Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-06-08

THE MEXICAN BORDER TROUBLES LETTER
FEoM THE SECRETARY OF WAR TO CEN.
SHERMAN.
WASHINGTON, June IA letter OF the
secretary of war to Gen. Sherman, in re
gard to the Rio Grande trouble is as fol
lows:
General The report of William Shafter.
lieutenant colonel of the 2ith infantry, com
manding the district of Nueces, Texas, con-
corning the recent raids by Mexicans and
Indians from Mexico into Texas, for ma
raudlng purposes, with your endorsement.
has been submitted to the President. He
desires that the utmost vigilance on the
part of the military in Texas be exercised
Tor the suppression of these raids 1t
is very desirable tat efforts to
this end in so far at least as
they necessarily involve operations on
both sides of the border, he made with the
cooperation OF the Mexican authorities, and
YOU will instruct General Ord, commanding
in Texas, to invite such cooperation on the
part of the IDEAL Mexican authorities. and
to inform them that while the President is
anxious to avoid giving offence to Mexico.
he is the nevertheless cow inced that the IN
yasion of our territory by armed and orga
nized bodies of thieves and robbers, to prey
upon our citizens. should not be
longer endured. General Ord will at once
notify the Mexican authorities along the
Texas border Of the great desire of the
President to unite with them in efforts to
suppress this long continued lawlessness;
at the same time he will inform them that
if the government of Mexico shall continue
to neglect its duty of suppressing these
outrages, the duty will devolve upon this
and will ha parfOrrnad !
its performance should render necessary the
occasional crossing of the border by our
troops. You will therefore direct
General Ord, in case the lawless incursions
continue, that he will be at liberty to use
his own discretion when in pursuit Of ma
RAIDERS. and when his troops are either in
sight of them or upon q fresh trail, to fol-
low them across the Rio Grande, and to
Overtake and punish them, as well as re-
take stolen property taken from our citizens,
and found in their hands on the Mexican
side of the line.
STEP BACKWARD.
An attempt is making to alter the state
constitution of Georgia so as to establish a
public whipping post.
THE PRESIDENT ON TIE CIVIL SERVICE.
WASHINGTON, June 3.-The President in
conversation recently has expressed his
views on the subject of civil service reform
in more earnest and emphatic terms than
those contained in his late letter approving
the report of the commission which ex-
amined the affairs of the New York
custom house, taking the broad ground
that the collection of the revenue should
be placed on strictly business basis. with
out partisan control either directly or re-
motely and he evinces determination to
carry this principle into all the collection
districts, the larger ones being first subject
to examination on the same principle. 1t is
proposed to extend the civil service reform
to all the departments of the government.
NEW CUSTOMS ARRANGEMENT.
WASHINGTON, d. c., June 5.-The seere
tary of the treasury to-day issued regula-
tons under which the baggage of passengers
entering the United States from Canada by
the Delaware and Hudson. Central Vermont
and Southern railroads will be examined by
United States inspectors OF customs at
Montreal instead of as heretofore at first
port of arrival in the United States. By
this arrangement the delay of passenger
trains at Rouses Point, N. Y, and st. Al
bans and Newport, Vt, will be obviated.
FINANCIAL.
The secretary of the treasury has referred
to committee consisting of treasurer Wv
man. Mr.. Mcpherson, chief of the bureau
of engraving and printing, and comptroller
Knox, the question as to what estimated
amount of fractional currency has
been destroyed and will therefore
never be presented for redemption, and
upon their reports they will decide whether
or not the law limiting the outstanding
fractional currency and silver coin to fifty
millions will permit the issue of additional
silver to cover the currency destroyed in
circulation.
WASHINGTON, June 6,-Secretary Sherman
has addressed letter to the collector Of
customs at Baltimore, which states the
policy of the treasury department with res
pect to general sales Of gold. Secretary
Sherman says ; II regret to have to decline
to sell gold in Baltimore as requested. Our
currency revenue is ample for current ex-
penses, Except such as grow out of the
resumption act. 1t seems to me the mer-
chants can use coin certificates without
serious inconvenience.