Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-12
THE EVENING STAR.
Washington News and Gossip.

1IH " I1<l1NU Dl lhlO.
Washington News and Gossip.
GOVERNMENT RECEIPTS sTo-DAY.-Internalrev reve-
nue. s3S6, ,217s3; customs. s729,156.
Mr.. JOHN II. WHITE, who was formerly pri-
vate secretary to Speaker Randall, has been ap-
pointed one of the official stenographers OF tn,
House of Representatives vice Hincks, de
ceased.
JUDGE SAMUEL F. RICE, of Alabama, who wa
an Independent candidate for Congress, on the
republican ticket In the Montgome district,
was recently in the city. He gave it as his opin
ion that If General Grant is a candidate befor
the republican nominating convention he viii
have the almost solid support of the delegate
from the south.
PROPOSED NEW HOUSE RuLE.-Representativ
Blackburn, who is member of the House com
mittee on rules, said to-day that one of the re
forms to be recommended is second roll call OF
the abSenteeS in alphabetical order, which call
shall be peremptory, after which asking leave
to vote will be ruled out OF order. II this Is
adopted it will save hours of time heretofore
wasted on roll calls, as the new rule Will save
from ten to twenty minutes on each call He
be in order, but that when a member desired to
announce the fact OF his being paired he will be
required to write note and hand 1t in to the
clerk to be entered in the Record and to be read
by the reading clerk Immediately after call OF
the House.
THE SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE on the Kellogg
Spoford case meet in New orleans next week.
Senators Hill and Vance leave Atlanta, Ga,
Saturday, and will be met at New Orleans by
Senator Cameron, OF Wisconsin.
THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GENERAL LAND
OFFICE shows that during the fiscal year, ended
June 80 last, 1888 1853 acres of the public lands
were disposed OF, and 9,4s4, ,996 acres were sur
veyed in addition to the l34, ,591 ,236 acres pre-
v1OuSly surveyed. The total number OF acres OF
the public domain still unsurveyed is about one
thousand and elghty-one million acres. The
disposals were nearly as follows: Homestead en-
tries, $3.50, III acres; timber culture entries,
211665I4 acres; cash entries 622, ,5I4 acres, Qn-
Guiding 1885, 1896 acres entered under the desert
land laW0 grants to railroads, 2IS, ,334 acres;
swamp lands patented to states, I5,3SS acres;
other grants to states, 1s6 ,399 acre2. The
amount OF land surveyed during the last fiscal
year exceeds by 414 1863 acres the total area
veyed in the preceding twelve mOnthS and
while the report shows a falling off of some
lt3O00 acres in cash sales, state selections scrip
locations and lands patented to railroad grants,
the increase in the area taken up by settlers un-
| been sufficient not only to counterbalance this
falling of, but to make the aggregate disposals
| for the year greater by 647, ,2O4 acres than the
total for the previous year. The increase in
homestead entries was S41 ,166 acres and in tim
Der culture entries 500, ,139 acres. Owing to the
existing laws for the disposal of the public lands
that during the last fiscal year, with larger
disposal of land, there were received from all
sources 81 SS3 1885, less by s139 41s.6O than the
amount received during the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1878.
THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF STATISTICS, in
his annual report, states that the total specie
value of the foreign commerce of the United
States was larger than during any previous year
except 1873 and 1874 The value of the exports of
domestic merchandise from the United States
history OF the country. From 1868 to 1873 the
Imports exceeded the value Of the exports from
$4,000 900 in 1868 to s1s2,OOO.O 900 in 1915 From
1876 to 1879 the value of exports has greatly ex-
ceeded the imports, and this excess has increased
rapidly and constantly during that time. The
excess OF the value Of exports of merchandise
years has amounted to S753, 900 900. The exports
| OF merchandise during the last ten years have
increased from S2l5 900 in 1869 to $69S 900 600
| In 1879. The value OF the exports Of bread and
breadstuffs during each OF the last two years has
| exceeded the value of the exports Of any other
commodity. During all the preceding years
since 1921, except during the war, the value OF
the exports OF raw cotton exceeded that of any
other commodity. From the year 1921 to the
year 1860 the exports of cotton constituted SO per
cent. OF the total value Of exports of merchan-
disc, but during the last two fiscal years it has
only amounted to about 25 per cent
ASSIGNMENT OF U. s. REGISTERED BoNDs-A
circular from the Treasury department to Off
Os ..
bonds says In taking acknowledgment of the
assignment OF U. s. registered bonds you are
! respectfully requested to call the attention OF
aSSignors to the ruling of this department that
an assignment by an executor, administrator.
trustee, guardian, or attorney, to himself tndi-
vidually, is void in law, and that no transfer will
be made upon such an assignment except when
special authority is granted by the court having
| jurisdiction OF the matter"
REDEMPTION OF THE ARID LANDs.-Among the
| questions to which the Commissioned of Agrlcul-
ture has recently been giving his attention Is
that of the redemption of the comparatively arid
table lands which stretch along the eastern base
OF the Rocky mountains from our northern to
our southern border. The subject Is an impor-
tant one, involving, as it does, the recovery OF
tract of country equal to one-f1fth of the pro-
ductiye area OF the United States. Where 1t has
been possible TO subject the land to irrigation
an astonishing agricultural richness has been
found; but at present facilities for irrigation by
means of mountain streams extend no farther
than from 30 to 80 miles from the base OF the
range. With the problem OF irrigation solved
these plains will come to be rated among the
richest agricultural regions OF the country. AS
| a preliminary to practical tests the commits
Sioner has engaged the services OF Mr.. Brisben
| Walker, late editor OF the Republic, to proceed
to Colorado and report upon the possibilities OF
artificial irrigation especially with reference to
artesian wells, which, in those sections where
| mountain streams are not available. seem to be
the only possible source OF supply for rrfgating
purposes. There are now some five thousand
arteslan wells In successful operation, and the
experiments made by the French engineers In
the Great Sahara desert would indicate that the
plan is feasible. At some of the wells sunk by
NJ. Jus, water was obtained at depth of only
three or four hundred feet, and the discharge
was equal to eleven hundred gallons per minute
There is every reason why similar results should
be obtained in the strata which underleS the
table lands OF Colorado. Mr.. Walker by his
training and capacity for close observation, will
be able to make an intelligent study OF the situ-
alton, and his report will be looked for with in
terest.
THE WALLACE-RANDALL FIGHT.-It Is appar-
ent that the Wallace wing Of the democratic
party in Pennsylvania is not heart-broken at
the recent overwhelming victory OF the republl-
cans In that state They charge the disastrous
result upon Randall and his followers, who in
sisted upon taking hold Of the party machine In
Philadelphia One OF the most active and hith-
erto successful democratic managers of that
city-and devoted adherent OF Senator Wal
lace-safd yesterday: 1--WE could have held our
own In Philadelphia, and had arranged to do it,
TOO. We could have nominated a city ticket
that would have been elected, but the Randall
men thought they could do better They wanted