Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-03-06
THE EVENING STAR.
Washington News and GOSSIP,
GOVERNMENT RECEIPTS sTO-DAY.-Internal rev.
enue, $3G6, ,S03.46; customs. $50. $50 4s.

GOVERNMENT RECEIPTS STO-pAY-Intarnal roy.
enue. c6,So3.46: customs. $5O7 ,s6O.4s.
SUBSCRIPTIONS to the four per cent. loan to.
day amounted to s2291.3O0.
The CONSOLIDATED WESTERN SURvEY.-Tne
question OF the consolidation of the Hayden.
Powell and Wheeler surveys, as provided for by
the Stfndry civil bill, will soon be taken I'm nv
lne secretary OF the Interior. under whose di-
IectloD the consolidated work will be pr0secu-
ted. The surveys In the General Land Office 90
on as before. superintendent OF the consoli.
daied surveys Is provided for by the bill. He is
10 De appointed by the President. There are
quite a number Of candidates for the place. II
Is understood that both Major Powell and Prof.
Hayden are applicants. Clarence King, who is
the cnoice OF the Academy of Sciences for the
ment.
ABoUTGHE GLOoMIEsT SET now In Washington
are the present Senate employees. They look
upon the incoming army of office-seekers with
Iear and trembling. The way the pressure is
Celng put upon senators would seem to Indicate
that not single one Of those now in but will
soon be numbered with the "outs.'
FOUR PER CENT. BONDS FOR ENGLAND-Last
Saturday Chief E. 0. Graves, of the national
bank redemption division, sailed with an install
London market, under the operations OF the
syndicate formed short time ago. He will be
gone until some time In May. His assistant,
Mr. Il. e. Rogers. Will be acting chief of the
redemption division during his absence.
A DISHONEST POSTAL CLERK. - William j.
StOwell, for nine years or more postal clerk
Oh the Washington and New York route, ha;-
ing charge of third. class mail matter, was a.
rested in Baltimore yesterday evening. A de-
coy letter addressed William II. Cole, esq,
Harr1sOnville, Baltimore county, Nd" was
found in his possession in small basket he was
A rol, OF n
home disclosed some three hundred patent
brass pouch ties. Agent Henderson says that
StoWel has patent tie of his own invention
which ne has been endeavOring to get the de-
pertinent to adopt. The decoy letter contained
printed views OF the St. Lawrence river &c.
Stowell has been committed for hearing on
ire charge OF opening letters containing third
class matter.
PERsoNAL.-Pay Director Cunningham has re.
turned from Brazil In robust health, and looking
heaTtier than we have seen him in twenty
years. Our "Navy ORDERS" yesterday, reported
him, erroneously, as on sick leave Not SO. ....
Senator-elect Houston, of Ala, is in the city.
Congressman Morrison, OF ILL.,, and Mac
MahOn, OF Ohio, left for their homes In the west
last night.
BOARD TO EXAMINE MIDsHlPAEN.-A board
OF naval officers will convene at Annapolis,
Mo-, on the goth inst, to examine the midship-
men OF the class Of 1876 for promotion to en-
signs. The following officers Will compose the
board:-Commodore A. Bryson, Captain F. A.
Roe, captain j. A. Greer, Commander J. A.
HOWell, commander A. F. MahaD, Chief Engi-
neer w. S. Smith.
THE PLAGUE QUARANTINE.-Mr. Fish, consul
at Tunis, informs the Department of State that
the appearance of the ':pest" or "plaguev at
several ports In the 1Egean sea having been re-
ported to the Bey Of T1nis he, under the advice
VI tie sanitary commissioner, has ordered a
vigorous enforcement OF quarantine regulations
against al vessels arriving in Tunis from any
OF the infected districts. Tunis remains as
healthy as usual.
CAN GOVERNMENT NOTES Issue IN TINE OF
PEAcK?-Gen. B. F. Butler and Representative
S. B. Cbittenden, of New York. have agreed to
United states for the purpose OF testing the
onstitutionality OF the legal tender act so far
as u applies to the issue OF government notes
tender for private debts. The correspondence
between these gentlemen forms an agreement
10 find real case In which debtor shall have
state, payment of his debt I'm greenbacks OF
date since August, 1866, which is the officially
declared date OF the close OF the war; Tho
creditor is to refuse payment and bring suit,
bear the expense OF the creditor, and General
Butler on his side agrees to defend and deiray
the costs OF the debtor, he asserting the right Of
Butler says In his letter that he has the most
unwaverfng faith In the power Of the govern
ment TO coin money out OF any material it sees
the case himself Senator Edmunds, OF YER
mont, and Mr.. Win. Allen Butler, OF New York
Will manage for Mr.. Chittenden.
TIE EXTRA SESSION AND THE DIsrRIcT.-Editor
Star: The failure OF the late Congress to take
any action In regard to supplying Capitol Hill
with water, and improving the river fats will
render 1t very necessary that these subjects
gress would likely refuse to consider these mat
ters unless referred to the message of the Pres
ident. 1t is to be hoped. therefore, that our In
President the importance OF making % special
mention OF these measures In his message to
Congress at the extra session. This Is espe-
which are iDjuring the healthfulness OF the city
more and more every year. The government
employees here certainly have a right to ask
Congress to protect the lives and health Of those
summer by the public service. CITIZEN.
THE SUEz CANAL.-Mr. Farman, U. S. consul
general at Cairo, Egypt, furnishes the Depart.
meDt of State with an Interesting article On
1.-The SueZ Canal" His facts are derived from
authentic sources. few OF them are selected,
OF remarkable interest. The entire cost Of the
canal was 4I2. .s2l, ,'99 francs or go, The
stock of the company consists OF 4OO, 600 shares,
at 500 francs each. These shares have sold as
low as 100 francs each. At the opening OF the
toHdi tBCy udu W Ouly OUU 1IduCS.
They are now quoted at III francs, and are
probably worth more. The British government
paid about 56s francs The number OF shares
bought, in 1875, by Lord Beaconsfleld at this
price was 1862. This great purchase.
aside from its political and commercial
advantages, thus affords clear. profit
OF 25 ,0GO,OOO francs at present prices The bal
ance OF the stock Is held by large number of
persons, mostly In France. The revenues OF
the canal have increased from 5000, 900 francs
in 1870 to over &c, 900 900 francs In 1871 The ex
penses including interest, sinking fund and
lands, have been little over Ii, 600, 600 francs
per year. Whilethe revenues steadily increase
the expenses are decreasing or stationary. De-
Quoting the amount paid for interest and tue
sinking fund, the actual expenses are about
5000 GOO francs annually. The cost of cleaning
the canal and its accessories is only about
2,o0o,0eo francs per annum: The small compaf-
ative cost Of maintaining the canal arises from
the fact that there are no locks or lateral en-
baDkments to be broken. Except the ordinary
cleaning there is little to be done. vessels
drawing % feet Of water or less pass through
the canal. The saving OF distance to the British
ships goins TO India Is nearly 5000 miles. TWO
thirds OF all the vessels passing through the
canal carry the English nag
Monsieur Ferdinand LesSeps, who has been at
the head OF the enterprise since its beginning In
1s54. expresses the opinion that the Panama
canal must be constructed without locks to be
successful or remunerative.
The LETTER CARRIERS INCREASED PAY ALL
RIGpT In the fifth section NJ tho hill which