Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-02-17

GOVERNMENT RECETrTS STO-DAY.-Internalr rev.
eh1e' s32l ,24S '6; customs s6e5,Ol245
SUBSCRIPTIONS to the four per cent. loan t.
day amounted to s3,179.9O0.
BILLS APPROvED.-The President to-day an
proved the bill making appropriations for the
inGlan department and for fulfilling tre2ty
supuiatlons with various Indian tribes for the
next nScai year; and the bill TO abolish the VOL
unteer navy OF the United States
THE DEFICIENCY BILL.-The House committee
on appropriations has concluded the deficiency
Dill, and ordered it to be reported The
amount Is about 81, 100000.
AT THE WHITE HOUsE,-Among those WHO
callep on the President to-day were Postmas-
ter General Key, Judge Tyner Senators Ram
dOlph, Plumb Ferry and Saunders, and Repre-
Se13atl.es alHra pnsh, Thornburg; Camp, Upton,
(NlS.D White, 1nd..) and Corbett.
THE House COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS
to-day had under consideration Secretary Sher-
mans letter and the general subject of provid-
ing means for the payment of arrearages of
pensions required by the recently enacted law
NO conclusion was reached, nor was there any
thing in the tenor of the discussion to indicate
what character OF action Will be taken by the
committee tomorrow, until which time the
subject is postponed, with al understanding
that Il shall then be voted on.
THE RIVER AND HARBOR APPROPRIATION BILL
PASSED-The House at two O'Clock this a, e
noon,by vote OF 1.5 yeas to s3 nays suspended
Tie rules and passed the river and harbOr ap-
Fr0priation bin. II appropriateS in the aggre-
gate IS, ,So0OCO.
EEsIGNED.-Judge George Andrews L. s dis
trict attorney for eastern district of Tennessee
EaS rendered his resignation to the President
Wto VIII, It is said, send in the name OF his sue
CtSSCr before the 18th Of March. It is UNDER
stCCd that Hon. j. NJ Thornburgh the mem
Ger o1 congress from the Knoxville district
faVoTs the appointment Of Hon Ben Wheeler.
of Chattanooga. to I'LL the vacancy.
IT is SAID, On the best authority, that there
Is nofCuudation whatever for the rln0rs that
! have circulated lately of the proposed removal
or re 1GnatiCn Of the present Commissioner OF
Pensions. Secretary Schurz considers COMMITS.
sioler Bentley highly efficient officer
THE ARREARAGEs OF PENSIONS APPRoPRG.
TloN BILL.-The House to-day by a vote Of us
yeas to &c nays passed bill reported from the
committee on appropriations to appropriate in
round numbers. S2I ,NO,000 for the payment of
Claims under the arrearageS Of pensions bill
Ntarly all the southern democrats voted against
me DILL Gen. Bragg. of Wisconsin, was one of
tie northern democrats who voted against it.
THE SITUATION AT SITKA.-The advices to the
Treasury department from Alaska are to the
erect that there has been some little riotinp
among the Indians at Sitka, but no serious
trouble. The department has not ordered any
NtSSt1 VI tIle revenue marine service TO the
place. IL has cutter at Port Townsend which
could reach Sitka in three or four DAYS The
reports OF the contemplated humiliation of the
whites by the Indians are taken with n good
sized grain OF salt. There are only between 50
and co white people at Sitka These are Da1u-
rally alarmed at any demonstration by the In
u!ahs, VINO could oVerwhelm them instantly.
THE APPROPRIATION BILLS BooMING.-The
House this afternoon, under suspension Of the
rules, passed the deficiency appropriation bill
without even reading it. This leaves only two
appropriation bills TO be passed by the House
the leg slatIve bill, which is pending, and the
SUndiy civil biz! which the APPROPRIATION com
III tfee VIII have ready TO report when The le5ts-
lati'e hlll Is dnpoSed OF.
MINISTER SEWARD REFUSES To TEsTIFY-In
The House committee on expenditures in the
state department to-day, Mr.. George f. Sew
ard refused TO answer the committee. except
through his counsel. ON motion of Mr.. Nav
naln Inc Noncompliance OF Mr.. Seward with
the SGrpna dUceS tecum and his refusal 10 tps-
tlfy, Will be submitted TO the committee as
soon as possible, and then. after adoptiOn re-
ported 10 the House of Representatives for in
structlon as to what further steps are deemed
proper.
to an inquiry whether priests residing in this
country are allowed to import free of duty cas-
socks and other articles which NAV be their
personal property, although intended to be
worn or used by them In the performance OF
tne religious ceremonies of their church the
treasury department decides that If the arti-
c!es are the individual property of the priest.
imported and paid for by him individually,
they are not entitled to free entry If, hOS-
ever, they are imported for the church or for
It's use and the right OF property or of possess
slen OF the same Is in the church, as opposed to
any such right in The priest, such articles, il
coming within the definition OF s.regalia y are
entitled TO free entry under the provisions OF
the free list for 'regalia Specially i'm
or
Incorporated or Established for reli-
giOuS purposes
LITERARY RECNIoN.-The address delivered
by secretary Thompson, at Mr.. and Mrs Uora-
ito King reception Saturday evening" was ad-
mirable in every respect. 1t was full of nracti-
Cal instruction looking TO the formation of
character. independent action and SeIf-reiia2ce.
hr. Thompson was followed by Mr. Coffin
E'Carleton, OF the Boston ,IGUrnGEI who gave
some account OF his travels IL the Orient or a
most Interesting character. As usual the social
part was very agreeable.
NATIONAL QUARANTINE LEGISLATION -Four
members OF the House committee On epidemic
diseases have agreed to report a bill to establish
a National Board Of Health to be coInposed of
seven members and the surgeon General OF the
Army and the surgeon General of the Navy the
boald TO select It's own president, who is TO be
the executive officer. This Will make in fact
an additional bureau in the Treasury dep.rt-
ment. The National Academy OF SciencesfS 10
cooperate with the board OF health In perfect
ing an organization which is to take charge OF
quarantine and public health matters now oy
law devONing upon the surgeon General of the
Marine Hospital Service, who IS not to have
any part in the matter although the proposed
bill. like all others heretofore presented pro-
VtdeS that the medical officers or the marine
hospital service shall assist in carrying out the
regulations TO be established under the law
This scheme is the one deriSed by tie army.
REAR ADMIRAL E. T. NICHOLS, commanding
the L. S. naval force on the Brazilian station,
reports TO the department from MonteyideO,
under date OF December 31st, that court mar
tlal was convened on the Hartford December
llth for the trial of Pay Inspector G. l.. Davis.
The Essex arrived at MontevdeO December %
IRON Tristan dAcunha, where she went 10 re-
ueNt the crew OF the wrecked ship Mabel Clark
The mldshipmen detached from the Essex and
ordered home for fnal examination were to
leave January 1St for the United States
THE TICoNDEROGA, according 10 advice5 re
Ceiyed at the Navy department. arrived a.
Sierra Leone January 10th, having touched at
Porto Praya on the way from Porto Grande
The commissioners on the part OF Great Britain
on the LibeT1an boundary question had not ar
rived, but were soon eXpected-probaOlY on the
next steamer. The Iiberian commissioners