Morning journal and courier., 1880-09-11
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

The Alleged Spanish Outrages.
 WASHINGTON, Sept. 1O.-A question having been raised as to the propriety of the State department officials arbitrating the alleged outrages upon American vessels by the Span ish authorities makes it necessary to state that the belief is based upon reasonable grounds. No doubt is expressed at the de-, partment to the truthfulness of the affdavits filed by the captains of the schooners alleged to have been outraged, but the confession of Philadelphia journalist of having written and published sensational stories concerning flibustering expeditions preparing to visit Cuba is excellent foundation to believe that the Spaniards were alarmed and naturally on guard for the appearance of suspicious craft, and in the absence of any explanation to the contrary from Spain this view of the matter is not at all unnatural The Secretary of State has not himself given expression to this view. He has said that he believes thor ough and entirely satisfactory explanation will be rendered His view receives support from the fact that memorandum has been forwarded from Madrid to the Spanish minis ter in this city, setting forth basis for arran- ging for establishing commercial relations with this country applicable to the most i'm portant articles of import from Cuba. This is looked upon an expressed desire of the Spaniards to continue on amicable terms with the United States. American Vessel Owners Seeking Pro-
 lection.
 WASHINGTON, Sept. 1O.-Messrs. William Keith and Charles Weeks of Bay City, Mich, and H. H. Swan and H. G. Blanchard of De- troit, a committee representing the American ship builders and vessel owners association had an audience with Acting Secretary of the Treasury French on question of great inn portance to the American shipping interest on the great lakes. The committee ask for 8 reconsideration of the departments decision on the construction of the act of June 30 1879, which provides that the provisions of title 50 of the Revised Statutes of the United States shall not be so construed as to require the payment of any fee or charge for the enrolling or licensing of vessels built in the United States and owned by citizens not pro- pelled by sail or by internal motive power of their own, and not in any case car rying passengers whether navigating the in ternal waters of State or the navigable wa ters of the United States and not engaged in trade with contiguous foreign territory; nor
 
 to require the enrolling, registering or icens- ing of any fatboat, barge or like craft for the carriage of freight not propelled by sail or by internal motive power of it's own on the rivers or lakes of the United States. The committee claim that the last provision like the first should apply only to barges, etc, built and owned in the United States. The ruling of the department, however, permits American citizens to buy in Canada schooners and such other vessels as are adapted for the purpose, bring them to the United States, take out their masts and use them as barges. As such vessels can be bought in Canada cheaper than they can be built in this coun- try the committee contend that it is doing much damage to the American shipping in- terest on the lakes and will no doubt finally break it up unless the departments ruling is reversed. The committee presented to the acting Secretary petition signed by several hundreds of owners on the lakes representing an aggregate of POT, ,533 tons and valued at $2O. GOO, ,OO0. The committee will continue their arguments tomorrow and decision will probably be reached early next week. The indications are that the decision will be favorable to the committee.
 Surrender ofTwo Hundred Sioux.
 WASHINGTON, Sept. 1O.-The following dis patch was received to-day.
 To the Adjutant General U. s. A., Washing ton D. c.
 The commanding officer at Fork Keogh re- ports that Big Road and 200 Sioux Indians surrendered at that post on the 9th.
 (Signed.) GEORGE FoRsYTHE.
 Lieutenant Colonel, A. D. c.
 It is impossible to tell exactly how many of the Sioux Indians who went into Canada have surrendered internationally so far to the military authorities It is estimated at the War office, however, that five hundred or six hundred of the hostile Sioux have so far sur rendered.