The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-01-18
History Of Seven Days.
The News for the week ending wednes.
day Night, January 40.
NATIONAL, CAprTAr

NATIONAL CAPITAL. 4
The President is opposed to negro emigration
to Liberia or San Domingo.
At the Cabinet session Tuesday the subject of
national finances was earnestly considered 1t
was determined to give notice to the Syndicate
that the Department. intends to terminate its
contract with them. Secretary Sherman will
Immediately prepare an advertisement for the
popular loan. The Cabinet also gave attention
to the Chinese question. The President will
address special message to Congress on the
subject.
The Secretary Of the Treasury rules that not
withstanding the stipulations in the treaty of
Washington for the free admission of the fish
oil product of the fisheries of the Dominion of
Canada, Prince Edward Island, &c., cod liver
oil refined or purified for use as medicine will
be treated IS dutiable, whether imported in
bottles, casks or barrels.
On the recommendation of Secretary Schurz
an executive order will shortly be issued, dis
continuing the general SUPPLEMENTARY OF In
dian affairs, In regard to the conduct of which
some damaging revelations were recently made
by the report Of the board of inquiry. Two Of
the principal clerks of the Indian bureau have
been discharged in accordance with the recon-
mendation of this board, and similar action
will soon be taken In regard to a number of
other persons connected with the service.
Various other rsformatory measures based upon
the report of the board are determined upon,
but temporarily delayed in order to make them
more effective by the institution Of civil suits
or criminal proceedings against the parties
implicated.
CONGRESS.
Thursday both houses reassembled after the
holidays. In the Senate, after the presentation
Of bills, resolutions and petitions, Mr.. Mat.
thews's silver resolution was debated. A reso-
luton offered by Mr.. Sargent, that advocates
of woman suffrage be permitted to address the
Senate, was defeated by vote of Is to 81. In
Committee Of the Whole of the House, Mr..
Woods resolution authorizing general investi-
cations by the general committees was debated,
and a substitute offered by Mr.. Hale was
adopted, authorizing any committee to apply
to the House for power to call for persons and
papers for q specific purpose, the application to
be supported by the written statement of one
or moro members that the investigation Is nee
essary. No action was taken in the House.
In the course of the debate Congressman Reed
Of Maine spoke as follows:
move to strike out the last word for the
purpose of saying that / am somewhat sur
prtsed, after the gentleman from New York
IMr. Wood has announced with considerable
breadth of language that this body is the grand
inquest of the country and should be set imme-
diately to investigate all the wickedness of the
land-I am somewhat surprised that there
seems to be some special pet wickedness which
be is unwilling to have investigated, even after
q member of this House in his place declares
that he has reason to believe wrong has been
committed Ono of the grounds assigned by
tho gentleman from New York for declaring
that we ought to investigate these subjects
without making any charges, is that the inves-
tgation ought to be secret. 1 am surprised
that with his experience he should suppose
that this House can Investigate anything with
any very great degree OF secrecy. How secret
all things are kept here In Washington!
When the body at the other end of the Capitol
has secret session, how difficult 1t is for the
community to become acquainted with their
action therein. And when one of the commit
tees of the last House, when all of the
committees were investigating the sub
jects before them, how secret 1t was and
how silent all the newspapers were upon the
subject! Sir, everybody knows that the re-
verse OF his idea was true. We all know
that when those committees had gorged them
selves with accusations against men, made by
persons OF no character and standing in the
community, they were permitted to ooze out to
sort of competition with each other on the sub
feet of the SANDER OF men and measures. Now
say that this country is satisfied with what
we have had in this direction and would be dis
gusted at any time to see q repetition of it, 1t
"a dscreditabls to us to be spending the time
for which we are paid by the people to do the
nation 8 work 10 endeavoring to make political
capital against the other party. If gentlemen
have any subjects which they want to Investigate
why do they not come before the Honse and
make their charges, and let the House under
stand what they are undertaking to investi-
gate? Mon who live In our community and our
constituents have their rights, and among them
Is the right to know that they will not be &C.
cused without having warning beforehand of
what they are accused, so that they may meet
1t. Everybody knows the unsatisfactory ma
tnre OF these Investigations, as Investigations.
Insy are simply used to provide material for
legislative business before this House to Justify
us In wasting time In this fashion.
Friday the Senate was not in session. In the
House, Mr.. Woods resolution, authorizing un-
limited Investigations by the several committees
was carried by vote Of Ill to 107. A num-
Der OF private bills were introduced.
Monday in the Senate number Of petitions
were presented for and against the remonetiza-
ton of silver; Mr.. Hill, of Georgia, pre-
scented resolutions of the Savannah Cotton Ex-
change, denying that the South is unanimously
In favor Of the restoration OF the silver dollar.
Mr.. Dawes submitted the amendment to Mr..
Matthew's silver resolution, and speech in
favor Of the resolution was made by Mr.. Bailey.
In the House resolution offered by Mr.. Kel-
ley, permitting the advocates of woman sui.
frags to present their arguments to the House
on Saturday next was defeated by vote of
107 to ITO.
CRIMES AND CASUALTIES
Monday morning the dwelling house of a.
Chapman In Sanwich, Mass, was entered by
burglars, his wife bound and the house robbed,
Friday afternoon tramp entered base.
mont OF Finwood's bag factory in Brooklyn,
and being ordered out set fire to bag of iute
and the factory was soon in flames. There
were 100 girls In the establishment and they
had q narrow escape from suffocation.
A serious railroad accident on the Connecti-
cut Western railroad just beyond Tarrifville,12
miles beyond Hartford at 10 o'clock Tuesday
evening. As an excursion train was returning
from the Moody and Sankey meeting at Hart
ford It fell through the trestle bridge into the
Pennington river. Two baggage and three
passenger cars went down. The number of
killed is from to 20.
TURco-RUssIAN WAR.
Forty-one battalions of infantry one regi-
ment of cavalry, ten batteries aud all the stores
and munitions are the fruits of General Rad
etxky's victory at the Shipka Pass Next to
the capture Of Plevns, this is the most impor-
SAINT victory tho Russian European army has
yet achieved. It is natural that st. Petersburg
should receive the news with blaze of rejoic-
Ing. But the spoils of war are only small
part Of the victory. The new and secure po-
Gition gained by 1t is of vital Importance. It
breaks the last line of Turkish defense before
reaching Adrianople, and makes the Russians
masters Of . large stretch of country south of
the Balkans. The Generalization Of the Turks
10 greatly increased by this fresh disaster and
the Porte cannot afford to wait much longer
for an armistice. Indeed as 1t was announced
before this last battle, that Turkey had agreed
10 cessation of hostilities to settle terms of
peace. sll possible haste may now be expected
to enter upon Negotiations. Longer delay would
4. ID a.