Evening Star Newspaper, March 2, 1894, Page 1

THE EVENING STAR PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY. 1101 Penseyivasia Avenue, or. 11th Sime, by The Evening Star Newspaper Company, 8. H. KAUFFMANN, Pres't. New York Office, 88 Potter Building. gaa de TRE EVENtne Star is served to subseribers in the city by carriers, on their own account, at 10 yroek, or 44°. per month. Copies at the coun. 2 cents each. By maii—anywhere in the United or postage prepaid—50 cents per month. Sat. RDAY QUINTUPLE SHEFT St. 1.00 per year; witb added, 22,00). apy: so (Eni the Post Office a. Ws . nat Oflcw ‘ashington, D. C. as 4) "All mail subscriptions raust be paid in advai L of advertising maae known on ap plication. Vor 84, No. 20,822. THE DELAYED TARIFF BILL THE LOCAL OFFICES District Democrats Think It is Time | to Do Something. | A GENERAL MOVE ON THE PRESIDENT | A Hope to Get It Into the Senate on Monday. Senator Hill Appears Before the Fi- mance Committee and Advo- cates Protection. Mr. Norris’ Differences With Mr. Davis Are Things of the Past. After a good many false starts the Sen- ate finance committee hope to be able to get their bill into the Senate on Monday. Whether this hope will be fulfilled is a question. After hearing what the various Senators who are dissatisfied have to say about the bill members of the committee * are disposed to make some concessivns, but District democrats are now of the opinion, | maintain a determination not to yield and a very decided opinion it appears to nearly as much as the kickers demand. be, that it is about time that their claims | After making such concessions as they be- to office be recognized. They state that lieve the sentiment developed tn the caucus had their right to the local offices at the Eos Beni ope oid fol mip phocr: Alla a tye President's disposal been half as quickly ape =p recognized as their right to furnish politi- | jehether Mesers. Hill and Gorman are sat- cal ammunition, in the shape of large finan- THE TALK OF THE DAY cial contributions, during past national and congressional campaigns, every office in the District, from the highest to the low- est, would have been filled by the appoint- ment of District democrats months ago. | It is clearly apparent that those of the | dominant party in the District feel rather | sore because of Mr. Cieveland’s delay in| making changes here, and it is said that a | determined and strong move will be made | upon the President in the matter at once upon his return from his present expedi- dition against ducks. Therefore, during his temporary absence, it is understood that | the various applicants and their friends are | laying their wires, overhead and under-| ground, preparatory to giving them a long pull and a strong pull when the chief ex: | ecutive ms to Washington next week. | ever, next to impossible to in- al Teaders of the party to say | beyond expressing an opinion | high time the President acted fn the local offices with | While they, nat- | have their favorites for the | all declare that they would isfled if Mr. Cleveland would strict democrats withou' y. They assert that thi through a five years’ resi. has been enabled to know the | lifications of District members of his | party, has no excuse for further delay in | order to become better acquainted with the | fitness of the applicants. It is also pointed th the single exception of the tership, the terms: of the in. ve expi and, therefore, r any excuse for delay rete the matter of filling goed District democrats. urally ene appoint 1 y further sident, ents there exists no lon; on that score. | Mr. Norris and Mr. Davis. At present there is said to be quite | seramble for the position of collector of the | port of Georgetown, notwithstanding the fact that the republican incumbent, Capt. | Johnson, refuses Secretary Carlisle's re-| Quest for his resignation. As stated in The | Star, Mr. James L. Norris called yesterday upon Secretary Carlisle in the interest of Mr. m. E. Hutchins, while Mr. Henry E. w od to be an opponent « , : . dropped i half of M Manogue, wh of the factic central comm famous wrangle of 1s’ Referring to the statement that he and Mr. Davis had locked horns again over this po- sition, Mr. Norris stated to a Star reporter this morning that the report was untrue. He could not understand, remarked Mr. No-ris, why such a statement should have been made simply be e and Mr. Da- vis had called at the Treasury Department. The differences between Mr. Davis and him- | self, Mr. Norris intimated, were matters long past, and to endeavor to bring them up again tended only to injure the local de- © mocracy, and bring it into disrepute. Mr. | Norris stated that he knew nothing new in | local political matters, and had | simply | called to see Secretary Carlisle yesterday as @ private citizen. The Georgetown Collectorship. It is said at the Treasury Department to- day that the only thing settled about the | Georgetown collectorship is that Capt John- Son's successor will be a local democrat, and consequently no attention will be paid to applications from non-residents. Besides the two candidates named above Mr. Osea Stevens is in the fleld. Mr. Stevens is in- dorsed by Messrs. Gardner, Wm. Dickson and others. The entire Maryland Congres- | sional delegation has urged the appoint-| ment of Deputy Collector Watkins. He gives Georgetown as his lezal place of resi- | dence, but is said to be a voter in Montgom- ery county, Md. It_was learned today that the late Thos. J. Luttrell was slated for the position cf collector of Georgetown. and that the Prest- dent had intimated to a near friend of Mr. Luttrell that he should have {t. It was generally supposed that Capt. Luttrell was an applicant for the position of recorder | of deeds, but it is said that the President had decided that some other man shovld Fecelve that office. Mr. Brace’s Successor. Speaking of the recordership, a promi- ment member of the local democracyexplain- ed to a Star reporter today that while he belfeved that the President shoul recog- mize the colored members of the party by appointing them to office, he thought it unwise for the President to appoint a eclor- ed man to succeed Recorder Bruce. For Some reason or other, he said, the position had come to be regarded as «ne belonging | to the colored man, and he hoped a white democrat would receive the appointment, fo as to negative the prevailing idea in | both parties that it belonged to a negro. ‘The reporter’s informant stated that such was the position. he confidently believed, | of local democrats. The reporter was also informed that Mr. | Cleveland's appointment of negroes to the | office of recorder of deeds during his first administration was due to Mr. Lamont, now Secretary of War, although Secretary | of the Treasury Manning had generally heen held responsible for so advising Mr. | Cleveland. Whether Mr. Cleveland intend. ed to pursue a similar course in his appoint- | ment of Mr, Bruce's successor, the report- er’s Informant did not know, but If he did, he hoped that a District nesro would be ap- | Pointed, and mentioned Dr. James R. Riley, & colored local physician, as one who is well indorsed for the place. Another local democrat, supposed to be very near the| Presidential person, expressed precisely stm- | Mar views, and said that if a local colored | democrat was to be appointed he hoped | that he would be made register of wills. | The District Attorneyship. | Some quiet but very earnest work is be- | ing made, it is understood, in the matter of | District Attorney Birney’s successor, meg] it ts intimated that people here need not be Surprised if the President went outside the District for a successor to Mr. Birney. The two men, however, who are generally thought to have the best chance for the place z - E. Davis and Andrew A. Lipscomb. man is said to have a friend Mr. Davis having one In Postmaster General Bissell, e of his at college, and s friend, it is understeod, be- mith, who is said to be @ relative by marriage of Mr. Lipscomb. Other Offices. Because of the fact that those supposed to be applica for the different offices are, 4 general thing, keeping very quiet on subject, tImost impossible to as- re or just what po- is quite generally irence Gardner, whi ition—that as Gardner ved, how- | | ments in perfecting the details of the bill. | that unless satisfactory medical evidence | reply, and the envelope inclosing the same, Feeling Against Hill and Gorman, The feeling among the democratic Sena- tors against Hill and Gorman is very bit- ter, and if it were possible for them to pass their bill without yielding anything to these two Senators they would do so. There are so many involved, however, in the demand for concessions that they cannot be ignored altogether. On the House side there is a disposition to stand up for the Wilson Dill, and the prospect is that should the tariff bill ever get through the Senate there will be a very vicious fight in conference. The hope of passing the bill speedily through Congress is almost abandoned, and with it grows more dim the prospect the demo- crats have of holding their control in Con- gress. Mr. Hill Advocates Protection. Senator Hill was again before the demo- cratic members of the Senate committee on finance this morning and was given ample opportunity to add to the arguments heretofore advanced by him before the committee and in caucus concerning the ferm of the bill, the general policy to be ursued in tariff legislation and the de- gree of protection which he thinks should be accorded many manufactured articles in which the people of New York are in- terested. He sat with the committee dur- ing the entire forenoon. The republican members of the commit- tee are still inclined to oppose precipitate action and will ask for an explanation of the changes made from the McKinley law. While the democratic members of the com- mittee are giving a great deal of time to hearing Senators who demand their at- tention they are utilizing all the odd mo- Will Let Nothing Interfere. Senator Voorhees said today that setgniorage bill which has just passed House would not be taken up by the | finance committee or the Senate until the | tariff bill should be disposed of in the Senate. It is his purpose to allow nothing to interfere with the consideration of the | tariff bill when he gets it into the Senate, but to push it along to the exclusion of all other matters, as he did the silver repeal bill during the extra session. |e AN EXCELLENT MOVE. the the Mr. Bankhead Introduces a Bill for a New Municipal Building. Mr. Bankhead, chairman of the House committee on public buildings and grounds, today introduced in the House a bill appro- priating $1,250,000 for the construction of a municipal building on the square in front of the Cente> market house, one-half of the cost to be paid out of the revenues of the District, the other half by the United States. $100,000 is provided for the com- mencement of the work, and $5,000 is set aside to be paid for designs and plans of the building. The work is to done by contract under the District Commissioners. JUDGE LONG’S PENSION, Commissioner Lochren Notifies Him of a Proposed Reduction. Judge Lochren, commissioner of pensions, has sent the following letter to Judge Charles D. Long of Detroit, notifying him shall be submitted that his disabilities are such as to require the constant and regular personal aid and attendance of another person, his rate of pension will be reduced from $72 to $50 per month. The letter is as follows: Sir: I have to advise you that it appears from medical evidence on file in this bu- reau that you are not disabled from the effects of loss of left arm above the elbow and gun shot wound of left hip in such a degree as to require the regular and con- stant personal aid and attendance of an- other person so as to entitle you to $72 per month, the rate of pension which you are now receiving by the above numbered cer- tifleate. Said rate will, therefore, be reduced to $0 per month, unless satisfactory evidence shall be furnished to show that you are so disabled from the pensioned causes alone as to require the regular and constant per- sonal aid and attendance of another per- son. Under the provisions of the act of Con- gress of December 21, 1893, you may, if you believe that said disability entitles you to the rate of $72 per month, within thirty days from the receipt of this notice, file in this bureau competent proof (medical, if practicaby) to that effect. Your case will thereupon be reconsidered, and if the tes- timony filed warrants such action your present rate will be allowed to remain un- changed. If, however, such evidence shall not be satisfactory, or shall not have been furnished, the said reduction will be made without further notice at the expiration of said thirty days. This letter should be returned with your and all testimony filed in response hereto, should be addressed to the commissioner of pensions, and marked in the lower left- hand corner, “board of review. Very respectfully, (Signed) WILLIAM LOCHREN, Commissioner. Hon. CHARLES D. LONG, Detroit, Mich. 237 Lincoln avenue, a MR. TRUESDELL’S NOMINATION. No Opposition at All to It in the Sen- © District Committee. The nomination of Mr. George Truesdell to be Commissioner of the District, and which was referred to the District eommit- tee on the day of its receipt. Tuesday, was brought up in a meeting this morning and briefly discussed. There was no opposition expressed of any sort, and it was the gen- eral opinion of all the members present | that the President had made an unusually wise selection in appointing Mr. Truesdell to the commissionership. Senator Faulkner | very | Just arrived as the vessel sailed on January M’KANE IN STRIPES| First Day in Prison of the Former “Boss.” POT TO WORK ON A TAILOR'S BENCH Marched With Hands on a Horse Thief's Shoulders. PASSED A BAD NIGHT SING SING, N. Y., March 2.—At 6 o'clock this morning 1,340 convicts in Sing Sing priscn were marched from their cells to the lower dock to empty their buckets, which they have in their cells with them over night. All of the prisoners marched in the lockstep. The last man on the line was John Y. MecKane. His hands rested on the shoul- ders of a horsethief, sent up from New York last night. He was John Flood, who will serve a fifteen-year term of imprison- ment. McKane had considerable trouble in Keeping step, as is always the case with new convicts. He and Flood frequently in- terfered with each other and the result was that they both several times came near be- ing tripped up. McKane's friends would net have known him as he marched in the line. Swung on his right arm was the wooden bucket; on his head was the ugly cap, striped to correspond with his suit. After McKane had cleaned his bucket by washing it out at a large pump and throw- ing the dirty water into the river, he placed it along the stone wall and joined the con- victs in the lockstep again to march to breakfast. This was at 6:80 o'clock. McKane, with his companions, filed into the lurge breakfast room and sat down on a rude wooden stool. In front of him was a tin cup, with a pint of black coffee, made of burnt bread crusts, and two slices of unbuttered bread. This was McKane’: first breakfast in prison. Unlike “Biff” Ellison and Francis Weeks, McKane ate his breakfast, the other two, however, could not eat the meat when they first went into prison. As soon as breakfast was over McKane was placed at the end of his file and march- ed to the clothing shop, where he was placed in the hands of the instructor, who gave him his first lesson in cutting trousers. McKane was given some old cloth, a pair of giant shears, and was set to work cut- ting along the chalk lines drawn by the in- structor on the cloth. McKane spent a sleepless night in his cell, and was one of the first men up when the gong was sounded in his gallery. Mc- Kane is the 1,336th prisoner registered at the institution. MecKane anxiously inquired last night if there was any danger of the smallpox spreading. He was told not. Up to last night Dr. Irvine, the prison physician, had vaccinated 700 of the convicts, and this morning he finished the rest of the con- victs. MecKane was the last convict to be vaccinated. McKane brought up a certificate from his physician, Dr. Hill of Gravesend, stating that McKane was suffering from heart trouble, lung trouble and kidney disease. PASSED THE CRISIS SAFELY. Satisfactory News From Representa- tive Wilxo ick Room, ST. LOUIS, Mo., March 2.—A special to the Republic from the City of Mexico says: Dr. Prevost says that bulletins from Gua- dalajara indicated that the fourteenth day passed safely in Congressman Wilson's case, that he is so much better that he may be considered as no longer in danger, Con- gressman Tarsney has wired Consul G eral Crittenden to keep information as much as possible from the press, so as not to make friends in the states unduly anx- fous. This has caused all sorts of tele- graphic messages to be sent here from Guadalajara exaggerating the facts of Mr. Wilson’s real condition. The followiag mes- sage has been received by Consul General Crittenden: “Mr. Wilson ts doing well. His fever has left him and his skin is cool and moist. He says he is a great deal bet- ter and he only wants nursing, food and rest. I think in ten days he will be up and able to go about a little. A little imprud- ence, of course, would set hii back, but I think he is now out of all danger.” oo MAY PREVENT A VOTE. How Opponents of the Mushbach Anti- Gambling Bi Hope to Kill It. Special Dispatch to The Evening Star. RICHMOND, Va., March 2.—The Mush- bach anti-gambling bill, the purpose of which is to end Jackson City, having passed the senate by an overwhelming majority, and. in fact. without much opposition,it has gone to the house, where Mr. Willard of Fairfax had it placed upon the calendar. Mr, Willard, who wit! champion the bill in this body, will make an effort in a day or two to take it up out of its regular order for discussion. He ssid to The Star correspon- dent that he was confident that the meas- ure would pass without amendment, if he could bring it to a vote hefore the session closes. It is learned that there is a strong lobby here in opposition to the bill. The means by which these people hope to defeat the measure {is to prevent its coming to a vote, which is not at all unlikely owing to the fact that the calendar of the house is crowded with numerous local measures which the members desire to have consid- ered first, as affecting them, respectively,di- rectly. —__-_—__ HIGH-HANDED REBELS, Cattle Taken From a Steamer at Rio by Insurgents, NEW YORK, March 2.—Steamer Merida, Capt. Tompsett, arrived this morning from Rio de Janeiro and way ports. She brought a large cargo from the river Platte to Rio, where she discharged and loaded part of a cargo for this port. She lay in Rio five ard a half weeks. While discharging her cargo of cattle one of Mello’s transports ran up alongside and-wanted to purchase several head of cattle. On the captatn’s declining to sell any, the transport seized twenty-seven head and steamed away to the rebel war ship Libertad. Capt. Tomp- sett sought the aid of the commander of the British gunboat Sirius, with the result that the transport hastily returned the cat- tle. Two of them, however, had been slaughtered and dressed. The supercargo of the steamer sold four head of cattle to the Italian war fleet. He was fined 20 milreis for each head by the government for disposing of them. Much difficulty was experienced in discharging and loading the Merida’s cargo, labor being scarce. The cruiser New York had The usual firing between the forts and the rebel fleet took place daily. Numerous persons had been shot along the quays by bullets from the batteries on shore and from the rebel launches. At Bahia all was very quiet. Pernam- id to a Star reporter after the meeting: "I can see no possible objection to Mr. | Truesdell as a Commissioner. I regard him as one of the ablest men in the Dis- trict. and he is entirely a worthy successor to Mr. Parker.” y is received rhment $ tational bank redemption, $225.2 receipts —Internal rev uw Bg customs, $471,083; miscellaneous, — Free to 5 Postmaster General Bisse that the bidding for furni stamped envelopes and shall be free to all. Heretofore it nas been the custom of the department to limit the bidding to those persons a in the maaufacture of pap. has decided shing government news 2 stually engaged buco was still under martial law and in a siate of siege. DESTITUTION IN TEXAS. The Suffering is Among the Improvi- dent Mexicans in Starr County. SAN ANTONIO, Tex., March 2.—-With reference to the reported estitution in Starr county, investigation snows that the stories originated in Paisano, a small Mexi- can hamlet. The class of people who are suffering tor the necessaries of life are zaid to be Mexi- cans of an improvident character. It is stated that in seasons when crops are easi- ly raised and money plentifui they never attempt to lay anything by, but are con- tent with a hand-to-mouth existe: That a@ few of them are now in destitution there is no doubt, but southwest Texas, us a whole, is fn a prosperous condition and the citizens contented. WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 1894-TWELVE PAGES. Che Zvening Star. TWO CENTs. | THE FLEET TO DISPERSE Admiral Benham’s Flagship Will Probably Soon Return. The Naval Vessels at Rio — Stanton to Succced to the Command of the South Atlantic. There are excellent reasons for the be- Nef that important changes will soon take place in the United States fleet at Rio de Janeiro, It is composed of the flagship New York, San Francisco, Newark, Charles- ton and Detroit. Of the number the New- ark is the only one that belongs to the sta- tion. The New York and the San Francis- co belong to the North Atlantic station and the Charleston and the Detroit belong to ,the Pacific station. The concentration of this powerful fleet of warships at the Brazilian capital was to insure the com- plete protection of American interests dur- ing the revolution. The vessels have been there already much longer than was thoyght to be necessary at the time of the issuance of their sailing orders, and there are pressing reasons why they should be sent where they properly belong. Now that the situation at Rio seems to give promise of a comparatively early settle- ment of the long-drawn-out insurrection, it is believed that the fleet can be gradually withdrawn without the least danger to American interests, especially as Admiral Benham has made it clear that the United States proposes to suffer no further inter- ference with its commerce and that it has the ships to enforce its policy on that or any other national question. To Disperse the Fleet. It is believed that a general break-up in the fleet will begin in a few weeks, and that the San Francisco will be the first ship to take her departure. She took Ad- miral Benham to Rio and will probably bring him back, at least that was the in- tention when she started on her long cruise to Brazil. Admiral Benham will be retired on the 15th of April, and he will relinquish command of the squadron on that date at the latest. It is possible that he may be relieved before that date in or- der that he may be at home when he is retired. Such is the practice in the navy when it is practical, but there is nothing obligatory about it. There are twenty-three cadets on the Brazilian station who must report at the Naval Academy May 14 for final examination for graduation, and it would be expensive to send them home by a regular passenger steamer. In addi- tion, there are a number of officers and men whose terms have nearly expired. Their transportation home must also be provided for. The main reason, however, for bringing one of the Brazilian squadron home is that since the loss of the Kear- sarge the home station has not only been without a flag ship, but has been without a ship for necessary service in the West Indies and along the eastern coast of Ce tral America, where interests of this coun- try are constantly in jeopardy. The San Francisco, I these considerations mainly that led to the conclusion that the San Francisco will soon be ordered to return to the United States with Admiral Benham, the graduat- img cadets and the detached officers and men as passengers, The New York will probably follow a few weeks later. It is possible that the situation may be reversed and that the New York may start home first. The departure from Rio of the Charleston and the Detroit will depend cl- together on the progress of events. The restoration of peace would start them both off fer the Pacific at once, and a fairly strong indication that the revolution was near an end would cause the immediate release of at least one of them. It is pos- sible that the outbroak of yellow fever on the Newark, which has been selected as the flagship of the South Atlantic station, may necessitate a change in present plan It may be deemed best to send her 'o a colder climate and substitute another ship as the flagship of the South Atlantic : tation. In such an event the Charleston might re- main where she is and the Newark take her place on the Pacific station. Stanton to Succeed Benham. Admiral Stanton, now commaniing the North Atlantic station, will succeed Ad- miral Benham in command of the South Atlantic, in accordance with the original program, except in the unexpectad event that the court of inquiry in the case of the Kearsarge shall determine that he was in some degree responsible for the loss of that ship. The issue of the necessary orders will be delayed until all doubt on that point is officially dispelled. Another point that is practically settled is that Commodore Richard W. Meade wili succeed to the com- mand of the North Atlantic station. He is now on duty in this city as president of the examining and retiring board. APPROPRIATIONS NOW, The Big Money Bills Will Be Taken Up Next. ‘The great appropriation bills will engage the attention of the House now that the Bland silver bill is disposed of. There are four appropriation bills now on the calen- dar, an unusual advance at this time in a session. Representative Sayers, chairman of the appropriation committee, has arrang- ed to begin on the fortification bill this noon, and to follow it with the pension bill, District of Columbia biil and sundry civil bil, in order named. These measures have the right of way without a special rule, and their consideration will proceed from day to day until all four are passed. Mr. Sayers counts on passing the fortifications bill in about an hour, as he anticipates no oppo- sition. It carries a total of about $5,000,000 for seacoast batteries and various -ortifi- cations. The pension appropriation bill, which comes next, carries about $151,000,000. This measure is likely to bring out an animated debate on the pension system. The total of the bill is $15,00u,000 less than the appro- priation last year. ———— _ -«- ——___ THE BURNT MILLS RAILROAD. A Bill Introduced to Incorporate the Company. Mr. McKaig of Maryland has introduced a bill in the House to incorporate the Washington, Burnt Mills and Sandy Spring Railway Company.. The mecorporators are George W. Cissel, Ralph L. Galt, Charles G. Stone, John H. Gheen, George W. Harvey and —— Upshur of the District of Columbia, and Asa M. Stabler, John Miller, J. Enos Ray, Albert Gleason, Frank B. Metzerott, N. W. Williams, William W. Rapley, W. W. McCullough, ancis Thomas and Robert H. Miller of the state of Maryland. The route proposed is as follows: Begin- ning at the intersection of 7th street west with Florida avenue, and running thence, in a southeasterly direction, along Florida avenue to its intersection with Rhode Is- land avenue; thence, in a northeasterly di- rection, along the line of Rhode Island avenue extended to 13th street east extend- ed in South Brookland; thence, in a north- erly direction, along 13th street east and along Burns street, in Brookland, and 13th street, in University Heights, to Quincy Street, ‘in University Heights; and thence continuing, in a northerly direction, by such route as may hereafte> be agreed upon by and between the parties named herein, or their successors, and the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, to the northeast- ern boundary line of the District of Colum- bia at or near the intersection of the boun- dary line and the Sargent road, or between the point of intersection and the inter: tion of the boun line and the Riggs road. The roadway to be operated by cable or electricity. ‘The company shall receive a rate of fare not exceeding 5 cents for each passenger for each continuous ride between ail points of its line within the District, and shall sell six tickets for 25 cents, and make arrange- ments with all existing railway company in the District of Columbia for the inter- change of tickets in payment of fare on its road. Chief Johnson of the Bureau of En- graving and Printing Talks. THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PRINT THEM They Ate Securities and Should Be Carefully Guarded. LARGE ANNUAL SAVING Mr. Claude M. Johnson, chief of the bu- reau of engraving and printing, made the following statement to a Star reporter to- day in regard to the postage stamp con- tract: “The Postmaster General, who is direct- ed by law to prepare postage stamps, is now expending for them more than $200,000 a year, and the number used 1s in- creasing at the rate of about 8 per cent per annum. Under the recent advertise- ment the bid of the American Bank Note Company, which has had the contract for @ number of years, was $162,401.61, based upon the consumption of 1893, The bureau of engraving and printing, with the ap- proval of the Secretary of the Treasury, submitted an estimate, based upon the actual cost of doing the work, and offered to do it at $139,487.52, proposing thereby to the Postmaster General a_ saving of $22,914.09 a year in the expenditures of his department, which he has accepted. An Annual Saving of $50,000. “The cost of additional machinery is in- cluded in the estimate submitted by the bureau; therefore, after the first year it can be safely estimated that an annyal saving of $50,000 will accrue to the government by having the postage stamps printed in the bureau of engraving and printing. It has been argued that the government usually pays higher wages than private cor- porations, and, therefore, cannot do the work as cheaply. If this be true (which is questionable so far as this bureau is con- cerned) it is offset in several ways, but mainly by the fact that an annual profit of from $50,000 to $75,000 is not inciuded in the estimates submitted by the bureau; whereas that profit is the inducement which causes a private corporation or in- dividual to seek the contract.” They Are Government Securities. “Posjage stamps are securities of the government that should be surrounded in their manufacture by as many checks against surreptitious printing and guarded | with all the care and vigilance that are exercised in the manufacture of bank notes. In fact there is a much greater possibility of fraudulent printing and use of postage stamps than of bank notes. The 2-cent stamp is printed in sheets of 400, and is, therefore, worth $8 per sheet. They are made with one printing, and if used fraud- ulently have no serial number or mark of any kind whatever to guide the officers of the government in the detection and stop- | page of such fraud. The government, under the present contract system, is depending, first upon the honesty of the contractor, and second upon the honesty of the con- | tractor’s employes. It would be absolutely impossible to detect the difference between a stamp issued by the Post Office Depart- | ment and one that had been disposed of and used through the connivance of either the contractor or the employes engaged in doing the work. Checks at the Bureau. “When printed in the bureau of engraving and printing the stamps will be subjected to the same check-register system and guarded with the same vigilance that have accomplished the manufacture of billions of dollars of bank notes, bonds and other securities without the loss of even a sheet of paper. This, in my opiniun, is a result that has not been and will not be obtained by a private corporation. the expenditure of a large annual outlay that would seriously impair the profit on work done by private parties. My purpose in proposing to secure this work was sim- ply to serve the public interests. I found, upon taking charge of the bureau of engrav- ing and printing, the most complete plant of its kind in existence, and it seemed strange that the postage stamps, repre- senting millions of dollars of governmental securities, should be printed outside of the government's own establishment, when, by the addition of a small amount of machinery and of not more than 1”) employes, the whole work of the government could be given the benefit of almost perfect security against fraud in the bureau at a large an- nual saving in the cost of manufacture.” eee THE APPROPRIATION BILLS. They Will Be Disposed of by the House Without Delay. The House proposes to take up the ap- propriation bills, one after another, now that the track has been cleared for them and to get through with them as quickly as possible. Plans have been carefully laid for a considerable reduction in the aggregate sum of the appropriations. With the view of aiding the ways and means committee in this trouble about raising sufficient revenue while cutting down du- ties, they propose to save about forty mil- lions on the appropriation bills. There is a set determination on the part of the dem- ocratic managers that there shall be no appropriations made for new naval ves- sels and that the river and harbor bill shall be below ten millions. Hopes are entertained that the latter bill will be be- jow nine millions. THER BLAND BILL. FATE OF Probabilities Favor Its Passage by the Senate and Exeentive Approval. There is considerable speculation about the fate of the Bland seigniorage bill now that it has worked its rugged way through the House. Many believe that the Senate will not pass the bill, or that if it should get through that body, the President would veto it. propositions. The most reliable basis of judgment leads to the conclusion that the : bill will be passed by the Senate and will receive Mr. Cleveland's signature. There has been no especial opposition to the bill on the part of Mr. Carlisle or Mr. Cleve- land. and wanted it changed, but they have not regarded the matter as of great conse- quence. = eh ape rae HAWAIIAN DISPATCHES. Some Have Been Received, but Will Now Be Made Public. Dispatches have been received from Min- ister Willis and Admiral Irwin at Honolulu, but so far as knowp they show no material change in the situation in Hawaii since the last report. These dispatches arrived at San Francisco last week. They wil! not be made public until after the return of President Cleveland and Secretary ham, Gres- and not then if it should be found “incompatible with the public inter- ———$____ Postmasters Appointed. ‘The total number of fourth-class postmas- ters appointed today was’ fifty-nine. to fill Of this number forty-one were wacmeckes caused by d remainder by removals. M. appointed postmaster at Marshall, Rose Bail removed. sabe aseree Te Va., vice Minister Romero Better. The Mexican minister, Senor Romero, who kas been quite sick for the past thres days, is now much improved. It is attended by | The probabilities are against both! Both objected to the form of the bill! } | egraph and telephone services on highw: | will have found a satisfactory solutio So-called Economy Has Refused Money for Underground Wires. mm ins! ers Reply to the Sen- ate in Regard to the Wires 41-2 Street. The Commissioners this afternoon re- turned the resolution of the Senate relative to the abandonment of the underground conduits in which the District wires were run and the construction of an overhead branch, together with their report upon the subject. It will be recalled that the Com- missioners were djrected to report forth- with if they had given such orders, and, if so, under what authority of law they had acted. After a careful resume of the case, to- gether with copies of all correspondence on the subject between the superiatendent of telegraph and telephone and the attorney for the District, the Commissioners con- clude as follows: The opinion that it was not the purpose of the legislation referred to in pepe tion to prohibit the reconstruction of the electric line as proposed in the order of the Commissioners, seemed to the Commission- ers to derive essential support from the use of the word “additional” in the prohibition referred to, as the action contemplated by the Commissioners’ order was not the con- struction of an additional line, but tne mod- ified perpetuation of an existing one; also from the wording of the specitic appropria- tion for “purchase of poles” and other ma- terial for the extension and repair of the lines of the telegraph and telephone service, which has repeated in the same phraseology in each subsequent annual ap- propriation for the support of che District government. The appropriation was evi- dently made in that way in recognition of the necessity for the use of poles to enable the Commissioners to meet, among cther things, emergencies such as rendered neces- sary the action they took in this case. In further support _ missioners Ubbort of this view the Com- cipal wires urderground, or suffi it the reconstruction of the eucting’ or aad isting unserviceable conduit, although the attention of Congress has repeatedly been called by them to the advisability of pro- viding for the construction and main- tenance of an underground municipal elec- tric system. As showing the persistence of the Commissioners in their efforts to obtain such an appropriation, they refer to the item of $300,000 “for underground con- duits” embraced in their estimates for the fiscal year 1805 for purchasing, enlarging and extending the electrical subways, and to the following extract from their annual report with reference to that estimate, viz.: “Should Congress make this appropriation, which is earnestly recommended, the prob- lem of abating overhead wires of the tel- This recommendation has also been dis: garded by the appropriation committee of the House of Represeniatives by the omis- sion of any provision for underground.elec- trical construction from the District ap- propriation bill for 185, which it prepared. ‘The Commissioners submit that the ob- ligation to maintain a fire alarm and lice signal electric system enthe infer- ence that they could inculpably leave’ a large portion of the city without the pro- tection afforded by that system, because they had not the means to prepare a sec- tion of unserviceable underground line, while they had at their disposal adequate funds specifically appropriated to provide material for keeping the system intact by the construction of an elevated connection over the same route. — TO REORGANIZE THE Secretary Herbert That Purpose. Secretary Herbert has submitted to the Senate committee on naval affairs a bill for the reorganization of the navy. It pro- vides “that the active list of the line of the navy shall consist of 20 rear admirals, 60 captains, -) commanders, leutenant commanders, 250 lieutenants, 75 lieutenants of the junior grade, and the number of en- signs sufficient to maintain the total num- ber of officers of the active list of the line, including the officers appointed for the vol- unteer service, as now fixed by law.” Provision is made that officers now on the active list appointed from volunteer service shall continue on that list. Promotions shall be made in the regular order. and there shall be graduated from the Naval Academy not more than thirty-five cadets each year to fill vacancies. “The grade of commodore is hereby abol- ished from the active list of the navy. Of- ficers now on the active list and entitled to the relative rank of commodore shall have the relative rank of rear admiral, and those entitled to retire with the relative rank of commodore shall retire with -the relative rank of rear admiral. But the pay of of- ficers now holding relative rank is not to be affected. “Officers of the line of the navy, appoint- ed from the volunteer service, may, upon official application to the Secretary of the Navy, be placed upon the retired list with the rank and 75 per cent of sea pay xrade they hold, and other officers of the line in the grades of captain, commander and lieu- tenant commander, after thirty years’ of service, on the active list, may by official application to the Secretary of the Navy, be considered as applicants for voluntary’ re- tirement. To Provide for Retirements. Should it be found that the vy: from casualties and retirements pursuant to the processes of law now in force will be insufficient to provide for as many as sixteen promotions to the grade of com- mander and as many as nineteen to the grade of lieutenant commander during any fiscal year applicants for voluntary retire- | ment shall be recorded in such order as the President may direct to create the stated number of vacancies. Should the number of applicants so retired be insufficient the Secretary of the Navy shall, on or about | June 1 of the same year, convene a board of not less than five rear admirals, who shall have placed before them all the records of the department relating to the qualifications of all officers on the active Ust in the grades of captain, commander and lieutenant commander, and the board, | considering only the efficiency of the naval service, on or before June 30, recommend a sufficient number of officers of the said grades to be retired to create the number of vacancies required. Provided, that not more than four cay- tains and commanders nor more than three lieutenant commanders be thus selected for retirement in any one year. The officers so selected and those taken | from the applicants for voluntary retire- ment shall be retired under provisions similar to those now in force for retire- ment by reason of age, and these and the promotions to fill the vacancies thus caused shall date from the 30th day of June of the same year. +e ut. Gustin Retired. First Lieut. Joseph E. Gustin, fourteenth infantry, was placed on the retired list of the army today, with the rank of captain, on account of physical disabilicy. 2+ Ni 1 Movements. The flagship Chicago arrived at Smyrra yesterday, and the Ranger sailed from Cor- into yesterday for Amapala. A Call on The controller of the currency bas called for a report of the condition of all national banks at the close of business, Wednesday, February 28, last. + 2+ Freedman’s Hospital Report. Dr. Shadd, acting surgeon-in-chief of the the Freedman’s Hospital, has rendered monthly statement of the hospital. follows: Admissions—White male ored males, 61; white female: females, 66; born, 18. Total, 1! ncies | An index to advertise- ments will be found om Page 3. Two Measures Considered by the House Today. THE FORTIFICATIONS BILL PASSED The Pension Appropriation Bill Then Taken Up. GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS At the opening of the session of the House this morning Mr. Bankhead, cheir- man of the committee on public buildings, offered a resolution for the appointment of subcommittee to go to Chicago and in- vestigate the post office building there, with 4 view to determining the question of its safety, etc. Mr. Bankhead explained the pressing necessity for some action. The committee had been considering the matter for some time, and there was a diversity of opinion on all points at issue, as to whether there should be a new site or a new bulld- ing should be erected on the present site. It was also questionable whether suitable quarters could be obtained while the builid- ing was being prosecuted, which would re- quire from three to ten years. The amount involved was large, and the committee were unwilling to make a recommendation with- out @ personal investigation. The tion carried an appropriation of $1,500. It Was passed. Mr. Kilgore then presented his resolution of yesterday calling upon the sergeant-at- arms for his reasons for not out the provisions of law which require that he deduct from the salaries of members for Sg Oe Shen ope Gems. Tt was re- The Military Reservations. Mr. McRae called up from the committee on public lands the bili which has been be- fore several previous Congresses to pro- vide for the opening of certain abandoned j military reservations. Mr. Sayers, chairman of the appropriation committee, raised the question of considera- Ucn against it, but the House decided to go on with the bill. Mr. McRae explained the provisions of the bill. There were eighty of such reser- vations. The act only applied to reserva- tions of 5,000 acres area, and they were to be opened only to bona fide settlers, to be vexed for at not less than their appraised value. Mr. Wilson (Wash.) stated that there were a number of abandoned reservations Puget sound of less than 5,000 acres, he thought the settlers thereon were en- titled to the same relief granted to resi- dents on the larger reservations. After some debate the bill was passed. Representative Grow Sworn In. Ex-Speake> Galusha A. Grow, who was elected to the House a week ago as a mem- ber-at-large from Pennsylvania, was then sworn in. Judge Holman of Indiana, who | served with Mr. Grow in the House before | the war, preferred the request in a pretty | little speech. “Mr. Grow,” said he, address- ing the Speake, “after serving as a Repre- sentative from Pennsylvania for twelve left the place you now so highly | honor thirty-one years ago, in the midst of the blood and strife of civil war. After this | long period of time he returns again to the theater of public affairs, where the flag of the republic is honored and revered in all sections of the country. “Inasmuch as his credentials have not yet arrived I ask unanimous consent that he be now sworn in.” ‘As Mr. Holman finished a burst of ap- plause greeted the tall form of Mr. Grow as | he stepped down the aisie to take his place at the bar of the House. His hair ond beard are white, but his eyes are bright, his form erect and he gave no undue evidence of the weight of years which >est upon his shoulders. Mr. Holman escorted him to the bar, where, with uplifted hand, the oath | Was administered. Another round of ap- plause followed him to his seat. Mr. Boat- ner asked unanimous consent for the con- | sideration of the resolution to investigate | the action of Judge Jenkins in granting th or | injunction against the employes | Northern Pacific rafiroad. | The Fortifications BUI Up. Mr. Kilgore objected, and, on motion of Mr. Sayers, the House went into committee of the whole, Mr. Outhwaite (Ohio) in the chair, for the consideration of the fortifica- tions appropriation bill. Mr. Livingston, im charge of the biil, explained, its provisions. The total sum | carried bf the bill was $2,219,654, upon an jestimate of $7,438,413. The fortifications | in the ‘Fifty-first Congress carried | S829 5. He explained the necessity for rigid economy. Mr. Bingham of Pennsylvania, on behalf of the minority, said he had no objection |to urge against the bill itself, but it was | like all the other appropriations that would follow, it gas the declaration of a depleted treasury. The republican side of the House was probably to be met with the etate- | ment that the present economy was aude jmecessary by the extravagance of the Fifty-first Congress, and it would be charged on the other hand that the pro- | posed unwise tariff legislation was the source of the poverty of the treasury and | the cessation of industry. General debate was closed and the bill | was then read by paragraphs for amend- ment. Mr. Livingston offered an amend- ment providing that the civil residents of Fort Monroe, . Should bear half of the expense of constructing a sewer at Fort Monroe. Agreed to. The appropriation for carriages for field gun batteries was reduc- joa from $61,000 to Ste ‘, and that for car- riages for breech-loading rified mortars of 12-inch caliber was increased from $50,000 | to $75,000. These were the only amend- ments. The Pension Appropriation Bil! The committee rose, twenty-five minutes {having been occupied in its consideration. It was passed—70—9. The House went back into committee of the whole for the con- | sideration of the pension appropriation bill, Mr. O'Neill of Massachusetts, in charge of | the measure, explained its provisions. Mr. Lochren Defended. Mr. O'Neill took occasion, in the course | of his speech, to defend the course of Com- | missioner Lochren. In reply to inquiries |he said that he believed the amount car- ried by the bill would meet the demands for all just pensions. | “Did I understand you to say that there were many fraudulent pensioners on the rolls?” asked Mr. Pickler. “You did not understand me to say any- |thing of the kind,” replied Mr. O'Neill, sharply. I say it,” interposed Mr. Meredith 4 1 will give you proof in the FELL. Tambles From Shoulder. An accident happened to the baby member of the Esquimaux party as they were leav- ing the War Department building this after- noon. The child’s father was carry- ing it astride of his shoulders and accident- ally let it fall to the hard pavement, cutting | its head and causing a free flow of blood. The b s legs ® pressed to his fathe: | breast, but he kicked them free tn his jantics and fell off backward before his father could catch him. A cab was sum- j moned and the little sufferer was taken to | the nearest drug store and his wound was dressed, after which he was sent to his hotel. The mother was nearly distracted by the accident. __> The will case of Thomas E. Wise has been fixed for Thursday next,