Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-04-02

DOORKEEPER POLK. The House at 2:30
o'clock this afternoon took up the case of
DOOrkeeper Polk.
SECRETARY MCCRARY and family returned
this morning from their trip to Norfolk
THE BANKRUPTCY REPEAL BILL.-SenatOr
McCreery made an Intellectual effort to-day to
secure special order devoting next Friday
to consideration of the bill for the repeal of the
bankrupt law. Senator Edmunds objected to
the special order, and Mr.. McCreery gave no
tice that he should call up the bill referred to
next Friday.
NoMINATIoNs.-The President sent to the
Senate to-day the following nominations:
VIM. c. Howell. now consul at Quebec, to be
I. s. Consul ut Toronto; John \. WaSSOn of
Illinois, to be [. S. Consul at Quebec and a
number OF small pOstmasters
THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE to.
day agreed to report favOrably, with amend
mentS, bill allowing the Secretary of the
Treasury to repay the tonnage tax where it
mas been eXacted i'll cOntraventiOn of treaty
provisions. The act does not authorize the
refunding OF any tonnage duties whatever.
eXacted prior to June l, 1872, nor of any such
duties demand for repayment of which shall
nave been made prior TO January ]. 1873.
, The committee took no action on the bill for
the repeal OF the resumption act, owing to the
Neyada).
Arguments were made before the committee
on the subject OF establishing new mintS in
various parts of the country Senator Saun-
derS spoke i'll favor of a new mint at Omaha
NeOTaS ka, and Senator EuStiS advocated the
re0penIng of the mint at New Orleans. Rep
reSentatIves Harrison. Aldrch and Brentano
OF the Illinois delegation requested the com
mlttee to report q bill TO build a new mint at
Chicago.
THE GENEVA AwARD.-Thc House commit
tee on the Judiciary to-day took vote with
reference to the distribution of the Geneva
award. BY a majority of one vote the Cul-
bersOn bill,which allows the claimants to take
their claims the Court of Claims, was agreed
upon. The minority of the committee, how
eyer, got leave to move an amendment ih the
House excluding the insurance companies
from such benefit. The minority of the com
mittee will also present report favOring the
appointment of a board of commissioners to
examine and pass upon all the claims arising
under the Geneva award.
THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AT
FAIRS transacted 4 large amount of business
at its meeting today In addition to a num-
Der OF reports on private bills, the committee
agreed TO report various subjects of general
interest. as fOllOWS:-By q majority vote an
adverse report was agreed to upon Senate bill
TO TO hN the rank of certain uuartermasters in
the army. This bill dlSplaceS several deputy
quartermasterS. Mr.. MaXey will make a mi
notify report OH this bill. 1t WIS also agreed
TO report favorable a bill creating senior in
spectOr general, with the rank of brigadier
general This bill, if passed, will put Col
onel X. B. Marcy on the same footing with
the chiefs OF other bureaus of the army:
Will invest him and his successors with the
rank OF brlgddier general The message of
the President on the cause and cost of the re-
cent Nez Perces war was reported to the Sen
ate without recommendation. A favOra Bile re-
port was agreed upon to the House bill author
iZing the Secretary of War to provide certain
rules and regulations concerning the lettings
code OF army regulations has not been revised
nor published since 1888 A bill was agreed
upon III committee to-day providing for the
revision anu lepubllcatl0n OF this code.
THEY do say that Donn Piatt is so tickled
by the snap and wit of Sherman vicious dig
at him that he is anxious to secure the Gen.
eral as contributor to the Cdpital.
GOOD FOR MEXICo.-Recently. at Mer, on
the Rio Grande, the Mexican authorities. on
fequlSltlOn made, returned a herd of stolen
cattle to their Texas owners and took steps to
punish the thieves. AS this is the first instance
81 the Kind that has been reported it is
thought to show an improved condition of
affairs on the Mexican border.
MILLIONS IN TIT is stated that the bill to
pay all arrears of pensions, which only lacked
three votes of success in the House last night
would, II 1t became law, bankrupt the gov
ernment.
SENATOR WITHERS is suffering severely from
an affection of the eyes, and was unable to be
present at the Senate to-day in consequence.
THE PRESIDENTS VISIT TO CHEsTER.-Rep
reSentatlye Ward has delivered to President
Hayes resolution adopted by the CITY cOun-
c!! OF Chester, Pa, extending to him the hos
pltally OF that city on the occasion of his visit
TO witness the launch of steamship for the
BraZlllan line at the Ship-yard of John Roach
q Son next Saturday The President, in re-
ply, has addressed letter to the mayor and
city council expressing his sense of the honor.
but stating that it is probable his time will be
fully occupied by the engagements already
made withthe steamship company. MrWard,
however, Will endeayOr to effect arrangements
and people to meet the President will be graf
ified.
n BRUISED REED.-The Senate by a vote of
u against II, rejected the nomination of
Alexander q. Reed, to be postmaster at To-
!edo, Ohio, which was reported adversely by
tne s0mmlt1ee on on post offices and post roads
on March IS. The motion to reconsider the
vote whereby the nomination of Robert M
Reynolds, to be first auditor of the Treasury
was rejected, entered by Senator Paddock on
March ~ was WlthdraWn, and the nomination
stands rejected.
The RIVER AND HARBOR APPROPRIATION
BILL will be reported to the House in day or
two. Among the items agreed upon by the
commerce committee is one apprOpriating
$4,000 for continuing the improvement of the
harDorS OF Washington and Georgetown. The
chief OF engineers recommended 100000 for
the work.
The SENATE COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AZ
FAIRS has had under consideration the propO-
sitiOn to make the retirement of army officers
compulsory al the age of siXty-twO. 1t is IA
Nored by Senator Spencer, the chairman of
the committee. but opposed by the majority
MI Spencer will make report to the Senate
setting forth his views on the subject
CoNFIRMATIONs.-The Senate in executive
session yesterday confirmed the following
nominations: Consus-George RsBulock, of
Indiana, at Cologne; Ernest L. OpDenhem' of
New York, at GOttenburg: Marshall Fl.
IWitchen' OF Louisiana, at Kingston, Canada
SECRETARY ROBEsONs TESTIMONY AS TO
THE MONITOR CoNTRACTs.-The committee
on expenditures in the Navy department held
session yesterday afternoon and exonerated
eN-Secretary RObeSOn. He detailed the cir
eumStances of the contracts for the repair of
The double -turreted monitors. He said that.
warned by the experience of the Virginius
affair, he had in 1874 recommended the neceS.
sary appropriation; that Congress turned over
an Old appropriation of 81 10000 previously
MADE Tor another purpose to repair them.
WIN The understanding the remainder Should
De done out OF the current appropriations
made ffom year to year that on this authority
he undertook the work, and the fact that the