The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-03-04

FRANcE-A DUEL BETWEEN DEPUTIES
&C. &c. 10, .sl.f
4 Washington.
THE GEOGRAPHICAL AND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
OF THE WESTERN TERRIToRIEs-stR.Jo JOHN
E. SON BARBOUR HAS AT4LK on THE SILVER
BILL -THB DISTRICT GOVERNMENT - THE
4 TARIFF BILL-TAx ON ToBACC0-THE SUN
FOR THE ARLINGTON EsTATE-PERsoNAL, &C.
From Onr Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 2.-As neither house
OF Congress was in session to-day, aud the
President was announced to visit the Office
Of the Geographical and Geological Survey
OF the Western Territories, F., v. Hayden in
charge, I concluded to go there, too. Mr..
James Stevenson, the executive officer, fur
in,shed me with more material than can use
in these dispatches. The Survey is inYesti-
eating the mining, grazing, and agricultu-
raj resources, the climatic conditions and
facilities for irrigation Of the western coun-
try. The resources OF the great Rocky
Mountain region are being examined, too,
to ascertain whether an alpine people cannot
prosper there. Aseries Of popular reports, H.
Illustrated, embodying the foregoing features,
have been published for individual use and
quarto-illustrated and more scientific re-
ports for colleges and public libraries. The
survey. is preparing models OF cliff dwell
ers and other ancient natives Of this region;
also, geological models in colors, photo
graphic and water-color illustrations OF
important localities, as we'll as large col
lection OF transparences illustrating the
Yellowstone region, including the hot
springs and geysers. The survey is also
about to issue large and comprehensive
atlas, showing in colors the drainage, the
geological. agricultural, and mining re-
sources of the western territories.
The office has 1000 negatives OF noted
Indian chiefs and warriors, representing
ninety dialects-the largest collection in the
world. In connection with the survey the
chronological Commission which has been
investigating the locust plague OF the West
will now take up the cotton-army worm
and other insects which iniure southern
crops and destroy $4,000, 900 worth OF pro-
docts annually. Large colored- photographs
OF some OF the Indians are to be sent to the
| Paris Exposition.
THE FEDERAL AND STATE COURTS.
| 1t is complained in the South and West
that the Federal courts are absorbing the
| jurisdiction Of the State courts by means OF
the law which, under certain circumstances,
permits causes to be removed from the lat
ter to the former. So crowded have the
Federal-court dockets become that Con-
gress is continually asked for appropria-
lions for extra terms, DC. The Judiciary
Committee OF the House is now considering
the bill OF Mr.. Townsend, Of Illinois, to re-
peal the law permitting cases to be removed
from State courts to Federal courts. and the
indications are that their report on it will
be favorable.
WHO HIRES TAL1AFERRo {?
In the investigation of the charges against
the doorkeeper OF the House to-day the
most puzzling question was, Who hires Tai
iaferro, the good-looking mulatto man who
does duty in the statuary hall? The door.
keeper, the clerk, the architect, and the
sergeant-at-arms, all say they didn't, and
nobody else has the power. Mr.. Adams,
the clerk Of the House, whom Mr.. Polk
said he consulted in making His appoint
ments Of pages, testified that the doorkeeper
was mistaken, as he did no such thing.
Sergeant-at-Arms Thompson testified in
regard to the organization OF the officers of
the House. The testimony did not help the
doorkeeper, and Mr.. Mccoy, OF Baltimore,
is already spoken Of as the coming man for
the position. Mr.. Patterson, the late door
keeper, is on hand. Mr.. Polk intimates that
some lady holds the position and employs
Taliaferro.
B. JOHNSON BARBOUR AND S. S. cox.
A group in the hall listened to an in
teresting colloquy on silver to-day, in
which Messrs. B. johnson Barbour and
Cox of New York took leading parts.
Mr.. Barbour said he did the daily penance
OF reading the Record. and thought that the
silyer-men, in the late discussion, showed
more erudition and originality than the
gold-men, who seemed TO have gotten into
the Wall-street rut and contented them
selves with stereotyped arguments. They
lost sight of the fact that currency
needs volume as we'll as value, and in
illustrating the humble mission OF sill
yer quoted from the Merchant OF
Venice: "Silver thou pale and common
i drudge 'twixt man and man;" and then
again from another not known to your cor
respondent, .Gold, thou god worshipped in
every land without temple, and in every
heart without hypocrite." In response to
a question in regard to the secret history OF
the demonstration OF silver, Mr.. Cox said
that he went around to find out what was
in the bill, and not being able to do so voted
against it. General Hunton remarked thai
1t was rumored that European bankers SEM
over 100000 to aid in the decentralization
Of silver. All agreed that the bill Just passed
will do great deal OF good, and this is thu
sentiment Of eight out OF ten you meet to
night in Washington. :s
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT.
Ii the bill for, the government of the Dis
{ trict of Columbia passes, it will be after
good many important changes have beer
made IN it. There is great objection to the
provision for electing a Council by TIT
people,; Then the section which establishe
a Board-to consist Of one appointed by TIT
House, a second by the Senate, and the
i third fan on oinaer1 nv the President--is re