Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-14
DOMESTIC NEWS.


DOMESTIC NEWS.
Lighthouses on the Pacific Coast.
WASHINGTON, December 13th.-The an
nuai report of the Lighthouse Board, with
the result of the operations for the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1880, has just been SUBJ
nitted TO the Secretary of the Treasury
Along the California coast extensive or slight
repairs to lighthouses, such as condition Of
stations required, are reported as having been
made at q number of points. The stations
generally are reported in good condition. At
Point Conception, CAL, the tower and dwell
ipgs are reported in an insecure condition,
and should be rebuilt A complication, the
report states, had arisen on account OF title
to the land on which the lighthouse stands,
it having been lately decided that the site
is included in Mexican land grant,
and that the United States has no title. Be-
fore the structure can be rebuilt it will be
necessary to purchase sufficient land, and for
this purpose it is hoped Congress will at an
early day appropriate $4,000 The re-
building of the structure will cost $685.
900, and unless an appropriation is made
soon the light must be discontinued. The
work of placing new light and fog-bell on
the end of the north training wall in Oakland
harbor will soon be commenced. Concerning
the Oregon and Washington Territory coast
lights, the report says: When the lighthouse
be well supplied with lights. The work at
Tillamook Rock is being pushed forward as
rapidly as the weather and seas will permit.
The amount estimated as necessary for the
prosecution of the work during the coming
fiscal wear is S4S, 600 at Point Conception,
Cal, and S25, 600 at Tillamook light station,
Oregon.
Immediate transportation OF Dntiable
Goods.
WASHINGTON, December 13th.-The bill
introduced by Representative Page amenda-
tory of the law concerning immediate trans
portation of dutiable goods was framed by
Wells, Fargo & Co., and introduced at their
request In the letter transmitting draft
of the bill, Superintendent Valentine says ::
" A reasonable degree of convenience to the
public away from ports of entry urgently re-
quires modification or expansion OF the
present law ON this subject" He illustrated
the necessity for the proposed change as toll
lows: s'As the law now stands, 40-pound
iron safe was required to carry wopound
parcel from New York to Chicago for the
Elgin Watch Company, and 170-pound
trunk to carry 60-pound package to San
Francisco the trunk having to be returned
to get 60.pound package 3,400 miles.
A leather or canvas pouch in the first case,
aud cord and seal in the second would have
protected the Government quite as well and
as fnlly.n He further says: '1'he passage
of the inclosed bill would obviate great
deal of delay and expense for all parties con-
ceIned."
Proposed restoration of Railroad Lands
10 the Public Domain.
WASHINGTON, December l3th.-The bill
introduced by Representative Berry to-day
recites that Congress, by the Act of July %,
1866, authorized the bestowal of certain lands
on the California and Oregon Railroad, on
condition that it should be completed by the
LIST of July, 1875, which time was extended
by the Act of July 9Th until July l, 1880,
and that said railroad is not yet completed,
and no effort is now, nor has for long time
been made to complete the same. The bill
therefore provides that all right, title and
interest, of every kind and nature whatso-
ever, of said company in and TO all said lands
between the present northern terminus of the
railroad and the northern boundary of Cali.
fornia shall terminate Immediately upon the
passage of this Act, and declares that "said
lands are hereby restored to the public do
main, and shall be disposed of like other
public lands 1t was referred to the Public
Lands Committee.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment.
WASHINGTON, December 13th.-McCord
introduced in the House to-day bill for
constitutional amendment. 1t provides that
all Presidential, State and county elections
shall be held on the first Tuesday after the
first Monday of November; that State Legs.
latures shall divide the States into election
precincts containing not over 500 electors !;
each district shall have not less than one free
II 70, oil obiI1rop
to q wears cid, without distinction on
account Of race or color; no State funds shall
be appropriated for sectarian schools; no cit
izen born within the United States who has
not attended public or other school five
wears. and is unable to read and write, shall
vote; the failure of any Statesin these points
shall be deemed a failure to maintain re-
publican form of government. and Congress
may by Act exclude the representatives of
such State, and the electoral count of the
same, until the required legislation is enacted.
Congress may enforce the amendment by
legislation.
Correspondence Between Senators COnk.
ling and Bayard.
WASHINGTON, December 13th.-The cor
respondence between Bayard and Conklingi is
published. 1t is quite lorg, and covers the
period from November 18th to three days
before the publication of the open letter of
Conkling, Arthur ct al, to Senator Bayard.
In brief, it shows that Conkling wrote very
courteously, asking Bayard to deny that he,
Bayard, ever made use of the statement at
tributed to him in his Dover speech. Bayard
as cautiously responded, repeating from
memory his statement in that speech, in
which he impugns the veracity of the news
paper reports of the speech, and says it was
so grossly inaccurate that no honest person
could have written it. He says: 81 re-
member well speaking of the case of Phelps,
Dodge g. Co., and the proceedings under
which great sums of money-S270, GOO.
was wrongfully taken from their pockets.
1 described and denounced in severe
share which in this case accrued to
the Collector, Surveyor and Naval Officer,
and to informers Jayne and Heros, and
stated that the senior Senator from New
York, Mr.. Conkling, was understood to have
received compensation as their counsel from
Arthur, Cornell and Latin, for his services
and assistance in the transaction; also that
nv authority for this statement was derived
from documents published by one of the
houses of Congress, accompanied by testi-
mony and statements made in open debate on
the floor of the House, and never to my
knowledge contradicted. / believe also re-
Ierf6u W bAC puDliCdbAuH ny w lulaIl L.
Wood. an eA-Treasury official, made in the
New York Sun, October ~, 1880, giving his
account in full of the case. This I believe to
be the form and substance Of that part of the
speech in question which had any reference
to you or the moiety system. I shall be sur
prised to learn that there is an error of fact
in my statement. and shall regret if the
slightest injustice has been done you, and if
there has been will feel myself bound to
apply any proper remedy when my error has
been disclosed to me.
Ccnkling, not satisfied. replied CURLY, ask
ing for categorical answer whether or not
Senator Bayard did make charges of criminal
and unlawful conduct against him and others,
saying that Bayard had refused to answer as
to any OF the persons except him, and that
his denial is only inferential at best by i'm
peaching the honesty of the reporter, and
that he then proceeds to make entirely differ
ent statements.
Bayard suavelY responded. expressing sur
prise that Conkling could ask any more ex-
plicit statement than that the article as pub
iishad was r1ntrue and malic;oyslv an The