The Portland daily press., 1878-03-02
WASHINGTON.

Congressmen to be Paid in their Own
Coin.
NEW YORK, March IA million of dollars
have been placed to the credit of the Philadel-
phia mint, and 100000 to the Carson mint SO
that they both can begin silver coinage at
once. The first reception of new silver coin
will be used by the Treasury to pay the salaries
of members of Congress.
The New England Mail Service Case.
WASHINGTON, March 1.-The House Com
mittee on P0st-0ffices continued the investiga-
ton of the Case of Thomas P. Cheney,
superintendent of the New England mail
service.
A. j. Stabl. the chief clerk, acknowledged
that be was absent from duty without any re-
duction of salary.
Mr.. Lewis of the Boston post-ofice gave a
general review of the duties of superintendent
and testified that Cheney neglected his duty
by being absent a greater part of his time.
s. West, a railway postal clerk on the st.
Adams and Boston route. said he had frequent.
~ called at Cheney's. Office on business, but
invariably found him absent He never saw
Cheney in the discharge Of his duty on the
road.
The Tariff Bill.
The Ways and Means Committee passed the
clause of the tariff bill relating to spices with
out alteration, and reduced the proposed duty
on silks from 80 to 40 per cent.
Getting Ready TO Coin the Silver Dollar
<AOeioS uhNCi iuceluCtiUuc VI tu6 secretary
of the Treasury, and in anticipation of the sill.
yer bill becoming law, the directors of the
minis have been engaged several days making
necessary arrangements for running the mints
to their full capacity on the new silver dollar,
In connection with which gold only will for
some time be coined. 1t is probable supply
of working dies will be ready in about ten DAYS.
80 little delay 10 the coinage will be ecca-
stoned 1t is thought by the middle of April
the coinage of the silver dollar will be at the
rate of ~ 510 nm manth
The Cabinet to-day discussed the necessary
action to be taken to carry out the provisions
OF the silver law. Secretary Sherman is to
put the mints at work promptly and indus
trlously, and the Secretary of State will at
once open correspondence with the govern
ments of the countries comprising the SO called
Latin Union, and of such other European
nations as the President may deem advisable,
inviting them to join the United States in a
conference to adopt com mon rates between gold
and silver for the purpose of establishing inter-
nationally the use of bi-metallic money and
securing the fxity of the relative value
between these metals.
Various Matters.
The House Committee on Banking copsid-
cred the bill for the issue of postal savings
bonds bearing 365 interest, exchangeable at
par for nlted States notes or per cent. bonds,
and also for the special issue of United States
legal tender notes to the amount of 10 per
centum OF the postal savings bonds, and postal
amount of such special issue shall reach
$50,00O,O00. Thescommiitee agreed to take q
final vote upon this bill next Tuesday, and
from the present indications it will be reported
almost unanimously.
The silver bill was to day sent to the Depart
ment OF State by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, with the endorsement of the
clerk of the House and Secretary of the
Senate to the effect that the bill has been
passed, notwithstanding the Presidents veto.
The amendments to the House bill author
izIng the President to appoint temporarily some
officer OF the United States to pay pensions, in
case OF vacancy, were concnrred in by the
House today. The Senate having adjourned
until Monday, the bill cannot receive the sigma
ture OF the President until Monday afternoon.
and it therefore will be impossible to pay per
sons at the New York agency until Tuesday.
The New York Pension Agency.
NEW YORK, Mar. 1.-Col Chas. r. Coster
telegraphs TO the Pension agency to-day, that
the Secretary of the Interior would not accent
his bond as pension agent 1t was for $780,
600 with justifcations in double the amount
Among those on the bond is Ex-Gov e D.
Morgan. Objection was made to him that he
was already on very large number of bonds
and bis property could not be considered unin-
numbered. 1t is understood that if the special
pension relief bill passes the Senate it viii be-
the intention OF Secretary Schurz to appoint
Gen. Merritt, Surveyor of the port, TO nav the
pensioners for the new quarter.