The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-12-20
GOSSIP.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 19-Speaker Keifer
| expects to announce the House committee
on Wednesday next. He has been embar-
rassed considerably in making them up.
The custom that has prevailed would make
Hiscock chairman of one important com
mltteee. The Stalwarts, however, oppose
him as they did in the Speakership and
push Crowley for chairman of the judici
ary committee. One state cannot prop
erly be given more than one committee
even though that state be New York
Ex-senator Platt, of New York, is here
working against Hiscock, as is also Don
| Cameron. The suppositien is that Crow
| ley will win.
Among the lawyers here there is an inn
pression that the death of the wife of Ju-
ror Hobbs and his absence to attend the
funeral will result in new trial for Gui-
teau. While the counsel for both sides
| consented that Hobbs should attend the
/ funeral, the idea is that the defense will, if
| necessary, use it to obtain a new trial in
case of conviction. The court desires to
accord the defense every right and priv
| lege out of abundant caution against the
possibility of hanging man not mentally
responsible. Some lawyers think this pre-
caution, in the event it is claimed that
Juror Hobbs communication and CONVEX
sation influenced his mind, will probably
| induce the court to grant a new trial in the
case of conviction.
Commissioner Loring expresses his in
tention of making the crop reports much
| more accurate and exhaustive than here
| tofore.
During the month ending November 30,
there arrived 291, ,31S immigrants, against
| 254, ,262 the same period in 1880.
| Meh1illan's income tax bill provides for
| ~ A aCl1a .>%
per cent tax from each person, corporation,
banking association, telegraph company,
railroad or other incorporated companies or
firms doing business-in the United States
on all net incomes above $4,000.
The report of Joseph II. &. McCammon,
| Commissioner of Railroads, has been re-
ceived by the Secretary of the Interior. It
saws: The indications are that within short
time there will be five different routes to the
/ Pacific coast, where less than a year ago
there was but one. The railroads have been
| instrumental IN developing the country at
| a rapid rate Capital has been invested in
/ immense sums and still the tendency is
| toward increased developments. 1t is
believed that operations in railroad con
struction this year will exceed any pre-
vious year, making much mineral and agri
cultural land accessible. The commits
sioner saws of the compensation to land
grant railroads for transportation of troops
and supplies: Il believe fifty per cent of
the tariff for ordinary route companies
would be compensation, just to the rail
roads and the government. and proper for
permanent application" Engineer block
stone, while recognizing the general good
condition OF the Pacific roads, says there
is still much left TO be done in order to
bring them to that standard condition that
/ true economy in their maintenance and
| operation suggests. The engineer criticises
| severely the faulty construction of many
| bridges, invites the attention Of congress
! to the fact that there is no uniform system
| Of railroad signals in use, which is source
of confusion, and should be remedied by
legislation.
i A bill was introduced in the Senate
today by Sherman to facilitate the decision
of controverted questions in contested
revenue cases.
4 Pettibone's bill for the retirement of
army officers, provides that all general OF
| fcers and officers of the general staff corps
i shall be retired from active service after
i forty-five wears service in tho army,
/ and all officers of the line shah >be
retired upon reaching the age of sixty. 1t
| provides that general and staff officers
who have not served forty-five years and
| line officers who have not reached the age
of sixty and are unable to properly per
form duties, shall be reported by the gen
eral of the army to the President who viii
convene q board Of officers and report the
facts with recommendations Should the
board report disability the result of ser
vices in line Of duty, the officer shall be
! placed on the retired list Otherwise he
shall be retained with one year. pay.
Scoyille is reported as saying that he
| INIT &C.
as he can. Guiteau does not seem to be
able to see what is to come from the ques-
tions Scoville asks witnesses, and when
Scoville laws the foundation for contradict
ing the witness Guiteau spoi1s the whole
/ thing by correcting the witness and put
ting him on his guard. This is true
in regard to Witness Shaw for
example. Scoville says he can prove
that Mrs Dumire said at the time OF her
divorce to DR.. Bowker, of New York, that
she thought she ought to remain with Gui-
teau, as she believed him insane and need
ed some one to care for him. Guiteau,
, when leaving the court room to-day, said
to Corkhill: "I have had a model taken
from my head for a bust. I'll be great
man yet, # you let me alone.
| The President has signed the commission
of J. Bancroft Davis as Assistant Secretary
, of State.
: The President received a large number
of callers to day, including two colored
delegations, one headed by Prof. Greenel
and the other by ex- Marshal Douglas.
| The statement relative to the artificial
coloring of imported sugars issued from
the Treasury, giving the position OF I'M
porters on the question Of classification
both of standard sugars and also that Of
the government, Various acts are quoted
sustaining the action of the Secretary in
dieating the use Of polarizing in the elassi
fcations of sugar by the duties standard.