Evening Star Newspaper, February 13, 1894, Page 1

THE EVENING STAR PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY. AT THE STAR BUILDINGS, N101 Pesasylvania Avenue, Cor. Lith Street, by The Evening Star Newspaper Oompany, SH. KAUFFMANN, Pres't, Now York Oo», 88 Pocter Building. ‘Tur EveNrne Stan is served to subseribers in the city by carriers, on their own account, at 10 cents K. or 44% Der month. Copies ‘at the coun- each. By mati—aaywhere in the United Uunada--postace prepsid—30 cents ver SAT RDAY QUINTUPLE SHEET Stan, J.00 per year; foretien posta 0. Che £vening Star. Vor 84, No. 20,807. WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1894-TWELVE PAGE TWO CENTS. SEVEREST IN YEARS! Boston Experiences the Full Force of the Storm. —_——_<+-—__ ELEVEN INCHES OF SNOW ON THE LEVEL Rescue of Crew of a Wrecked Schooner. —_-__ WIDE EXTENT OF THE STORM ———. BOSTON, Mass., Feb. 13.—The blizzard, whose approach was made on time yester- day afternoon, is still raging in a milder dissipation of its force. : At 2 o'clock this morning it was at its height. The wind was blowing from the northeast at the rate of sixty miles per hour, and the thermometer was twenty above zero. From that time the wind abated considerably, and at 9 o'clock this morning was blowing at twenty-six miles an hour. Boston has not seen such a severe sto-m for years. Eleven inches of snow have fail- en on the level. The streets are in a terrible condition. Om every line the cars are blocked, and many telephone and telegraph wires are down. Buildings are white with the snow that was blowing against them. Many of the schools are closed. General traffic will be simply impossible today. The railroads from the south and east are terribly blocked. Through trains on the Boston and Maine, both eastern and west- ern divisions, are from thirty to forty-five minutes late. Those on the Fitchburg are about forty minutes late, while those on the Rescued From Shipwreck. PROVINCETOWN, Mass., Feb. 18—The fishing schooner Fortuna, of Gloucester, which went eshore on Race Point last night, is in @ very dangerous position, the great peril being that the tremendous surf may break her back on the sand bar. of twenty-three dories contain- ] near the coast The : : 5 E f z long. This ing fury of th ee ee een tet K main ess street and thi is banked u; to the first-story windows in man; All trains are late and iy the stages from the fo arrive today. The Steamer Roanoke Safe. MILWAUKEE, Wis., Feb. 13.—The crib mt the lake end of the new in-take tunnel withstood the onslaught of the great north- east storm without the slightest. damage. An anxious party watched the structure during the entire night. Lights were visi- ble in the crib at 8 o'clock this morning. At daylight there was every appearance that work was being prosecuted in the tunnel There was no communication this morning with the crib, but a boat will undoubtedly land as soon as the sea quiets. A dispatch just received says the Roan- oke reached Grand Haven at 11 o'clock last night all right. She had been twenty- four hours out im the gale. All on board are well. Storming Yet at Cleveland. CLEVELAND, Ohio, Feb. 13.—The heavy snow storm which set in early yesterday morning still continues today with una- bated fury. The wind has shifted around to the northwest and is blowing a heavy and bitterly cold gale from the lake. The snow has-reached a depth of about ten inches cn a level and has drifted in places mary feet deep. Trains on all roads lead- irg into the city are being moved with | are difficulty and in many cases are vars behind schedule time. The street ars are running very irregularly and have ed all trail cars. country are not likely The Storm in the West. CHICAGO, Feb. 13.—About fifty work- ‘men, who were imprisoned all day yesterday and last night in the temporary crib four miles out in the lake, were rescued by a tug today. The fierce storm rocked the frail structure, the spray put out the fires and the men suffered intensely from cold. None of them were seriously frozen. ST. LOUIS, Feb. 13.—Advices today from all parts of Missouri, Lilinois, Northern Arkansas and contiguous territory are that the storm has been replaced by clear cold weather. Traffic is rapidly resuming | its normal condition. OMAHA, Neb., Feb. 13.—All trace of the | big storm has disappeared here except some | rifts of snow. The weather today is de-| Hghtfully warm and ail si id traffi bas been resumed. —" a Am Army Officer's Death. | ‘The War Department is informed that | = Lieut. Leighton Finley, tenth cavalry, | at St. Paul yesterday from septicaemia, from a broken 5 SILVER IN THE HOUSE Debate Upon the Bland Seigniorage Bill Continues. Speeches for and Against the Measure Made by Vario Repre- sentatives. ‘The debate on the Bland silver seigniorage bill was resumed in the House today. Some routine business preceded it. The Speaker laid before the House the Hawaiian message of the President transmitted yesterday. At the request of Mr. Burrows the correspond- ence accompanying the message was read. The message and correspondence were re- ferred to the foreign affairs committee. Mr. Brown of Indiana attempted to have the House concur in the unanimous report of the committee on elections in the What- ley-Cobb contested election case, confirming Mr. Cobb’s title to his seat. but Mr. Pence (Col.) objected, and on motion of Mr. Bland the House then went into committee of the whole for further consideration of the seignicrage bill. Mr. Biand sought to make an arrangement to close general debate at 1 o’clock tomorrow, but his suggestion met with a chorus of objections from the repub- Hean side. Mr. Kil, ‘e on the Bland Bill. Thereupon Mr. Kilgore (Texas) was rezog- nized to complete his speech begun last Friday. He began by denying the state- ment made by the opponents of the bill that it would force the Secretary of the Treasury to redeem the treasury notes of 1890 in silver. It would not in any way interfere, he said, with the redemption of those notes in gold or silver, at the option of the holder, but having been redeemed, silver coin or certificates would go out to take their place in_the country’s currency. Mr. Bell (Tex.), who followed, contended that the real question at issue was whether the United States should exercise its right of sovereignty to issue paper money or issue interest-bea bonds upon which the na- tional banks would issue national bank notes. Continuing, he declared that the policy of borrowing money to defray the running expenses of the government began in 1810, under the Harrison administration, when $83,000,000 of the national bank redemption fund was transferred and made available for current expenditures. First Step Toward a Silver Ba: Mr. Johnson (N. D.) said that he favored the coinage of seigniorage and the silver bullion in the treasury, but that was only the superficial purpose of the Bland bill; its real purpose was to retire the treasury notes of 1890 and substitute for them sil- ver certificates. It was a monometallic bill, the first step toward placing the United States on a silver basis. Redemption of Silver Certificates. In the course of his remarks Mr. John- son became involved in a controversy with Mr. Bailey of Texas over the question of the redemption of silver certificates. The former declared that under the policy of the republican party silver certificates had been maintained at parity interchangeable with gold. He described how, on yesterday, he went to the treasury with a $10 silver certificate and was refused legal tender money for it. Mr. Bailey declared there was no law warrant for the redemption of silver certificates in anything except silver dol- lars, “When the republican party was in power.” said Mr. Johnson, “it maintained ail classes of coinage currency at par and interchangeable. That’s the way we con- strued the law.” “You construed the law,” returned Mr. Bailey, “we executed it.” Proceeding, Mr. Johrson argued that the of this refusal to keep silver and | interchangeable at par would be the of gold and all legal tender money. Mr. Bankhead (Ala.) supported the Bland bill as modified by the amendment of its author offered yesterday. He favored the ‘more liberal use of silver, and he could no reason why the legitimate profit of the government in the purchase of silver should not be coined into standard money. Mr. Bankhead drifted into a general dis- cussion of the silver question. idr. Tenson (Ala.), who followed Mr. Bankhead, also discussed the general phases of tue silver question from the suandpoint of a free silver advocate. He attributed the universal distress to the demonetization of silver. He sketched the trepidation pro- duced in the old world by the disruption of the trade value in India. SSeS ae PASSENGER AGENTS OBJECT To the Publication of Schedules of Local Rates for Travel. The conference between the interstate commerce commission and the railroad rep- resentatives at the office of the former, which began yesterday, was resumed this morning and at noon adjourned to meet again on March 14. At the session held late yesterday afternoon the railroad men suggested several forms of schedules, and after considerable discussion the represen- tatives of the freight business of the roads represented withdrew to the auditor's room and, with the latter officer, went over the forms proposed, with a view to agreeing on @ plan of schedule. The commission next discussed the same general question with the representatives of the passenger departments. The pas- senger men seemed much less inclined to agree to any form of schedule that wouid give the local rates of every road partici- pating in a through rate than the freight men were and pointed out at some length the objections to such a practice. It was argued that the publication of the local Passenger tariffs would not be of any bene- fit to the publtc, would not make complaints of violations of the law any less frequent, and it was asserted that the passenger agent who cut rates could wriggle out of the trouble all the same and seil cheaper tickets. Besides, it would be a heavy ex- pense. The tariffs as published now and filed with the commission were a sufficftnt com- pliance with all the requirements of the law. Messrs. P. S. Eustis of the C., B. and Q. and E. A. Ford of the Pennsylvania railroad and Vandalia lines and others | made statements in support of the position taken by the passenger men. Further Time Granted. At today’s session Mr. H. B. Chamoer- lin, representing the Erie lines, stated that they had prepared and formulated a state- ment of what they believed was practical and which would meet the views of the commission as to the requirements of the law. He did not feel authorized to speak for the roads which were not represented in the conference, and asked that the meet- ing might be adjourned, with the under- standing another meeting would be calied and give the other railroad managers more time in which to formulate a nropo! a to the commission which would ve accepta- ble to all the roads. Chairman Morrisc stated the commission was glad to recei recommendations at any time till the ma’ ter was concluded, and that the roads could communicate personally or by letter, and that the conference would be adjourned to meet again on March 14. aioe yao Lights on Ferry Boats. _ Gen. Dumont, the supervising inspector Beneral of steam vessels, has prepared a circular, embodying the action of the board of supervising inspectors on the subject of lights on ferry boats, barges and canal boats when in tow, under the act of March 3, 1893. The new regulations, in effect, le- galize the system of lights that have pre- vailed for many years in the different lo- calities, with slight modifications. eases A deposit of gold has been discovered on the farm of C. S. Arthur, near Portland. Ind. The rock is claimed 'to be worth $s0 | a ton. | + Mr. Carlisle Likely to Recommend ‘Suspension of Further Issues. WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES AS 10 THEM A Favorable Time to Accomplish Their Abolition. BENEFIT TO BE DERIVED + The suspension of further issues of gold certificates on private deposits of gcld is likely to be recommended to Congress by Secretary Carlisle before the close of the present session. No gold certificates have been issued since the middle of last April under the provision of the act of July 12, 1882, which directs “That the Secretary of the Treasury shall suspend the tasue of such gold certificates whenever the amount of gold coin and gold bullion in the treasury reserved for the redemption of United States notes falls below one hundred millions of dollars.” The gold reserve fell below the point named a few days after Secretary Carlisle ordered the issue of gold certifi- cates suspended and the issue has not been resumed, although the reserve exceeded $100,000,000 during a part of August and exceeds the amount again, now that the 5 per cent bonds have been paid for. Justified in Continuing the Suspension Secretary Carlisle feels justified in con- tinuing the suspension while the reserve is not much above $10,000,000, because it may fluctuate around that point and make the issue af certificates precarious and unwise. He and Assistant Secretary Curtis are will- ing to go further and recommend the re- peal of the mandatory provision that they shall issue such certificates on private de- Posits of gold. Secretary John Sherman recommended the suspension of the tssue of gold certificates on the eve of the re- sumption of specie payments, upon the ground that the restoration of the paper money to parity with gold removed the rea- son and the necessity for any distinction in the form of the paper obligations issued by the government. Treasurer Gilfillan, however, succeeded in keeping the gold certificates in use, and they have been {: sued for a number of years, until their su pension last April. The law -equires actual coin to be held, dollar for dollar, against the certificates, but during the recent drain of gold the amount of coin has been reduced and th’ mints have been set to coining up bullion: to enable the Treasury Deparment to comply as far as possible with the law. A Favornble Time. The present is considered by those who favor the abolition of the gold certificates as a favorable time to make the move- ment. The proposal would probably have caused uneasiness during the panic of last summer, because it might have been misunderstood as a proposal to confiscate the gold against which the certificates are held. No such step as this would be Proposed in any event, but provision would be made that the certificates should be canceled and destroyed” s"' as they were recetved by the treasury in current transactions and the gold into the general treasury balance. It is -believed by the advocates of the plan that the abo- tion of the gold certificates would greatly increase the general gold fund of the gov- ernment. Gold in the Treasury. The gold in the treasury when the export moven ent of last spring began was $219,- 908,303 on March 20, but only $106,575,584 belonged to the government and the re- mainder was held as a private deposit against certificates. The loss of $20,000,- 000, which occurred up to May 31, would have created no alarm if the entire store of gold in the treasury had stood to the credit of the government, but nearly $12,- 000,000 was taken from the government gold and the reserve dropped to $95,048,460. It-is believed that a considerable part of the gold held against certificates would drift inte the general gold fund of the gov- ernment, because of the expense of carry- ing it by private depositaries, if the govern- ment ceased to assume the cost and the risk and abolished gold certificates. —___+ e+ -—__ TRHASURY REORGANIZATION. Offices Said to Be Recommended for ition by Mr. Dockery. The t fer of clerks from the office of register of the treasury to the sixth audi- tor’s office in the Post Office Department, which was begun yesterday, was continued today. Considerabie consternation prevails among the clerks in consequence. It is said that the transfers are merely tempo- rary loans, made necessary by increased work in the sixth auditor’s office, but the persons affected are apprehensive that the trarsfets até preliminary to the severance of their relations with the government. The recent discontinuance of the card system in the register's office contributes material for the belief. The Dockery commission, investigating departr ental methods, is said to be respon- sible for the recent changes in the regis- ter’s office, which, it is further asserted, is but the beginning of an extensive reorgani- zation of the Treasury Department, pro- vided Congress adopts the recommenda- tions of the committee. The most import- ant of these proposed changes is the aboll- tion of the bureaus of the first controller, second controller, commissioner of customs and register, on the gereral theory that the work performed in those offices is merely a duplication of work previously performed in otner offices, A WOMAN SUFFRAGE BILL. The Right of Women to Vote for Mem- bers of Congress. A new method of arriving at a partial form of woman suffrage 18 proposed by Representative Pence of Colorado. This, unlike other propositions, does not involve a change of the Constitution. The bill pro- vides that, “whereas the right to choose members of the House of Representatives is vested by the Constitution in the people of the several states, without distinction of sex, but for want of proper legislation has hitherto been restricted to one-half of the people, and for the purpose of correcting this error, and of giving effect to the Con- stitution,” therefore be it enacted, &c., “that at all elections hereafter held in the severai states of this Union for members of the House of Representatives the right of citizens of tne United States of either sex, above the age of twenty-one years, to register and to vote for such Representa- tives shali not be denied or abridged by the United States, or by any state, on ac- count of sex.” The bill was referred to the committee on election of President and Vice President. + @ + - THE GEORGETOWN COLLECTORSHIP. Secretary Carlisle Not Yet Determined Whom to Recommend. It is said at the Treasury Department that Secretary Carlisle has not yet finally considered the question of filling the office of collector of customs of Georgetown, but that he called for the papers filed by the numerous applicants a few days before his departure cn the light house tender Maple and may possibly decide on a recommenda- tion to the President in the matter late this week or early pext week. Demoorats and the Administration Un- able to Agree, Mr. Rayner’s Compromise Proposition for 3 Per Cent Ten-Year Bonds. The democrats in the House and the ad- ministration are having a pretty hard time of it in trying to reach an agreement with relation to the Bland seigniorage bill and the matter of the use of the gold derived from the sale of bonds. There have been several conferences on the subject, and the amendment which the silver men have agreed to, providing that the Bland bill shall not be construed to affect the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to redeem the coin certificates in gold if he desires, was prepared under the direction of Mr. Cleveland and is satisfactory to the ad- ministration as far as it goes. Still, how- ever, there is a wide difference of opinion as to the policy being pursued by Mr. Bland, and the matter involves a great deal of perplexity. The fear of the admin- istration is that the issuance of $55,000,000 more of coin certificates will be a signal for the presentation of outstanding cere tifcates for redemption in gold. Another Feature of the Embarrass- ment. The committee on the judiciary having reported in favor of the resolution declar- ing that the gold received from the sale of bonds issued under the resumption act can- not be used for the current expenses of the government, adds another feature to the embarrassment, and even the adminis- tration men in the House have grave doubts as to the accuracy of the position taken by Secretary Carlisle, that he can use this gold, if he desires, to meet the obligations of the government. Men who have been studying the question with a view of sup- porting the views of Mr. Carlisle have some of them been converted the other way against their inclination. Mr. Rayner's Proposition. Mr. Rayner of Maryland, who is one of the stanch supporters of the administra- tion, has made a proposition to Mr. Bland for an amendment, which he wants to at- tach to the second section of the Bland bill if it can be agreed on, giving authority to the Secretary of the Treasury im con- nection with the coinage of the seigniorage to issue 3 per cert ten-year bonds in an amount not exceeding $50,000,000, the gold procured from which may be used to meet the obligations of the government, pro- vided the funds derived from the coinage of the seigniorage are inadequate. This Proposition is made in the form of a com- promise for the purpose of having the gold behind the silver in case of any bad effects resulting from the coinage. —— tO A NEW MEMBER'S VIEWS. Representative Str Talks About the Income Tax Other Matters, Representative Strauss of New York, who takes the place of Mr. Fellows from the district of New York city, speaking on cur- rent political events says: “I am opposed to an income tax, but that opposition would not have led me to vote against the Wilson bill as a whole. As be- tween two evils—high protective tariffs and an income tax—the latter 1s the least ob- jectionable, and rather than assist in the delay or defeat of a reform of the tariff I would have voted for the Wilson bill with the Income tax attached. In New York city we see the injustice and futility of di- rect taxes on personal property, which are akin to taxes on incomes. It has resulted in serious abuses, and men who wish to avoid taxation on their personal property swear it off. In that way the tax gives an incentive to deception. An income tax will be the same, with the added objection that it is inquisitorial and is class legislation.” Mr. Strauss was asked what the mer- cantile classes, with which he is closely identitied, would like in the way of a bank- ruptey 2 “I am in favor of a national bankruptcy law,” said he, “and such a law would be advantageous to the creditor and debtor classes alike. For ten years I have visited Washington from time to time to urge ge passage of such a law. In order to be effective it should include voluntary and in- voluntary bankruptcy. Such a law would be of distinct advantage to honest debtors. There is no disposition on the part of mer- chants to keep such men from freeing them- selves from debt and beginning over again. “There are quite a number of reforms which Congress could bring about,” con- tinued Mr. Straus: “A uniform law of marriage and divorce is one of them. At present there are as many diverse systems as there are states. There are other changes, affecting interests on the border line: be- tween federal and state jurisdiction, which have not received attention owing to the divided responsibility, but which should be acted on by Congress.” ——_—__+ e+. ____. DISTRICT APPOINTMENTS, Mr. Haugen’s Plan to Have Them Made by the President. Mr. Haugen of Wisconsin has introduced the following bill in the House: That an act entitled “An act providing a permanent form of government for the District of Co- lumbia,” approved June 11, 1878, be amend- ed so as to provide that all three of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, and all officers subordinate thereto in the District government who shall be paid a salary of not less than $2,000 per annum, shall, from and after March 1, 1894, be ap- pointed from civil life by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. All of said Commissioners and other officers so au- thorized to be appointed shail be citizens of the United States at the time of their ap- pointment. That all positions now filled by appointments not in accordance with the foregoing provisions shall be vacated on or before March 1, 18, and appointments thereto shall thereafter be made in accord- ance with the requirements of this act; and all other acts or parts of acts inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed. a GAUDENS MEDAL. THE sT. The Artist May Make an Entirely New Design for “Amertea.” = The controversy over the figure ‘“Amer- ica” on the reverse of the world’s fair medal of award is nearing an amicable settlement. The Secretary of the Treasury today re- ceived a letter from Senator Vilas, chair- man of the quadro-centennial committee, in- closing a copy of the resolution unanimously adopted by the committee, expressing its “decided opinion that the design of the re- verse of the medal of award * © © ought to be changed.” A copy of this reso- lution was today forwarded to Mr. Augustus St. Gaudens of New York,the artist who de- signed the medal. Although he persists in the purity and artistic merit of the original design, he has informed the Treasury De- partment that rather than have the design of the reverse altered by some one else, he will himself make a new design for the re- verse, which he intimated will be entirely free from the prurient criticisms leveled against the original emblematic design of “America.” Patrolling Bering Sea. Commander Mullen, who was detached from light house duty a few days ago, will be ordered to the command of the Marion on her arrival at San Francisco from Yoko- hama, and Commander Morgan will be plac- ed in command of the Alert, now fitting out at San Francisco. Both of these vessels are destined for patrol duty in Bering sea. He Continues His Defense of the President’s Hawaiian Policy. oe SEVERE CRIMICISM OF MR STEVENS The Flag Incident Alluded to and| Justified. MR. BLOUNT’S cae epee ea OFFICE A bill was reported by Senator Coke (Tex.) | and passed continuing in force the act for| the protection of fish in the Potomac river. | Senate bill making labor day, the first Monday of September, a legal holiday was} reported by Mr. Kyf from the committee | on education and placed on file. Mr. Gray Resumes His Speech. 30, Senator Gray of Delaware resumed his argument on the Hawaiian resolution. He reiterated his statements of yesterday} that the revolutionary leaders were not willing to carry out their plans until as- sured of the support from the Unfted States forces and read an affidavit in which it was deposed that John H. Soper, now comman- der of the provisional military forces at Hawaii, had declined first to accept this command, but afterward accepted, saying: “I have had satisfactory assurances from the old man himself (Minister Stevens) that | the American forces wili give their support, and I intend to take a hand.” The Senator proceeded to argue that the provisional government could not have stood one hour without the support of the United States forces. Severe on Mr. Stevens. He also quoted from the letter of Mr. Dole and other members of the provisional government declaring their inability to pre- vent disorders and praying that the Ameri- can flag be raised for the protection of the Hawaiian Islands. Even to Mr. Blount Mr. Dole stated that the provisional govern- ment could not have got along without the aid of United States troops. “There is no doubt from the evidence,” said he, “that/ Mr. Stevens long before this had been ac- tively promoting what he calls annexation sentiment and that he was ir close commu- | nication with those desiring to bring about | a change in the goverrment and setting up| another that would treat with the United | States, or, as the President says, bring about a state of things in which the United States would represent both sides of the) . He used the United States forces | to attain that result. In view of all this; there ought not to be two opinions as to the duty of the President.” The President Defended. Every patriotic American ought to see that his duty was to withdraw this treaty ard rescue our government from the dis- honorable and disgraceful attitude in which | it had been placed by the unauthorized | acts of this petty minister to a petty king- | dom. The executive, in disregard of the | calumny of his partisan opponents, dared to do the right thing. He dared to do that which will stand the scrutiny of the years to come and will commend to the posterity that comes after us the wisdom, the honor and the integrity of government that they will have inherited. The executive has ap- Pealed to the bonor and judgment of his countrymen, and I am willing to abide the result of that appeal. e Fing Incident, ' A great deal has been said about ore | American flag being hauled down at Hawaii. Isay that when the flag of the United States is hauled up by the order of a dem- ocratic President it will be hauled up under | circumstances that will keep it where it is | until the winds of heaven have blown it into rags. It will never be hauled up in | dishonor, so as to put the great people whose symbol of power and authority it is to the blush. It will never misrepresent the magnanimity and greatness and courage of | the people of the United States as it did | when it was hauled up at the reqtfest of | this revolutionary junta in the Hawatian | Islands; hauled up because a revolutionary | government which the American minister has established, though they could not con- | tinue it any longer except under the pro-/ teetion of its told; hauled up by the author- iy of President Dole—by his command. e American people will commend a Pres- | ident who dares to do the right thing, and is not deterred by the mere clamor and jingoism that is sought to be injected into this government. Mr. BI The position filled by Blount, said Senator Gray, was not an office | in the constitutional sense such as required | confirmation by the Constitution. Chief Justice Marshall had defined an office,under the Constitution, to be such a position or trust as continued in being notwithstanding the person die or vacate the trust. The po- sition occupied by Mr. Blount no longer continued the moment he resigned o> ceased to be commissioner. —$$$_§$+6.—____ PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS. A Few Offices Filled Today by Cleveland, The President today sent the following nominations to the Senate: Treasury.—P. Gray Meek of Pennsylvania, to be surveyor of customs for the port of Philadelphia, Pa.; Eugene Townsend of Pennsylvania, to be superintendent of the United States mint Philadelphia, Pa.; John R. Reed of Pennsylvania, to be collec- tor of customs for the district of Philadel- phi.g Pa.; J. Marshall Wright of Pennsyl- vamia, to be naval officer of customs for the port of Philadelphia, Pa. Interior.—St. Clair A. Mulholland of Penn- sylvania, to be pension agent at Philadel- phia, Pa. War.—Maj. James Gillioo, quartermaster, to be lieutenant colonel and deputy quar- termaster general; Capt. Chas. R. Barnett, assistant quartermaster, to be major and quartermaster. —__—__-e-+_______ THE CABINET MEETING. Dispatches From Rio Confirm the Re- cent Press Accounts. The cabinet meeting today was short of two members—Secretary Carlisle, who is at Fort Monroe, and Secretary Lamont, | who is at McGrawville, N. Y., to attend the funeral of his father. The Brazilian affair was one of the matters discussed. | Secretary Gresham submitted a cable mes- | sage he received from Minister Thompson, | at Rio, last night, confirming the press re- | port of a serious engagement between the government forces and the insurgents, in | which Admiral Da Gama, the insurgent leader, was wounded in the breast and arms. Minister Thompson reported that the insurgents succeeded in landing, but were eventually driven back to their ships by the government troops. — THE 15TH STREET WIRES. They Are to Go derground as Soon as Possible. ‘The Commissioners are in eainest regard- ing the removal of the electric lighting wires and poles on-15th street between F and H streets. This morning they had a ecrference with Capt. A. A. Thomas, presi- dent of the Electric Lighting Company, and an arrangement was perfected whereby the wires are to be removed and placed in underground condyits as soon us possi- ble. It was coitended by Mr. Thomas that it would be better to wait until spring before the change was-made, but the Com- | insuring the passage of the bill with sugar missioners were obdurate, and the wires will shortly be buried, When the Bill Will Come Before the Full| Committee. The Claims of Sugar to Yie! te the Chances of the Bill's Passage— The Tobacco Tax. The democratic members of the Senate committee on finance now tell the republi- can members that the tariff bill will cer- tainly be in shape for presentation to the full committee at the regular meeting next Tuesday. It had been hoped that the report could be made by today, but when it was found that it could not be, the chairman of the finance committee decided to call no meeting for today, as it is the purpose of the committee to take up no other subject until the tariff bill is disposed of by the committee. ‘There is more interest today in sugar than in any other schedule. From feeling very confident last week that they would secure a duty of at least a cent per pound, the sugar advocates have come to feel some- what doubtful about getting anything from the subcommittee. This feeling of doubt is not without some foundation. The subcom- mittee is trying very hard to find a way of on the free list, and if they can find a means of doing this they will leave it where it is in the House bill. Friends of the Bi it has come to be with them a question of passing the bill and not, so far as sugar is concerned, of raising revenué. With the in- come tax retained and with other features of the bill changed so as to provide for an increase they think the bill can be made to furnish sufficient revenue without tax- ing sugar. But they evidently fear that if a duty is not levied on sugar they will lose the votes of the Louisiana Senators, and as there is possibility of alienating other demo- cratic Senators on other schedules, they are hesitating before deciding what to do. The hesitation is sufficiently pronounced to cause the sugar men much uncasiness, | though the question is still entirely unset- tled, and it fs impossible to tell what will be the outcome when the point of action is definitely reached, The Tax on Tobacco. The Senate tariff subcommittee has been considering the tax on manufactured to- bacco among other items today. There is some disposition to increase the tax, which as it passed the House is six cents per pound, a reduction of two cents. Secretary Carlisle is a strong advocate of an increase of this tax as promising a sure means of procuring a certain increase of revenue which would be immediately available. The committee had not, when the members were jast questioned upon the subject, reached a decision, and it is understood that the ques- tion is puzzling them to a considerable ex- tent. The manufacturers want the tax made twelve cents if it is increased from six, for the reason that these figures are more convenient and more satisfactory in every way than others which are not mul- tiples of the figure six. Present indications show that the whisky tax will remain undisturbed, with the chances in favor of the extension of the An index to sdvertise- ments will be found om Page 3. bonded period for two years. ‘THROCKMORTON’S CASE. MAJ. He Has Applied to the President to Be Retired. The case of Maj. C. B. Throckmorton, second artillery, referred to in yesterday's Star, bas assumed an entirely new phase. it is row before the President in the form of an application for the commutation of Maj. Throckmorton’s sentence of suspen- sion, in order that he may be placed on the retired list of the army. He is now under suspension on half pay and his sen- tence has about a year more to run. He has applied for retirement under the thirty years’ service law, but his restoration to duty is a necessary preliminary to the granting of his request, and that is the question before the President. Maj. Throck- morton would not retire under ordinary process of law until 1906, but with the Pres- ident’s consent he can retire on his own application after thirty years’ service. Why He Desires to Retire. It is understood that Maj. Throckmorton has asked to be retired in order that he may accept the position of the assistant super- intendent of street cleaning, New York city. He wanted to accept the place while he re- mained on the active list, under suspension, but the War Department decided that he could not do so under the statute prohibiting officers on the active list from accepting civil employment. That statute does not apply to officers on the retired list, so that if the President remits the unexecuted por- tion of Maj. Throckmorton’s sentence and grants his application for retirement, he will no longer be debarred from accepting the New York appointment. Another ad- vantage to the officer by this action is in the matter of pay. Whereas now he only half pay, were he retired he would get three-quarters pay. —_—-o-.+____ FISH IN THE POTOMAC. Senator Coke today secured the passage of the bill introduced last December by Senator Blackburn continuing in force the pro- visions of the act of March 2, 1885, “to pro- tect the fish in the Potomac river in the District of Columbia and to provide a Spawning ground for shad and herring in the Potomac river.” This bill was referred to the committee on fisheries and it was from that committee that Senator Coke re- ported it favorably today. The bill provides that from the date of its passage, for a period of ten.years, the provisions of the act of March 2, 1885, shall be continued in force. It shall be unlawful to fish with fyke net, pound net, stake net, weir, float net, gill net, haul seine, dip net or any other contrivance, stationary or float. ing, in the waters of ‘th mac riv within the District. Jae ign ny person violating the provisio: act shall be guilty of a snieteuteennon oon on proof in the Police Court, or other court of the District, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $10 or more than $100 for each offense, and shall forfeit to the Dis- trict his nets, boats, and all other appar. atus used in Violation of law, which shall be sold. It shall be unlawful to allow any tar, oll, or other waste products of gas works using stich products or any waste whatever of any mechanical, chemical or manufac- turing or refining establishment to flow inte Rock creek or the Potomac river, or any of its tributaries within the District, or to any | pipe or conduit leading into them. Viola- tions of this section shall, upon conviction, be punishabie by a fine of not less than Slo or more than $100 for each and every day during which such violation shall continue + L DECLARATION. THE ORIGL The Parchment Wi Eahbibited at the 8 The rapid fading of the text of the orici- nal Declaration of Independence end th« deterioration of the parchment upon which it is engrossed, from exposure to the light and from lapse of time, render it ’mpract: cable for the department longer to exhi it or to handle it. In lieu of the orig’ document a fac-simile is placed on exhibi tion. Printing the Bonds. The new 5 per cent bonds will be printed during the present week, but they will not be ready for delivery to the subscribers be fore the 20th instant, as it will take severa days to register and sign the bonds. WHITE CONVICTED The Manassas Criminal Must Die For His Crime. THE TRIAL AT MANASSAS CLOSED, Prisoner's Counsel Striving to Save His Neck. TODAY’S PROCEEDINGS Elliott last month o'clock this morning, immediately opening statements recess yesterday afternoon. comb, however, intimated that he would tolerate no further stating believed the case could be concluded The largest | hi of March instead of the 12th of February. Judge that Lipscomb merely a clerical error and scratched out “March” and inserted “ as the jury, and arose and stood clerk cf the court solemnly as follows: itlemen of Then the clerk read explained to the jury the discretion in the matter. That formalit monwealth's Attorney ton case to the jury, and was followed R. R. Campbell on behalf of the Mr. Campbell explained that the two questions to answer, *" er guilty?” and if guilty, imprisonment or death?” He intimated that the real defense would be directed toward ing the imposition of the death cause of White's former good * because of his counsel's belief that he been led _ S. trouble by his companion, Bobinson. ‘Upon the conclusion of the opening ad- dresses the trial was adjourned, at the re- quest of defendant's counsel, until 9 o'clock this morning. ‘This Morning’s Session of Court. The court was late in being opened this morning, it being after 10 o'clock the trial was resumed. Mrs. Myrtle F. Elliott, the young who was assaulted by White, was the witness called. She is about twen' i I As she made her statement court room listened in perfect miserable wretch who assaulted side his counsel a few feet away, ed by a score or more of bayonets fixed, with bowed head ously toying with his old slouch ing him out, she identified who assaulted her. To mak: tion of him more complet directed White to stand up, Mrs. Elliott if she was man. Glancing for a moment bling prisoner, who averted half turned from her, she replied that he was the man. Mrs, Elliott stated that she and her in-law, Mrs. Hetfflin, were awakened 11:30 on the night of the assault ing some one knock at thet Was at home with them but two little ‘children. She upon inquiring, were told were outside and wished parties were told that they in, but after some further she and Mrs. Hefflin finally the door that they might see who posed friends were. White was the first to enter, and ing in with a pistol in his hand demanded their money. He was told that they had aone. Then the man outside, Jim Robinson, said: “G-— d— ‘em, shoot ‘em.” ment later Robinson came in, when the mes said: “If there ain't any money we guess we can get something else.” Witness de- scribed the assault. The men that they were New York burglars and wit- ness and Mrs. Heffiin did not suppose that White was a colored man. When the men left, White said: “Good-bye, God bless When the men had gone out of hear- ing she and Mrs. Hefflin picked the chil- iren up and ran over to their nearest neigh- bor and told him and his wife of their trouble. The witness was subjected to a lengthy and searching cross-examination, but noth- ing new was developed. nor was her testi- mony shaken in the slightest manner. Mrs. Hefflin was the next witness ex- amined, her testimony being identically the same as that of Mrs. Elliott. An Affecting Tale. As the poor women told the story of their brutal treatment, there were tears in the syes of many a man in the great throng which pressed hard against the file of sel- liers surrounding the shrinking wretch whose life trembled in the balance, and now and then murmurs were heard which ndicated better than anything else could hat but for the prisoner's strong guar in he familiar blue of Uncle Sam's boys the young brute would have been dragged to i! j Fl HEE t g ef die i i f Hill é ia