The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-02-06
WASEIEGT0N

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-The bill which
was passed to-day amendatory of the cen
sus act, provides, first, for the free trans j..
pOTtatioU Of census mail matter; second,
strikes out the provision for inquiry as TO
naturalization of residents and ownership
Of the public debt; third, alIowf reports of
railroad, telegraph, express and insurance
companies; fourth, requires the euumera
tiOu, in cities of over 10000 inhabitants,
to be taken within two weeks from June
|. 1880; fifth, allows the enumerator 70
be appointed from the county where no
one suitable is found in the district !;
sixth, requires the filing of information
obtained IN the county clerk office to be
corrected on reliable information; seventh
requires Tie supervisors to forward ooe
return to the census Office at " WashiDgtoD,
aud one to the secretary of state. The
eighth appropriates S350,000 for the
necessary additional expenses OF euumeTa
tors.
The Batlonai board of supervisors of
inspection 0! steam vessels, IN revising the
pilot rules, have changed the clauses
referring to passing signals so that a
descending steamer will hereafter be re
quired to give the first signal instead OF
the ascending steamer as has been custom
ary.
The senate confirmed the following NOM
nations: Henry W Leonard, of New
Jersey, United States consul at CaDpea-
chy; +. q. Gade, of Bergen. Norway,
coDsui at that place; James a. Connolly,
United States district attorney for the
Southern district of Illinois, NJ g. Brown.
United States attorney for Wyoming.
The Committee on Ways aud Means to-
| day heard Samuel NJ. FELTON,, President of
the Bessemer Steel Association, on the
proposed reduction of the duty On steel
rails. He had heard there was an ASSOC
citation in England formed TO iohuence our
tariff on steel rails, but be kuew nothing
Of the matter of his own knowledge. He
did not know that any member of Con-
gress was a mem Der of the Cobden Club
when the tariff was changed, though he
| had heard it regarding the Vulcan Works
at ST. Louis. FELTON, said there was a
mortgage of $l,000,O00 on them and it
was once feared that they would have to
| be sold, but other manufacturers had
stepped in as a matter of business and
paid the $4,000 interest annually. until
the time came when they could be started
and run at profit. They were to begin
| to run when the demand for steel rails
was greater than the supply. They have
been notified. Emory A. Storrs closed
the.argument and denied that the reduc-
tion sought was in .the interest of railroad
companies No great trunk line bad
asked it. The principal roads in the
northwest were not advocates of the reduC.
ton but were opposing it The Illinois
Central alone urged 1t aud that was really
an English road. The chairman said that
the railroad companies in all parts of the
United States. all the Pacific companies
all the Southern companies and some
Northern and Eastern roads had sent
memorials desiring q reduction of the
duty. Mr. Storrs said, nevertheless, b5
far the greater number opposed it. Mr..
| Morrison said the Illinois Central was ar
Illinois road, not an English road, for il
paid the state seven per cent. OF its earn
ings.
| The Senate in executive session re-
/ iected the nomination of Jno. vi. Morton
of California, as Collector of Internal Rev
enue for the First district OF California.