taken up and discussed—Mr. Hale (@Me.) taking the ground that the work should be done by one of the standing com- mittees of the Senate. In the course of | the discussion Mr. Dolph (Ore.) suggested that the matter should be referred to the judiciary committee, and the question of Nability reported and decided. A Select Committee of Five. That suggestion was adopted and enforced by Mr. Hoar (Mass.), and the resolution was modified, with the consent of Mr. Harris (who offered it), so as to make it read that a select committee of five Senators shall be appointed to investigate the Ford’s Theater disaster and report to the Senate whether, in equity and justice, the government should compensate the sufferers from that disaster. Mr. Sherman (Ohio) regretted the modifi- cation of the resolution, and declared his belief that it was the feeling among every Senator that the government should render @ generous and liberal allowance for the persons in its employment, who, by the neglect and fault, perhaps, of officers of the government, and perhaps of others, were hurried to death, serious injury and pain. He thought that the equitable liability cf the government was clear and unquestioned. @Just Claim for Relief. “The claim of these men,” said Mr. Cul- lom, in reference to a remark of Mr. Dolph, “is better than one thousand cases where relief has been granted by Congress.” “Yes,” said Mr. Dolph, energetically, “bet- ter than ten thousand.” “If I have an opportunity of voting com- pensation in the case," Mr. Cullom said, “I intend to vote for it.” “I am in favor of paying these people,” Mr. Dolph said, “but I want the Senate to act intelligently. I want to establish a precedent which will stand hereafter.” Mr. George (Miss.) argued that the Sen- ate ought, calmly and in a judicial and fair temper, decide first what liability it would assume, and then it would be time enough to determine the amount of compensation. Mr. White (La.) indorsed the view of Mr. George as pre-eminently proper. Mr. Pasco (Fla.) argued that, whatever might be the legal liability of the govern- ment in the matter, the disposition of the Senate and of the people was decidedly in favor of compensating the sufferers from the Ford's Theater disaster. Finally the resolution was adopted, in- structing the committee to inquire into the lability of the government, and as to the compensation to be allowed in each case. THE HOUSE. The first business transacted in the House today came up in the shape of a bill re- ported by Mr. Dockery (Mo.) from the joint commission to investigate the executive Gepartments, to improve the method of ac- counting in the Post Office Department, and for other purposes. The joint commission had been granted permission to call up this bill at any time. The report of the com- mittee showed that section 1 abolishes the Postal note. Their usefulness had disap- peared, as they afford no protection what- ever. Section 2 reduces the fee to agree with the fees charged by the different express com- panies The schedule of fees proposed by this bill is as follows: Not exceeding $2.50, three cents, From $2.50 to $5, five cents, From $5 to $10, eight cents. From $10 to $20, ten cents. From $20 to $30, twelve cents, From $30 to $40, fifteen cents. From $40 to $50, eighteen cents, From $50 to $60, twenty cents, From $60 to $75, twenty-five cents. From $75 to $100, thirty cents. Section 3 reduces the fees paid to post- masters to 3 cents for the issuance of money orders. This applies to third and fourth-class postmasters, thus putting them /on a par with first and second-class post- masters. |, Section 4 of the bill provides for turning into the treasury the funds that are now held by the Post Office Department on ac- count of the numerous unpaid domestic money orders and postal notes, Section 5 forbids the payment of a money order more than one year old by issuing a new money order. Section 8 directs that reports from money order offices be sent directly to the sixth | auditor instead of to the Post Office De- partment. Section 10 extends the privilege of issuing money orders to small offices now allowed only to issue postal notes, Section 11 provides a means of paying for lost money orders, Sections 12 and 13 provide for carrying the above regulations into effect, and fix July 1, 1894, as the date when the law shall apply. Letters were submitted by Mr. Dockery from the Secretary of the Treasury to the Postmaster General approving the provi- sions of the bill. Dingley’s Passed With Mr. ment. Mr. Dingley (Me.) submitted an amend- ment to make it clear the date at which the law should take effect by striking out the words “next fiscal year’ and inserting “fiscal year commencing July 1, 1894.” After the bill had been read by sections Mr. Dockery demanded the previous ques- tion, and the bill was promptly passed. Mr. Catchings (Miss.), from the commit- tee on rules, submitted a resolution provid- ing that after the second morning hour this day and every day until the matter is dis- posed of the House shall take under con- sideration the bills for the admission of the states of New Mexico and Arizona. he resolution was agreed to. Mr. Wm. A. Stone (Pa.) submitted a joint resolution to donate to the cities of Alle- gheny and Pittsburg two old cast iron can- non now at the arsenal at Pittsburg for use in the parks of those cities. The resolution was to without discussion. A Questi: of Record. Mr. Haugen (Wis.) arose to a question of personal privilege. He stated that in today's Record he found that certain remarks made before the committee on banking and cur- rency by Mr. W. J. Talbert of South Caro- lina had appeared. He desired to know by what right they had been printed and how far this privilege of printing was to be abused. Mr. Haugen was told by the Speaker that the House had given Mr. Tal- bert this right; whereupon Mr. Haugen sub- sided. such Amend- Mr. Talbert endeavored to make an nation, but the Speaker declared that explanations were not in order. The McGarrahan Claim. Mr. Pendleton (W.Va.) called up the cele- brated McGarrahan bill, and moved that the House go into committee of the whole for its consideration. A small filibuster was at once started, a division demanded, and the point of no quorum raised. This is practically the same bill that has been be- fore Congress for more than twenty-five years, and authorizes William McGarrahan to bring suit in the Court of Claims to prove his title to the Rancho Panoche Grande in California. The morning hour expired before a quo- rum could be secured. A letter was read from the sergeant-at-arms asking for an appropriation to pay the mileage of mem- for the first session of the Fifty-third Congress, and stating that no funds were available for that purpose. Mr. Wheeler (Ala.) moved that the House go into committee of the whole to consider the bill admitting Arizona Territory as a state. Mr. Hooker (N. Y¥.) made the point of no —— and the yeas and nays were or- The vote on the motion to go into com- mittee of the whole to consider the pill ad- mitting Arizona as a state resulted—yeas, 159; nays, 1i; no quorum. The republican members generally re- frained from voting. Mr. Wheeler (Ala.) moved for a call of the House, which was ordered. Mr. Sayers (Texas) reported the usual joint resolution providing that the officers and employes of the House be their salaries for December on the 21st instant, the day when the Hi An Engineer Killed by Inadvertently Touching «a Dynamo. PITTSBURG, Dec. 14.—David Waulker- man,chief engineer of the Allegheny County Light Company, was instantly killed by an @lectric shock this morning. Another em- Ploye burned and un- erman was working the time he was shocked and inadvertently handled a dangerous piece of machinery. The only marks were a couple of scars on the hand, where the contact was. —. PLEASED, BUT NOT EXCITED. Feeling at Salt Lake City Over the Action of the House. SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 14.—The news of the passage of the Utah statehood bill by the House was greeted by quiet but very decided interest here. The recent dis- integration of the liberal party, the only class who opposed statehood, robs the event of the sensational interest it would have possessed not long ago. Statehood has for some time been expected by all classes and desired by an overwhelming m ority of citizens of Utah, regardless of religion. _—_—— HENRY H. YARD ACQUITTED. Charged With Having Helped to Loot the Keystone National Bank. PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 14.—The jury in the case of Henry H. Yard, who has been on trial in the United States district court for several days on a charge of aiding Gideon W. Marsh, the fugitive president of the Keystone National Eank, in looting that institution, this morring at 10 o'clock ren- dered a verdict of not guilty. The sealed verdict, which the jury brought in last evening, was opened and the foreman of the an its contents. ard, who was under 00 ball, was then discharged. 3 ——__ WEINER’S OFFER REJECTED. Proposition of One of the Iron Hall Receivers. INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 14.—C. J. Weiner, one of the receivers of the Iron Hall order of Baltimore, arrived here yesterday. He is desirous of sharing in the dividends de- clared by the receiver here, and has made @ proposition to the latter, by which he pro- poses to turn over the $110,000 in his posses- sions if allowed 10 per cent, $11,000, for his services. The offer was promptly rejected. ——_>__. The Davenport Case. The court of honor convened at the Wash- ington navy yard, at the request of Lieut. Richard G. Davenport, to investigate his conduct during the Samoan hurricane, will end its proceedings tomorrow. The court did not sit today in order to enable Lieut. Lauchheimer, the judge advocate, to pre- pare a mmary of the evidence. At to- morrow’s session Lieut. Lauchheimer will present the summary, but will not make any argument. The findings of the court will be*kept secret until acted on by the Secretary of the Navy. ———————_- e -____ Paying Christmas Salaries. Clerks and other employes in the execu- tive departments will receive their Christ- mas money on Saturday, the 23d instant. The disbursing officers of the Treasury, De- partment were today authorized to pay December salaries up to and including Christmas day on the 23d instant. As other departments usually follow the lead of the Treasury Department in such mat- ters, it is expected that the same plan will be adopted by them all. . penne Conferring With Bankers. Assistant Secretary Curtis has returned from New York, where he went to confer with bankers with a view of securing their co-operation in the efforts of the Treasury Department to prevent a further depletion of the gold balance in the event of large exportations of the yellow metal to for- eign countries. He had a conference with Secretary Carlisle this morning on the subject. It is said that the Secretary de- sires the information for use in his report in connection with the consideration of the expediency of the issue of bonds. The report is not quite finished, and will cer- tainly not go to Congress this week. ‘The present plan is to have it before that body next Tuesday. — (DUTY OF THE STATE. | It Should, the Labor Federation Says, Provide Work. pulsory Education. OTHER TOPICS DISCUSSED. day settled down to business. Chairman Thomas Morgan of the committee on reso- lutions then loomed up with a big batch of favorable reports, One of these, declaring in favor of gov- ernment ownership and control of the tele- graph system of the country and instruct- ing the officers of the Federation augurate an energetic campaign in fa this project, was urenimously adopted. By a majority vote it was decided to vite John Burns, the English labor to visit the United States and deli series of addresses with the view ing a greater unity of effort in the of ameliorating the condition of the ing JM Congress 8 ’ rae people. It was decided to petition raise the wages of United States seamen g - 88 entation to the legislature and territory where it is not It was further declared schools should be established country in connection with day schools, and in which free hand, ornamental ané me- chanical drawing should be taught end supplies be free. It was resolved that while the convention applauded the humane effort that prompted relief for the unemployed, yet it insisted that it was the province and duty of the city, state and national government to af- that to deny the one is to deny the other; that employer cannot or will again blockading the city. LONDON, Dec. 14—A dispatch to Times from Buenos Ayres states that arrest of the steamer Parahyba was due information that was found in possession an officer seized on board a British steamer at Rio Janeiro. NEW YORK, Dec, 14.—The steamer Tur- kish Prince, which arrived this morning from Pernambuco, that on Novem- ber 2h when aus bait Geet ports she Dane was in a state of suppressed excitement collisions between the police and people oc- curred, but nothing of @ serious nature. Senor Ruy Barbosa telegraphs to the Herald from Buenos Ayres,denying the pub- lished statement that Admiral Saldanaha de Sy ——— a monarchial manifesto. le says report scurce as the one which declared that Ad- miral Mello favored placing a son of Count D’ Eu on the throne. Mello’s Friends at New York. The Herald says: Certain prominent and wealthy Brizilians who reside in or near this city and favor the cause represented by Melio in the combat now waging in the South American republic, have associated themselves together for the purpose of ob- | taining redress against the persons who have fitted out warships in this port and dispatched the same to Brazil in the in- terest of President Peixoto. This cate of Brazilians also proposes to restrain, if possible, the armament of further ships Se Sate punpace fe Gp parte of the Cas tates. But their contention further than this. They assert that the United States government, in suffering such ships to be fitted out here, has violated the law of na- tions and rendered itself liable to enormous damages should Mello prevail. The specta- cle of a neutral power permitting inter- ested individuals to prepare a hostile fleet | in its own waters is claimed to be unpre- cedented, and the action of those interested | parties is asserted to be in violation of th Statutes in such cases made and These gentlemen are seven in number, and they will go right to work to test the soundness of their contention in the courts. Isaac Angel, a lawyer of high standing and ability, as well as large experience in the United States courts, has been retained to push the suits contemplated. come VAILLANT HAD ACCOMPLICES. Paris Police Claim to Have Discover= ed an Extensive Anarchist Plot. LONDON, Dec. 14.—The Globe today says that the police of Paris have discov- | ered an extensive anarchist plot. There is now no doubt that Vaillant was acting in conjunction with the persons concerned in this conspiracy. Detectives this morning visited the lodgings occupied by Carl Stubb, a@ militant anarchist, and found a loaded bomb. Stubb was arrested and examined ey a magistrate. He is weil known by | Vaillant. The police are confident that | other arrests will follow. | A dispatch from Koyoto, Japan, to a news | agency in this city says that on November | 21 three men were arrested there on suspl- cion of inciting to rebellion against the government. Four hundred dynamite bombs and forty rifles were seized at the isoners’ home. ‘eg 14.—The inquiry into the PARIS, Dee. bomb outrage in the chamber of deputies | Saturday will probably be temporarily stop- | ped. The authorities are convinced that | Auguste Vaillant, the bomb thrower, had accomplices. There is reason to fear that fresh explosions will be attempted. The janitors and police have been doubled at the entrance of public buildings and every visitor is questioned. The Matin says that measures have been taken to arrest all foreign anarchists to- day or tomorrow. MADRID, Dec. 14.—The governor of the province of Valladolid has received a let- ter in which the writer threatens to blow 1p the public buildings and the houses of ristocrats. A fuse was inclosed in the let- i=. as a sample of those that would be used. The letter was delivered to the gov- ernor through the post. It was written on ready to lay | school paper. The police believe that it is '. | @ hoax.