Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-08-28
WASHINGTON.
,xp HARBoR IMPROVEMENTS.

,,vrR AND HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS.
washington special Of the o1st says
.ha oa;cers of the engineer corps have
uarn,nleted their plans for carrying into
1arption the provisions OF the river
va harbor appropriation bill, and have
'aac,,red for them the approval Of the
eratary of war. Advertisements for
seronosals are being sent out for the
pauti;nnance Of all works in progress,
oUd contracts involving five or six mil
i T dollars will be let within the next
Noe or four weeks. No new works
Lare vet been designed, and although
.Ie commencement of many is
asrovided for by the appropria-
BON bill, the engineer corps will
ro in no haste about carrying out the
,,rovisions of the law, as it is entirely
a.cretionary with the secretary of war
~betber the money appropriated is ex-
"anded or not. Some ofthe new works
s'r which appropriations have been
made are OF urgent necessity, and will
ha commenced as soon as possible, and
,bore are others which are not ABSOLUTELY
nanded and which involve great deal
time in making plans and large ex-
Denditure of money. Designs for these
rill probably not be matured until win
,or 1t is estimated that between six
ond seven millions of the eight and one
half millions appropriated, will be ex-
ended by the government between now
and the first of July next, for river and
iLor ;p,nrovene ntS
THE GOVERNMENTS MEXICAN POLICY.
snecial from Washington, dated
Aug. odd, says it is stated upon appa-
rentIy GOOD authority that the admins
ration has settled upor the following
nolicv as regards the Rio Grande border
difficulties with Mexico:
Fua-Raiders are to be pursued with
increased vigor when they retreat to
Mexican soil, and punished if caught.
The troops engaged in these pursuing
sorties will be increased from time to
time.
Second-The commanding officer of
the pursuing columns will not seek a
conflict with the Mexican regular for
ces. but will not avoid one if such forces
interfere. He will, in the event of such
opposition, overcome it if possible, and,
after having exhausted all reasonable
measures to accomplish the capture
and punishment of marauders, return
to the American bank of the river.
Thrd-Under no circumstances will
the pursuing forces be permitted to ex-
coed these instructions, and while on
Mexican soil they will strictly confne
themselves to the single object of their
expedition. The utmost care will be
taken to give no offense or cause of
complaint to the Mexican authorities or
people that may follow from the faith
fdl and circumspect execution of their
duties.
FOuth-No Offense is meant to the
Mexican government, the design of the
United States being simply to punish
depredations upon the rights, property,
and lives Of its citizens.
Fyh-NOthing which may occur on
the south bank of the Rio Grande as a
result of the execution of this policy
will be accepted by the administration
as an immediate cause Of war between
the countries, but if the Mexican regu-
lar tronps shall cross the river in retail
alton for these measures, a casus belli
may be considered therefrOm.
This is said to be an outline of the
instructions TO Gen. Ord.
TRADE DOLLARS.
Washington advices of 21st inst, state
mat treasury officials believe that if
thequestlon is tested before the courts.
the government will be compelled to
redeem all those trade dollars coined
before IRE, the passage of the law Of July
=, 1876, when the trade dollar was d.
vested of that legal-tender quality
when 1t has possessed, in
sums not exceeding s., from
Ae time 1t was first coined in 1873, but
as 1t will be impossible to ascertain
"hal trade dollars were coined before
ana anu what were coined after the law of
100 was passed, it is thought at the
treasury that the best way out of the
dilemma will be to redeem these coins
~ ~ par and retire them from circulation
Il Is probable that Secretary Sherman
H,I make a recommendation to that
eHec' IN his annual report to congress.
a strong pressure will doubtless be
attouYht to bear on congress to induce
u"' pody either to redeem these dollars
ot 10 place them on an equality
WIN the silver dollars. The vast in
fIes'S affected by whatever action con-
s s.g may Ike in the premises will be
nun! appreciated when it is stated that
"le Total amount of dollars coined and
S55,9j9,36O '''N 10
-, THE MONEY ORDER BUSINESS.
The business of the monev.order
. J,"nch OF the post Office department
onGWs steady increase both in domestic