The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1880-02-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Or Regular Cosrespondeat.1
WAsurNcToN d. a. Fab ID 1890.


From Or Regular Cosrespondeat1
WASHINGTON. D. c.. Feb. IA, 1880.
The past week has been somewhat nos
table for the number of bills that have
been presented in. Congress. About sew.
enty-five were offered in one day promi-
nent among which was a bill of Repre>
sentative Dung (Ohio) creating De-
partment of Manufactures, Mechanics
and Mines. This Department will if Gre
ated be of great value to the country at
large, but especially to the West as one
of the principal ideas is to secure infor>
nation and statistics as to the location of
the mineral. lands of the. United States,
their development, and the quantities
produced annually. Financial matters
continue to be agitated and Secretary
Sherman appeared before the Committee
ofrAV avs and Mea1s6f the House OfsRes
personalities, and his views regarding
the length of time .thesnew bonds ought
to run were somewhat modified. He
acknowledged a preference for a thirty
year bond at 4 per cent, yet thought, in
view of the present prosperous condition
of the country that longer bond at a
lower rate Of interest might be foated
with considerable success. In any event
he, was prepared to execute satisfactorily,
SO far as he possibly could, whatever law,
Congress should pass on the subject.
Senator Cockrell (Mo) from the Com
mittee on MILITARY Affairs has reported
unfavorably ON bill granting pension
to the widow Of General Custer. Sena-
tor Edrnunds (Vt.) in a speech delivered
to the Senate was SO much annoyed by
conversation on the floor of the chamber
that he remarked that he would feel
called upon to submit resolution that
the Sergeant-at,Arms be furnished with
guns, swords, pistols, dirks, bayonets and
other weapons offensive and defensive to
see ifhes could not enforce the rules of
the Senate. AZ
Senator Garland (Ark.) reported al bill
from the Judiciary Committee amendaS
tory of the present laws relating to big
amy and polygamy. It imposes a pens
atty of not more than $500 and not more
than five years imprisonment upon every
person who has husband or wife living
and who hereafter marries another. This
provision does not extend to any person
whose husband or wife is absent for five
successive years, and is not known to be
living nor to any person whose lawful
marriage has been annulled by the decree
of a competent court.
Secretary of the Interior Schirz, is
proceeding very cautiously in placing a
chief at the head of the Bureau of Indian
Affairs. The manner in which he has re-
Gently been treated has evidently made
him very cautious, and there is no doubt
but that the Indian Bureau will be placed
| in charge of some man who will honestly
and conscientiously exercise the duties
Of the Office. The policy of the Govern.
ment towards the Indians is very largely
shaped by the Indian Bureau, ,conse-
quently it is absolutely necessary that
the affairs should be eminently straight>
forward and honest beyond any question.
It is requisite that the Indian Affairs
should be managed wisely and every
treaty stipulation faithfully executed
The Indians must be protected in the
future in the matter of contracts and
supplies, and their reservations shall be
freed from invasion. The belief in the
1
mined to end these Indian wars as far al
it lies in the power of the Interior De-
partmentso to do.
! The proposed reduction in the duty on
printing paper is exciting considerable
attention, and any bill having that end in
view will be strongly opposed by the
paper makers of the country. 1t il
maintained that the large advance which
has recently taken place is purely of {
speculative character, while the papel
manufacturers assert that it is entirel,
lowing to the searcity.of rags both in thiI
country and. in European districts where
| they are mainly collected. There is on,
thing pretty certain the newspapers VIII
have the matter of cheap paper largel,
lat heart will not allow any clique to rul'
the prices, if there is no good ground
for SO doing. ..e
| General Ruggles of Virginia appeared
before the Senate Committee on Agricul
ture and explained his method of pre-
cipitating rainfalls by concession. HI
proposes to send up to the clouds, cart
ridges of explosive materials, by mean
of skeleton 'balooners and to explod
I tkfC1A bk1CAO W CAOCVAAOAbJ VI 4uSOS' IL
claims by this, method that he can con
solidate mists passing over exceedingl
dry regions, and thereby create rainfall
when and where required. He want
/. Congress to test the matter as regards it
practicability in forwarding the agricul
tural interests of the country.
II Commissioner Bentley has been sum
Emoned before the Committee of Inves
tigation on Back Pay Bounty, and Pen
sions with the view of explaining th
operations of the Pension Office, attend
ing the examination upon the necessit
of additional legislation in regard to tn
: settlement of claims. The Senate Com
lmittee on Pensions is also investigator
the subject with much earnestness, an
Lit is hoped that the work will now wit
the proper aid be pushed on vigorously
The last reception of President Haye
was given on Thursday evening to tn
Diplomatic Corps, the Army and Navy
and was very grand affair. Social ma
ters have received a quietness on accoun
IF the odvant 0f liant