Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-18
National Capital Affairs.

cisco, preparatory to taking the case into
final decision.
Senator Booth has returned from New
York, where he went to attend the Jone,
dinner Saturday, and Congressman Berry re-
sumed his seat in the House of Represents
tives, having just returned from his brief anC
mournful visit to California. He is the re
cipient of much coincidence on the death Of
his wife, but his friends note with pleasure
that his own health has greatly improved
since he was last in Washington.
1t is stated here by intimate friends o.
Senator Conkling that he intends to 90 tt
Chicago as delegate at large from New
York, and that he will there take the lead Of
the Grant forces.
Notwithstanding the adverse action of the
House committee to-day upon the joint reso
luton rendering the use of the unfinished
National Museum in this city for the
National Democratic Convention, the COM
mittee of Westinghouse will still urge upon
the National Committee the claims of this
city as the best place for holding the Con
vention, and the District authorities intend
to offer the M-street Market-house, an i'm
mense vaulted structure, which would afford
ample accommodation. The prospects Of
Washington's securing the Convention seem
to be increasing, as there is Strong
of the ill-treatment heretofore experienced il
that city by some candidates not favored
there, and as the other places prominently
named for the Convention are poorly provided
with hotel accommodations or else, like
Chicago or Saratoga, care very little about
having the Convention. The weightiest OBJ
lection urged against Washington is that to
hold the Convention here while Congress is
in session would be an unpopular step in the
direction of a return to the system by which
the Democratic Presidential candidates were
nominated in olden times, namely, by the
party's Congressional caucus.
Captain Isaac Bassett, the venerable Sen
ate Doorkeeper, yesterday received letter
from Peleg Sprague, the only man now living
who was member of the United States Sen
ate when the Captain first became an EN-
ploye of that body. Mr.. Sprague writes that
he is the oldest ex- Member of Congress now
living. He was elected member of the
House of Representatives from Maize IL
1924, and served until 1922 when he was
chosen United States Senator. After hi.
term expired in 1885 he removed to Boston
being appointed United States District Judge
in 1841 He remained on the Bench till 1865
when he resigned. He is now totelly blind
The Steel Rails Question.
WASHINGTON, February 17th.-Memorial,
having recently been presented to Congress
from a number of railroads for reduction Of
duty on steel rails, and it having been as
serted at the hearing before the Ways anc
Means Committee thai the reduction wa.
demanded by nearly all the roads in the
country, very extensive counter demonstra
ton of opposing interests was made to-day
by the presentation in the two Houses o.
Congress of memorials from very large
number of railroad officers, protesting against
the reduction as injurious to railroad inter
ests, as well as to the American steel indus
try. The railroads, represented by these
officers, have total length of 10, 125 miles o.
road. The representatives of the above rail
road companies announced that large mum
Der of similar petitions are on the way.
The Cattle Disease-Quarantine Matters
WASHINGTON, February 17th.-The only
matter of general interest at the meeting o.
the Cabinet to-day was the presentation, by
the Secretary OF the Treasury, OF report
prepared by Judge French Assistant Secre
tary of the Treasury, relative to the exist
ence of the cattle disease. The report wa.
very voluminous The history of the disease
! is given in detail, and legislation with view
| to suppressing it is recommended. The ap
pointment of Commission for this purpose
is advocated. The Cabinet, after hearing
the document, decided to send it to Congress
without recommendation. A Convention o.
| United States quarantine officials has beer
called to meet in Washington early in May
| for the purpose of revising the quarantine
rules and regulations.
suicide by Throwing Himself Under {;
Train.
| CHICAGO, February 17th.-W. E. Guern
sey, passenger on the train from the West
yesterday evening threw himself under a cal
at Des PLANES viaduct, and was so badly
crushed that he died in few hours. On tn.
leaf of memorandum book was this entry
"My brother-in-law's name is Frank a
Deans, Willsboro Pa. L killed myself
because | knew the Masons would when VIZ
got to Chicago. w. L. c." In another page
appeared his real name-William L. Guern
| sey-and from another memorandum it wa
Cleaned that he had been in San Francisco
and that he had plenty of money. as he had 6
bet of 500 in gold with one JOS. E. Gibson
that certain mining stock would go VI
before certain date. In other parts wert
found Cancelled ticket from San francisco
to this city over the Rock Island route.
Between so and $50 in cash, mostly gold
some papers and telegram blanks and pho
| tographa CT his family were III his pockets
| Guernsey appeared to be well-to do man Of
about so or 30 years, and was quite comfort.
ably clad in a dark suit. From the little
that he was induced to say, it was apparent
that he was of unsound mind. He died al
the hospital at o'clock last evening.
George Augustus Sala and ParBen.
CHICAGO, February 17th.-George Angus
tus Sala said to Times reporter that hi
wondered at the Americans sympathy with
Parnell, who is to Great Britain what Kear.
ney is to America. He said: "Parnel
disparages emigration to this country. Why,
it is a land of milk and honey-a paradise tt
the Irishman. Paddy never knew what gooC
victuals were until he emigrated here, and
what he has had have been series Of square
meals beside the food in his own country.
Sala refuted Parnell's assertion respecting The
clouded ancestry of the Duchess Of Marl
borough, and stigmatized Parnell's motives
as insncere and unpatriotic.
Verdict in Favor OF PlaintiG-A Novel
Question.
NEW YORK, February 17th.-The trial Of
the suit of George l.. Kouns & Bro, of New
Orleans, against Captain Otis n. Butler, for
merly United States Purchasing Agent, to re.
cover bonus of $50, 600 paid to the Govern.
ment during the war for the purpose of al.
lowing SEQ bales of cotton to be put in the
market, ended to day, the jury rendering a
verdict OF So, So9 IN fayor OF plaintiff. A
novel question involved in the case was the
construction of President Johnson's war proc.
lamation, the plaintiff claiming that the
proclamation issued by the President June
l3. 1855, removed all restrictions on trade and
commercial intercourse in the territory east
of the Mississippi river. and made the exac-
ton of bonus illegal TIE cotton in ques-
ton came from Shreveport, in the Red river
country, and bonus of 200 per cent was
paid to Captain Butler, then Purchasing
Agent, who turned the money into the United
States Treasury.
New Work Stock Market.
NEw YORK, February 17tb.-The stock
market was active and buoyant in the early
transactions, with an advance of l@6, the
latter Houston and Texas. st. Paul and
Minnesota, St. Paul and Sioux City and
Ohio and Mississippi were also conspicuous
in the improvement. During the afternoon
Louisville and Nashville declined A. Hous.
ton and Texas and the remainder of the list
J@2I per cent. The telegraph shares and
Pacific Mail were, however, exceptionally
strong, and advanced. Western Union went
81 higher on the decision of the Court In
favor Of the Page patent claimed by the
Western Union and the increased earnings o.
the company. In the case of the Pacific
Mail, it was limited that the trouble between