Evening star., 1877-08-20

S. District Attorney George NJ. Duskin, of
the southern district OF Alabama, is here for
the purpose of attempting to prevent a fur
ther destruction of the monitor Tecu mseh
sunk I'm Mobile barbOr in 1854, when Farra-
gut captured the forts. 1t is understood that
wrecking company purchased the moni-
tor some months ago from the govern
ment, and notwIths inding the fact that 200
men are eHtombed therein, were preparing
to blow her up for the purpose OF recovering
the cid iron belonging to the vessel. The
facts in this case are that Attorney Duskin
after the sale of the Te ,umse eh filed bill in
the Circuit Court of the United States to
prevent the Bell Boat Wrecking Company
from blow ing up the sunken vessel, and the
court decided In favor of the bill filed. 1t is
under TODD that the company have sppea, 4
to the Supreme Court of the United States,
and the district attorney will endeavor to de-
feat their further action in the case.
PERsoNAL.-A dispatch to this Office from
Mr. Harry h. Willard. dated Tip Top House,
Mt. Washington, al II M. to-day, say, the
President and party are to arrive there at
40 this afternoon. Toe thermometer regis
tered SO on the mountains when the dispatch
was sent. Asst z. NJ. G.. Hazen and wife
were in Richmond Saturday. -'..G General
Spinner's autograph embelIishes Wtllard's
hotel register. - Senator Conover. OF Flor
ida. recently made an enjoyable trip, with
few personal friends, to Havana, in the u ).
revenue cutter Crawford. Mr.. Clark
Mills has returned to Washington with casts
of the heads of the sixty-four Indian chiefs
who are prisoners az st. Augustine. These
partmeDt Of the Smithsonian Institute.
Colonel J. NJ. McGTew has returned from a
brief trip TO The Delaware Water Gap, where
ne Went to bring home an invalid dau ,hter.
second Assistant Postmaster General
Brady has gone to New York for few days.
THE UGH-GRoWToMPKINs CASE
Assistant Secretary French rend srei on
Saturday an opinion in the matter OF The pc
titiOn OF Caleb TOmpkins for the issuance of
rev drafts, in the place of those originally
tAf ft.xr a IA
attorney, Mr.. Samuel G. Peugh, and which
have been the subject Of recent criminal pro-
ceedings against Messrs. Peugh aud Grow.
MIR. French recommends "Ihat the amount
of the claim allowed Mr.. Tompkins be paid
10 him personally, by draft or upon the war
rant, as seems proper TO the Treasurer"
Acting Secretary Mccormick has not yet
approved of this recommendation, on the
ground, as is stated, that Solicitor Robinson
has discove: ed statute which confers power
upon the Treasury department TO stop the
payment OF any claim discovered 10 be
fraudulent or unjust, after the judgment Of
the Southern Claims commission or similar
tribunals. The department claims To have
evidence in the matter tnat would bring IL
under this law.
But LITTLE ARABLE LAND OWNED BY
THE GOVERNMENT. - Major Powell, il
charge of the geological survey OF territories,
states that there is but comparatively a
small area Of arabic land low owned by the
United States, and is preparing for Congress,
at the direction of the committee on public
lands, report TO maintain his assertion.
He divides the United States into three
regions, with respect TO agriculture: Tie
humid, or arabic, the sub arid, and the arid.
In The arabic portion, which includes the
country east OF a line from the easter point
Of Lake Superior to the gulf, the United
States Owls no lands not taken up. The 1T
OF the country, $50 miles In width, from
Canada 10 the gulf, adjoining that belt on
The west, is the sub-arid division. In this
the United States owns considerable
quaDilty OF land, which may be cultivated
by irrigation. West of that, in the i'm mense
arid belt, extending from the Rocky Mouu-
ta'ns into Eastern California, only per
cent. OF the land can be cultivated, and of
this per cent, Per cent. has already been
taken up.
THE SUGAR FRACDS.-A letter addre ;sed
10 the collector of customs al Boston, on The
l1fh instant, in regard to the importation o.
sugars, aItificiaIly colored, for The purpose
of securing their entry at the custom iiou Sc at
q lower rate of duty tnan would be charged
upon the color attained in the ord mary pro
cefs OF n nanulacture, is publis he'd for the in
formation amd guidance OF customs officers
generally. The letter concludes as follows
The department is therefore of opinion that
the provision OF law which imposes fifteen
per pound duty on sugars after being re
fined when tinctured, coiOre1, or In any way
adulturated is not apple bic TO the class OF
sugar. under consideration. In view of all
the facts now presented the department di-
rects that on I'M OTtaiions OF sugar which
shall be found 10 have been art ficialy col
Ored after manufacture, the samples taken
shall be cleaned Of their ARTIFICIAL color, and
that the duty shall he assessed upon the true
color, SO ascertained. The department
deems it its duty TO inform ali parties that
the sugars artificially colOred for the purpose
OF securing their entry al q lower rate OF
duty than would be charged upon the color
attained in The ordinary process of manufac-
ture is regarded as direct evasion OF the
revenue laws, and all imporeations of that
character made into ports of the United
States on or after the first of October next
will be seized and prosecuted for forfeiture.
ARCHITECT CLARK's ANSWER Mr.. Ed
ward Clark architect of the Capitol, has filed
his answer at the Interior department to the
charges that have been preferred against
him. He says u at he has not for a year past
been employ ed at the Soldiers Home, but
that in former years he received small sums
Tor expenses Incurred in the superintendence
ing the sum OF $500 This he does not con-
sioer With the meaning of the law forbid
ding public officers from receiving two sala-
r!eS. The buildings, the construction of
which he superintended, were not appropri-
ated FOR, and were paid for by the Commits
sIoneIs with other than gOs ernment funds.
The Oiher charges he endeavors TO show TO
be without f. u 1dation or frivolous. He con-
cludes with an allegation that Lee had a
contract for WORK on the extension of the
Capitol grounds, and put in a bill for extras
nearly or quite equal to the original coa-
tract, which bill he r. jected, and since that
time Lee has by letters to officials and others
sOukut W ubuSu AuQ Qlm.
AsyeL nO commission 70 Investigate the
charges against Mr.. Clark has been appoint
ed, snd II is doubtful If a"y will be. The
only accusation which Is regarded as worthy
OF confederation IL the one which charges
him with having received money from the
trustees Of the Soldiers Home for services
rendered. Although the Home Is u govern
ment institution IL is not supported by Con-
gIeesiOnal appropriations, and the question
Is whether Mr.. Clark violated the provisions
OF law which prohibits public officer from
receivi' two salaries from the government
al the Same time.
NAVAL ORDERs-Captain r. B. Lowry,
ordered TO command the training ship Con-
stitution, at Philadelphia, Sd instant; Com
mander q. ID, Greene, to duty at the Naval
Academy, 18th September; Lieutenant F. s..
Bassett, to accompany draft OF men TO the
navy yard, Mare Island, Cal, and on arri-
val 10 report for duty on board the Ports.
mouth; Ensign N. q. Reynolds, to the re-
G.; Cadet Midshipmen Horace M. Witzel,
Alfred Jeffries, Russell @. Paris, Hero ray,
lor, Thomas N. Brumby, J: K Brice, Albert
Gleaves, James II. Oliver, James p. Parker.