Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-01-03
Washington Notes.
DIAZ DISCUSSED.


Associated press advices from Wash
ington under date Of December Goth,
state that at a cabinet meeting
to-day the Mexican affairs were
the subject of much conversation,
though nothing new was presented, and
no definite results followed 1t is pos
sible the question of recognizing Diaz
will be formally considered next week.
The cabinet also gave attention to the
wishes of the Nez Perces Indians to
return to the United States government,
and await further advices before final
action.
CAMERON AND THE WIDOW.
1t will be recolected that about a
year ago widow named Oliver brought
suit against Hon. Simon Cameron for
breach of marriage promise Nothing
has been publicly known concerning
this suit until to-day. 1t now appears
by statement in the EUening Star that
it was abandoned in January CT Feb
ruary last, the widow having waived
further proceedings in consideration of
the sum Of $4,000.
LARGE DISBURSEMENTS.
Since the passage of the army bill
the United States treasury has paid out
over thirty millions of currency. the
greater portion Of which was paid as
compensation to officers and men of
the army. The treasurer is now paying
out over twenty-three millions in gold
on account Of interest on the public
debt, due on the 1st of January next,
making in all over fifty-three million
dollars disbursed within the past six
weeks.
LINCOLN TERRITORY.
The subcommittee of the house
committee on territories to-day heard
an argument from Delegate Corbett, of
Wyoming, in opposition to the bill for
the establishment Of the Territory of
Lincoln. Mr.. Corbett based his oppo-
sition mainly upon the argument that
the population of the Black Hills
country it not of n permanent charac-
ter. He also opposed the bill because
it provides for including portion of
Wyoming within the boundary of the
proposed new territory.
THE SIOUX CITY LAND OFFICE.
The president has issued an order
tllC ciOlA S1UN ldIlu OlllC6
and directing its business and archives
to be transferred to Des Moines, Iowa.
There are now less than 1000 acres of
public lands in Iowa fully subject to
disposal by the government.
THE PACIFIC RAILWAYS.
A Washington correspondent under
date of Dec. 30th telegraph8 that the
first suit of the government against the
Union Pacific railroad, brought by di-
rection of the act of congress approved
January %, 1874, will be called in the
circuit court in Boston next week,
Tuesday. 1t may be postponed week
but will probably be decided within a
few weeks. This is one Of several suits
brought against all the railroad COM
panies which the Pacific railroad bills
required should pay 5 per cent of their
net earnings to the government, and
the suit against the Union Pacific is for
5 per cent of the net earnings from the
time the road was completed to the
date when the government began to
withhold payments to the roads under
act of March 3, 1873. The Union
Pacific have made great efforts to have
one of the other suits, for instance, that
against the Kansas Pacific, advanced,
and decided before its own case. This
the government will not permit, since
none of the other suits cover all the
points embraced in this.
THE MEXICAN QUESTION.
There was short meeting of the
cabinet to-day, at which the Mexican
border troubles mOnopolized attention.
Secretary McCrary submitted telegraph
ic reports from the officers at the scene
of the late riot in Ell Paso county,
Texas, which state that careful inves-
tigation shows that at least one-half of
the patty of rioters who killed Judge
Howard and others and attacked the
militia were Mexican citizens. A more
detailed report is on its way in the
mails, and no action will be taken till it
arrives. The United States govern
ment can do no more than demand Of the
Mexican government the punishment of
the men implicated in this riot; but
while it makes this demand it must
punish its own subjects who were also
engaged, and, as the investigation shows
were the leaders of the affair. An at
tempt will be made to find out whether
the Mexican authorities at the place
from which the marauders came were
aware beforehand of the proposed at
tack, and if so, whether they made any
effort to prevent it. This affair turns
out finally to be the most serious that
has yet occurred on the border, and
while members of the cabinet do not
admit that future trouble of an interna-
tional character will grow out oft, they
are not willing to venture an opinion
as to how much trouble can be pre-
vented.
STRENGTH OF THE SILVER BILL.
A careful canvass Of the senate,
made by correspondence or by person
al knowledge of senator's views, makes
it certain that the Bland silver bill can
not be passed in the upper house by a
two-thirds vote over the presidents We
to unless senators Lamar and Hill
should change front, which is hardly
probable. The friends of the bill in
tend to have the debate on it in the
senate commenced Immediately after
the recess, and they intend to put it
through as it came from the house,
without even the amendment giving the
government the profit from the coinage
That President Hayes viii veto the bill
is regarded as certain.
One of the strangest things about the
old masters is the rhythmic regularity
with which their long-hidden works turn
up in unknown places. The discovery
of Rubens in Cincinnati was capped by
Carracci in New Orleans; now St. Louis