The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-03-25
Washington Matters.
THE CASE OF DIR. HOWARD

Sec. Fish has sent to Gen. Adee, charge DAT
fairs at Madrid,a vigorous despatch upon the
case OF DR.. Howard, the American, just trans
ported to Spanish penal colony for twenty
years for participation in the Cuban rebellion
Consul General Torbet, at Havana, has made
the strongest representations, unofficially, OF
the hardship and injustice of DIR. Towards
case, and it is expected that the action of this
government will induce his prompt release and
restoration to his friends.
GOVERNMENT FIsH-cULTURE.
The House Appropriations Committee devot-
ed the larger part of their session Friday morn
ing to the subject of restocking the rivers with
salmon, shad and other species of foolish,
once abundant, and the introduction of valuable
foreign species. At the annual meeting of the
American Fish-culturists' Association, at AL
bany, in February, memorial was drawn ND
and signed, requesting Congress to establish
salmon-hatching works at Puget Sound, and a
shad-hatching establishment at some convenient
point near the Atlantic coast The memorial
lists claimed that the National Government
alone could undertake and successfully carry
out plans for repopulating navigable rivers with
foolish, in view of the fact that most of the
rivers of the United States formed the bounda-
ries OF, or passed through, more than one State
MI. George S. Page of New Jersey, was made
Chairman of the Committee, appointed by the
Association to present the memorial to Con-
/ gress. He appeared before the Committee on
Appropriations, accompanied by Hon. VIM. P
Frye, member of Congress of Maine, Mr.. Chas
A. Walker of the Peabody Academy of Science,
Salem, Mass, and Prof Spencer +. Baird of
the Smithsonian Institution, the distinguished
Commissioner of the United States Sea-coast
Fisheries. Mr. Frye alluded to the fact that
many of our rivers once Astounding with salmon
were now entirely depleted, and that the shad
were rapidly disappearing, and believed that by
proper effort and but little expense salmon and
shad could be again cheaply procured by the
masses OF our people Mr.. Page gave concise
and full account of results attained in Canada,
England, Scotland, Ireland France, Norway,
Sweden, Germany and Russia by their respec-
tive governments in stocking public waters with
salmon, trout, pike, carp, sterlet and other food
f1sh He referred to the rapid increase of fish
culture rs a branch of industry in the United
States, stating that over million dollars were
now invested, and explained the process of fish
Matching and the small expense necessary to
place half million salmon and fifty millions
shad in the public waters the present wear.
Prof. Baird endorsed fully the statement and
arguments of Messrs. Frye and Page, and ear
nestly urged immediate action. ltr 81
DANA's WITNESSES. .-s--za
The Secretary of the Navy has received from
the chairman of the select committee to inves-
tigate the affairs of his department. list of
witnesses which Mr.. Dana proposes to call
They are mostly parties who were formerly en-
ployed in the department, and were dismissed
either on account of want of capacity or be-
cause of their notorious utilization with oppo-
nents of the administration. The remaining
witnesses are disappointed contractors
- THE TARIFF
Several members of the Ways and Means
Committee in commenting upon the action of
the Senate in putting tea and coffee on the free
list, say that all further attempts to reduce du-
ties on other articles must be abandoned. 1t is
now conceded on both sides that the tariff bill
will remain substantially unchanged. strong
effort will be made in the Senate to place coal
on the free list and get reduction on salt, but
its success is doubtful. Revenue reformers are
demoralized, and are now satisfied that the
Protectlonists have beaten them at their own
game. 'iae fatil ai-GsW 1-g.
/, FOREIGN MATTERS.
prominent Senator in conversation with
the President Saturday was informed that Min
lister Curtin had obtained leave to return home,
and that he would probably resign.
General Sickles does not intend returning to
Spain The quarrel between himself and Sec
rotary Fish is understood to be the cause of
this determination