Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-04-19

TIE SUBsCRIPTIoN to the four per cent. loan
today amounted to s17o,400.
AMONG THE CALLERS at the White House to-
day were Justice Harlan. Representatives
G00de, Dwight. Stairn and Peddie, and VIM
Stokes Boydwayn, of Jacksonville, Fla.
GENERAL SHERMAN returned to the city this
morning from his visit to St Louis.
GLOVER ON THE TRAIL OF ANOTHER DEMO
CRATIC OFFICIAL--Mr. Glover, by verbal re-
quest of Speaker Randall, will proceed with
the investigation of the accounts of Sergeant
alarms T. q. Thompson. 1t is limited that
the investigation will branch out to the Office
of the Clerk of the House, George nj. Adams,
whose annual reports have been critically ex-
amined by one of G.'s irrepresSible experts.
THE QUESTION OF ADJOURNMENT - The
House this morning, by yeas 129 to nays 10,
adopted resolution to postpone the consid-
Grafton of the Senate adjournment resolution
until May 18th Four democrats refused to
abide the caucus decision and voted against
the pOstpOnement. These were Bridges and
Clymer, of Pennsylvania: Luttrell, of Califor-
MIA, and Cutler, of New Jersey.
THE CABINET MEERING to-day was short.
Secretary Thompson and Postmaster General
Key were absent. The New Orleans coIlec-
tOrShlp was not settled.
THE AMENDED DISTRICT GOVERNMENT
BILL.-GOv. Hendee will, prior to the adjourn
ment of the House to-day, request permission
TO report for consideration at tO-nightS SeS-
sion the bill to provide form of government
for the District of Columbia which the Dis
tTict committee is ready to report, with the
property qualifications for the members of the
council, and poll tax on the voters, stricken
out.
THE PHONOGRAPH AT THE CAPITOL.-A large
company of ladies and Senators gathered in
hn 70 1rpJtt foo Of II, SC
morning TO hear Edison. the inventor, explain
and Illustrate the principles of the phonOgraph
He went through a number OF Illustrations,
and tie phOnOgraph mimicked sounds with
wonderful accuracy, not only the singing and
talking, but even the whispering. He fire.
quently changed the tone of his voice very de-
cldedly IN one sentence, the phOnOgraph re-
peating the precise changes each time. Sena-
tor Ransom asked the professor whether he
could invent machine that would alltomati-
caliy pick cotton. He replied he believed he
could. He says he has l5S patents and IS
caveats.
Mr.. Edison also exhibited the curiosities of
bis phOnOgraph in the room of the committee
OH patents of the House, many members of
Congress being spectators, and subsequently
he occupied seat in the reporters gallery.
THE OMAHA flagship of the south Pacific
station, arrived at Hampton Roads this morn
ing; all were well on board. AS before stated
in THE STAR, Rear Admiral Preble, COM
retired; came home aboard her. He will be
succeeded by Commodore Wyman with the
Alaska, now at New York, for his flagship.
THE CONSTITUTION which arrived at Hayre
with goods for the Paris Exhibition on the Sd
OF this month, made the British channel in
twenty days. Here she encOuntereda a series
OF eaStery gales such as are seldom expert
enced ever III that stormy region. During one
of these gales, George III. Young ordinary sea
man, fell overheard from the b0wsprit and
was lost, 1t being impossible to lower boat to
go to his rescue.
COLORED CAVALRY GOING WEST.-The War
Department directs the superintendent of
mounted recruiting service to cause all dis
pOsaEle cOlOred cavalry recruits to be pre-
pared and forwarded to Fort Garland Colo
IadO, where they will be reported for assign
general recruiting service Will cause 200 to be
forwarded to Omaha Barracks, Nebraska and
be reported for assignment to the 18th infant
ry, IN the department of the Platte. First
Lieutenant ID. s. Cragie will report for duty in
conducting the latter recruits to their destfna-
ton.
BOGUS CLAIMS FOR CUSTOMS DRAWBACKS
The House committee on appropriations this
morning had before it Special Agent Curtis, of
the Treasury department, who was detailed by
secretary Sherman some time ago to report
upon the matter OF large number of claims
for customs drawbacks, claimed by a number
OF New York lawyers as attorneys for import
ers 1t appears that when Secretary Sherman
took charge Of the Treasury he found batch
OF these claims pending in the department,
put refused to pay them, because he had no
appropriation, and he communicated his ac-
ton to Congress in letter written on the l4th
OF December last. The amounts claimed ag-
gfegate between two millions and three
millions of dollars. 1t now appears that
certain New York lawyers who were in colu-
sion with custom house clerks received in
formation from these clerks of all the customs
cases Wherein there was a possibility that the
importers may have been Overcharged. Act
ing upon this information the attorneys would
have an interview with the importers and be-
tween them protests as to excessive charges
would be drawn up. and claims for drawback
manufactured. The attorneys made contracts
III each instance to be paid 80 per cent. of the
amount received. Under Secretaries BriStOw
ana MOrrlll many OF the claims were paid, but
Secretary sherman not only has not paid such
eases on account of the lack of an apprOpria-
uOn, but because he had reason to believe that
many OF the claims were fraudulent His Sus-
plclons seem to have been well founded. Spe-
clal Agent curtis reported this morning that
nearly twO-thirdS of the claims had no fOun.
datlon IN law and should not be paid. The
appropriation committee will make thor
ough investigation
DIsCHARGED.-Thirty-fO men, the last of
the forty employed in repairing burnt models
IN the Patent Office, We're discharged yester.
day.
TO PREVENT ANY MISAPPREHENsION of the
article headed Not yet satifed about that
$1,000" in yesterdays STAR, We state that the
two first sentences only purpOrt to give the
substance OF the testimony OF MIR. Chipman.
The remainder OF the article embOdieS infor-
nation obtained by the reporter from other
sources.
IHE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT
TEE at their meeting last night appointed
Representative Hale as temporary chairman,
and Representative Phillips, of Kansas. secre-
tary, and resolved that the vacancies from
states not represented in Congress by any re-
states are Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware,
Texas and Georgia. Twenty-eight of the
thlrty-Slx members of the committee were
present. An executive committee was an.
pointed, consisting of Representative Hale of
Maine, Senator Allison of Iowa RepreSenta
tive Joyce OF Vermont, Representative His
cock OF New York, Representative Page of
Calliornla, Representative Foster of Ohio
representative Campbell of Pennsylvania
representative Hubbell of Michigan Senator
dorsey OF Arkansas, and Senator Bruce of
Mississippi. This committee will elect the
secretary. In the few remarks which We're
made 1t was urged that every effort be made
1Or the success of the party in the fall cam.
Ralgn, and 1t was said that the prospects to
that end were encouraging.
NoMINATIoN.-The President has nomi.
mated VIM. H. Hunt, of Louisiana, 10 be Judge
OF the Court of claims.
HE REPEAL OF THE BANKRUPT LAW-The
House committee on the indieIary ba g ipStrpot