The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-09-05

iron question, the burthen of which is that
one of the finest markets England ever pos
sessed is being gradually closed to her, and
her disasters in this direction have not ended.
The United States is competing successfully
for the control of the iron trade in Canada,
South America and the West Indies. That
country contested under immense national
disadvantages but has beaten England in spite
of these England cannot afford to idle and
sleep away her time and waste her money
while competing with thrifty, active and intel
lgent nations The Times thinks much of
the blame should fall upon the strikers and
trades unions.
-Gen1 Meyer of the chief signal Office has
sailed for Vienna to attend meeting of chiefs
of meteorological societies at that place. The
general hopes to see this convention take the
first step to bring about world wide system of
weather reports.
New desks for the members of the next
house have begun to arrive, and are being ar
ranged in the hall of representatives. They
are of light and tasteful construction, free from
all carving and heavy Ornamentation, and so
much smaller than the old ones that the three
hundred and ten necessary to accommodate the
next house. Will occupy no more room thar the
two hundred and fifty of the last congress.
New desks and new carpets comprise the prin-
cipal improvements of the haIl-Of representa-
tiVes during the vacation.
The attorney-gen for the postoffice de-
partment has just given eryimportant Opin-
ion with regard to contracts with that depart
ment, as to whetherthe postmaster-generaIha has
discretion to remit fines and penalties imposed
by the regulations upon contractors. The opin-
ion is given that the code gives the postmaster
general entire discretion in such cases. The
case which called out this decision was a pen
atty imposed upon contractor in Texas for
technical neglect of duty upon a route where
he had been defrauded by another contractor.
A firm at atAllentown, Pa, wrote theinternal
revenue bureau, asking to be furnished stamps
free of expense to stamp twelve thousand
damaged cigars which. had been returned to
them, and which they propose to rewrapbefore
offering them for sale. In reply, the acting
commissioner states that Z" This Office has no au-
thority to grant your request, and cigars treated
in the manner you propose, must be regarded
as new cigars, and stamped accordingly.
"A statement of the receipts and expendi-
lures of the government for the last three years
has Just been published. It shows reduction
Of the public debt for three years from July l,
1870, to July l. 1873, of $3.50, 900, 900. The net
reduction during the last fiscal year has, how
ever, been only s43, 667, $50, which is something
less than one-ffth of the whole reduction. 1t
is stated that the net receipts of the year 1872
exceed those of the year 1873 by four and one
half millions of dollars. The receipts from
tariff sources during the last year have been
nearly $50, 900, 900 less than in the preceding
year, and the internal revenue departmenthas
received $17, 600 900 less for the same period.
The estimates for the appropriation made ne
cessary by the regular annual increase in the
postal service, consequent upon the constant
Development of the country, are nine percent.
over the aggregate appropriation of eoch pre-
ceding year. The accounts for the fiscal year
ending July 80, 1873, nearly adjusted, show
that the estimate of the annual increase at
nine per cent. has been realised within small
fraction of one per cent.