The Portland daily press., 1878-01-31
WASHINGTON.
The Four Per Cent. Loan.


WASHINGTON, Jan. 30.-An arrangement has
been made, by which the Secretary Of the
Treasury will receive in payment of subscrip-
tiOnS to the per cent. loan, coin or currency
checks drawn on banks or bankers in New
York. The currency checks will be converted
into coin at current rates, without expense to
the owner. and in every case any excess over
the amount due on subscription will be return
ed to the subscriber Similar arrangements
for collecting drafts will hereafter be made as
found necessary, in other cities having SUBJ
Treasury offices.
Coinage Commissioners.
The President has appointed the following
gentlemen commissioners to test the gold and
silver coinage of the United States for the year
1877: Prof. Charles w. Eliot of Massachusetts,
Prof. Thomas Egeston, Jr., A. Louden Snow
den, Pennsylvania. Hon. j. L. B. Curry of
Virginia, Rev S. A. Browhson of Ohio, Chas.
M. Walker of Indiana, Hon. Newton Bateman
OF Illinois, Chas Beardsley of Iowa, and Joh n
W. Twigg of California. The ex-officio Off
GERS are the judge of the U. s. District Court of
Pennsylvania, the comptroller OF currency and
the assayer of the assay Office at New York.
The commission will assemble at the mint in
Philadelphia On the 18th of February
The Mexican Awards.
Senior Zamacona, special agent Of Mexico,
today paid the second installment of $500 900
on account of awards made by the joint Amer-
can aud Mexican commission in favor Of Amer
ican citizens.
The Tariff Bill.
The general principles on which the tariff
I bill are based are reduction and simplificat ON
and with sections directly looking to an en-
largement of our foreigntrade. The schedules
and classification of the present tariff are fol-
lowed. A slig ut reduction is made averaging
about 20 per cent of the preseut rates in the en-
tire list though in Wines brandies, cigars aud
other articles of like character there is no re-
duction. There are no compound duties, rates
being either specific or advalorem. There
is no free list. Every article that is not
dutiable is admitted free, without specification
or enumeration The present number of arti-
cles in the tariff laws is reduced to about 500
all told in this bill. Changes have been made
from advalorem to specific duties wherever
| practicable.
1t is claimed that this bill reduces the cost of
collection from 81, 7,250,000 to less than S3000,-
00G The bill proposes to raise $154, ,346, 600
estimated by treasury experts upon tbs average
of imports for the past six years. Only $685..
0000 900 were collected last year.
The subcommittee of the ways and means
| committee have agreed to report the bill to the
fall committee tomorrow.
Currency Outstanding.
The Comptroller of the Currency reports the
amounts of additional circulation issued during
January as $1,041, $50. The total amount is
sued since the passage of the act of July IA,
1875, is $41, Ill ,970 The total amount of legal
tender notes retired to date under the act of
JAN IA, 1875, is $32.S29,576: amount retired
during present month, 1888, ,352, leaving the
amount of legal tender mates outstanding Feb.
1st $349, ,110, ,424 The amount of national bank
notes outstanding Feb 1st is 1920, ,629, 500, to-
gether with $1,432, 100 of national gold bank
notes.
Various Matters.
House committee on elections declined to
grant the request of G. B. Darrall, contestant
in the Ackley vs.. Darral contested election
case from Louisiana for further hearing
House committee on railroads heard W. III.
Wood in advocacy of several bills providing for
the construction of double track line from
New York to Council Bluffs
Mrs. Hooker argued before the judiciary
committee today that every tax payer male or
female is entitled to vote.
House committee commerce today COM
menced the discussion of Mr. Cox's bill to or
ganize life saving service. Arguments were
submitted by Mr.. Cox and Mr.. Kimball, su-
perintendent of the life saving service, in favor
of the movement.