The Portland daily press., 1878-06-17
WASHINGTON.
The ArsnY BILL.

WASHINGTON, June 15.-The report of the
conference on the army appropriation bill, as
finally agreed on, leaves the army at $4,000
men. The section transferring the Indian
bureau from the Interior to the War Depart
ment is stricken out The organization of the
army is to remain for the present as it is, but
commission is to be appointed to consider and
report on this subject to Congress. The clause
relating to the use of the army as a posse
comitatus is amended by emitting the words
"except when especially authorized by law.''
Confirm atoms.
The Senate today confirmed the nomination
Of Albert 81. Leonard as District Attorney for
Louisiana.
The Secretary of the Senate has promoted
James W. Nightingale to be principal legisla-
tive clerk of the Senate, and James w. CLAW
ton to be minute and journal clerk.
The Louisiana Documents.
The documents sent to the House by the
President embrace all communications to and
from the Louisiana committee of 1877, in
charge of the Department of State, and were
furnished at the instance of the Potter COM
mittee They contain nothing new,
The Sugar Duty.
A bill was introduced in the House this
evening by Mr.. Phelps of Connecticut which
provides simply for the uniform duty of %
cents per pound upon all imported sugar,
melado, concentrated melado, mOlasses, con-
crete tank bottoms, syrup of sugar and cane
JuiCo uOt dUOV6 tue uuu1U6r VI SlAt66u DutCu
standard in color, and duty of four cents per
pound upon all above that standard The bill
was referred to the Committee on Ways and
Means.
The River aud Harbor Bill.
The amounts appropriated for specified works
of improvement in the river and harbor bill, as
reported from the committee on conference
and passed by both Houses this afternoon, are
with few exceptions precisely the same as
those contained in the bill passed by the Senate
on the 18th. The exceptions are as follows:
The Senate receded wholly from its amend
ments to provide 100000 for continuing the
improvement of the harbor of Dunklrk, N. Y,
to increase the amount for the improvement of
the Potomac river channels at Washington
and Georgetown from $4,000 to 500. 600 and
to increase the amount for improving the
Penobscot river from $4,000 to $4,000. The
Senate receded from IT'S disagreement to the
House items of $4,000 for Fort Clinton, Ohio
$4,000 for New river, Virginia, $25,000 for
Passo Canalo inlet, Texas The item for the
Columbia river canal is compromised at $780,.
600, and the amount for expenditure on the
White and st. Francis rivers. Ark, is fixed at
$4,000. All the other Senate amendments,
specially mentioned the increase of the
Harlem item from $l50,000 to 100000, wers
finally concurred 10 by the House.
The Sundry Civil Bill.
WASHINGTON, June 16-Several members of
the Senate Appropriation Committee have
been at work all day and throughout this even
ing completing the examination of the suadry
civil appropriation bill and of the very numer-
GUS amendments already proposed for adoption
by the Senate. They will as subcommittee
report it to the full committee tomorrow morn
ing, with view to Its receiving action in time
to be submitted to the Senate in print with the
committees amendments tomorrow afternoon,
An all night session of the Senate will prob
ably be required to pass the bill in time to
ensure any possibility of its enactment before
the hour now fixed for final adjournmmens.
The Halifax Award,
Prominent members of the House of Repre-
sentatves are of the opinion that the Senate
bill appropriating five and half millions to
the fisheries award of the Halifax Commission
will be taken from the Speakers table and
passed by the House tomorrow.
The President and Contributions for
Campaign Purposes.
The President has informed members of the
Cabinet with regard to the matter of contribu.
tions to cam aign funds and assessments for
political purposes, that he desires the letter
addressed by Secretary Schurz to one of his
clerks uron that subject to be considered as
embodying his own opinions and the rule gov.
erning the administration in its different
branches. This letter informed the clerk who
addressed Secretary Schurz that he was as free
as any other citizen to spend his spare money
in any legitimate way he pleased, and as his
political principles or public spirit might sug-
QeSt.