The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-11-05
WASHINGTON.
Metric System of Ce;r...

spaii Contain for each dollar of depominatjouaI
raioe one and one-half grammes of pure gold.
ana snail weigh for each dollar one and iwo-
thirds grammes,-the proportion of ALLOW to
the entire weight being kept as one to ten. II
further provides that such coins shall be legal
teDoers IN payments arising from contracts
made at any time after the 4th of July, 1873,
Presidential Elections.
Inc JOINT resolution Introduced in the Honss
by Representative Finley, proposing an amend
ment 10 tne Constltntion of the United States,
proposes that the President and V,ca Prss;dant
shall be elected by the direct vote of the neools
OF the seVera! states, and that electors in each
state shall have the same Qualifications "a
electors or the most numerous branch of the
state legislature, and that if two or more ner.
SUBS snati receive 40 equal ARD the greatest
number of votes for President. then the Hmse
OF Representatives shall from sncb nersons
Immediately choose the President The reso-
luton iurther proposes that the election shall
De neid at the time now provided by law for
choosing the Presidential electors: that the re-
turns oe canVassed at the time and in the man
ner as DOW provided; and that the two Houses
OF Congress shall be the judges leach house
voting separately and in case of disagree.
lnent tnat the matter shall go to the Supreme
Court for fiual decision.
The Timber Trespassers.
The special agents of the Interior Depsrt-
ment detailed to detect timber trespassers in
we state OF Minnesota, have collected testimo.
ny showing that 61708,564 feet. board meas
ure, OF white pine logs had been cut and re-
moved from vacant public lands in that state
winch at an average of five dollars per thous-
1892. VI Vows
W. W. Bellson, q. S. District ATTORNEY. tel
egrspns to the com missioners of the general
law ofhce IN regard to the recent legal proceed
lngs against the trespassers that 90 civil suits
we're instituted at the last term of the U. S.
District Court at st. Paul, against trespassers
ana tnat the jury returned verdicts in 10 cases
IN IaVor OF the government for the value of the
logs IN the booms. In six other cases the de-
murrers to the complaint were overruled with
leave TO answer. OF the remaining four two
were loo late for the term and one continued
on motion OF the U. S. District Attorney.
iwenty-hve indictments were found BY the
grandJnry, trial and conviction was had in one
case. Pleas of guilty we're entered in three
Cases. and all the rest have been transferred to
the U. ). Circuit Court, which couvenes next
december. Most of the transfers were ordered
oy the court on account of various difficult
questions of law which were raised. For the
same reason the sentences of those convicted
were suspended until after the term 10 the Cir.
cult Court. Fourteen civil suits are all read v
Tor trial In December, with more to be COM
meDced. Four of The District Court cases wers
taken to the Circuit Court on writ of error.
10 several instances trespassers have surrep-
dered the logs without suit.
The Navy Department,
The COMMITTEE on Expenditures 10 the NAVY
Department., Mr.. Willis of New York chair
man, called on the Secretary of the Navy this
morning and informed him of their purpose to
make thorough investigation of the accounts
OF the department under the administration of
Secretary Robson and especially into the
transfer OF fuuds appropriated for pay of the
navy INTO other channels Secretary Thomp-
zoo assured the committee he would cheerful
assist 10 the prosecution of their Inquiries
Ihry also informed him they desired to recon
memo reduction of expenditures of the de-
partnent wherever practicable. The Secreta-
iy responded he hoped to co operate with them
IN this direction also. A conflict of iursdlc-
ton lie likely to arise between this committee
and the Committee on Naval Affairs, of which
Mr.. Whttborne of Tennessee is chairman.
Wnich several days ago voted to nvestig ate the
causes OF lack of available funds for payment
Oh naval affieers duriog last April, May and
Juue. Whitthorne aud Willis are both mem
Ders OF each of these commi tees
The Senate Committees.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4.-The death of Sanator
Morton VIII necesstate the Encouragement of
the Standing committees of the Senate. thong
action Will not probably lie taken till the be-
giDnl. g OF the regular session. That Senator
was ca 4lrman of the Committee on Privileges
and Elections and q member of the Committees
on Foreign Relations and Railroads MIR
Mitchell of Oregon is acting as chairman of
the Committee on Privileges and Elections.
aud chairman of the Committee on Railroads
onould be accept the chairmanship of the for.
nner 10 winch he is entitled, he will retire from
the mead OF the railroad committee 10 the re-
arrangement of the committees Mr. Teller of
Colorado will probably be given the chairman
snip OF some committee. IS he is the only Sena-
ator VINO held seat prior to the 4th of March
not at the head of committee,
hseport OF the superintendent of Special
Agents of the PostoHice Department.
The annual report of the superintendent of
special agents of the Postofice Department
shows 543 arrests were made for offences
against the laws. Many cases of alleged i'm
proper sales OF postage stamps were investi-
gated and the postmasters removed for that
cause. The complaints of lost registered let
Iers nun bered 2,289 of the aggregate value of
$54 40, of which ia letters and $40, $40 were
recovered The per centaee of the actual
LOSSES compared with the total value of regis.
tered letters, viz: $4,34S, 127, is about one
nitleln or one per cent, or one in every 5000
letters.
Patent Once Receipts.
The receipts of the Patent Office for October
were $55, ia, or $685. greater than the same
month last year.
Tactics of tine Resumpt;Onis:s.
1t is believed to be the policy of the members
OF the House on both sides to exclude the
chances OF Offering the ant-resumption resolu-
tion tomorrow by requiring the reading of all
bills that are introduced and thus Consuming
the morning hour. An effort, however. is
likely to be made by MIR. Ewing to make The
ant-resumption bill SPECIAL order after the
morning hour daily, exception being only
made for appropriation bills, till Thursday Of
next week, and two-thirds vote therefor is
not regarded as impossible.
The Silver Bill.
Thr reference of the silver coinage bill Sat-
urday to the Committee on Coinage. Weights
and Measures is an advantage to the bill as
that committee has yet to be called for reports.
while the Banking and Currency Committee
has exhausted the two morning hours allowed
such committee for that purpose, and may not
be called again during the session.