Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-15
DOMESTIC NEWS.

DOMESTIC NEWS.
The uuty of the Postmasfer.GeneraI In
Che star Route Cases.
WASHINGTON, August 13th.-Second As
sistant Postmaster. sneral Elmer, who. Is
considering the propriety of restoring the
original schedules on a number of expedited
mail routes, recently submitted the following
questions to Judge Freeman, Assistant Attor-
ney-G General for the Postofiice Department,
for his opinion and advics: First-Does
ordering expedition on a route constitute a
new contract? Sscond-Has the Depart
ment the right to order the restoration of the
original schedule on any expedited route,
when the cost Of expedition is not warranted
by the revenues Of the Office supplied, or
when from anybther cause it is deemed for the
good of the service so TO do? Thirds the
Department warranted in withholding allow
ancas OF one months extra pay, or the
amount deducted from the pay of the con-
tractor for such increase of running time,
and if so, under what circumstances may
such Indemnity be withheld? Judge Free
man, in his opinion, decides that under the
law as it existed prior to the passage OF the
Act, the postmaster-General was not author
lied to increase or expedite mail contracts,
except for causes appearing subsequently, to
execution of the original contract, and that
it was the duty of the Postmaster
General to advertise all service let,
and that an order lesseniDg or in
creasing the service without cause, or ad-
verti.ing or naming the date to appear after
the advertisement and letting of the original
service, was void; that where such orders
have been procured by fraudulent representa-
lions and statements, and payments have
been made Hereunder, it is the duty of the
Postmaster General to bring suit for the re-
covery of such payments. Second-He fur.
Their holds that, under the statute, the Post
master General was not authorized to ex-
pedite or increase the service beyond 100 per
cent OF the original amount. The statute
provides that additional compensation shall
bear no greater proportion to the additional
stock and carriers necessarily employed in its
execution Under this language he holds
that, while the Postmaster.G General might,
under the circumstances already stated,
allow very large proportion of the original
contract price, ne was not authorized to null
tiply the amount. Third-That advertising
for the service requires the Postmaster-Gen
eral to advertise, not "portion," but "a)l
the service to be let. and that il, after max
ing contract, he should discover the public
good requires double, triple or quadrup!e
service, it would be his duty to annul the
contract and to re-advertise. Fourth-That
where orders for expedition have been i'm
made. he should aunul them with
out allowing one months extra pay.
Disastrous Railroad Accidents.
OcDgSsBURe IN. ", August 1Ssh.-A
terrible accident occurred on the Grand
Trunk Railway this morning. which resulted
in the death of the engineer, the serious
wounding of the fireman, the baggage-master
and two express messengers, anu III various
injuries to number of passengers. The
train was the 10 p. ". express from Montreal
to Toronto, and consisted of six Pullman
sleepers four first and second-class coaches,
a postal express and the baggage car. The
cars were filled with returning excursionists
from Montreal, who were nearly all asleep.
After leaving Prescott, while at full speed,
an obstruction was encountered and the loco
motive jumped the track, carrying the ten
der, the baggage the mail, express, smoking
and two passenger cars with it. The cars
were scattered ia every direction, and pieces
of wloi and iroa strewed the track for rods
around the scene. The escape of SO many
passengers is wonderful, as the express car
and some passenger cars were smashed to
spiinters. The cause OF the accident was a
COW on the track.
GuYHIsoN (Coll. August 13th.-Ye ester.
day az train carrying four companies CT
soldiers was coming down the grade near
Marshall Pass, the train broke 10 two pieces,
and the rear portion smashed into the other.
killing private Miller and dangerously wound
ing private Wetzsl. of Company G.
OMAHA, August 13h.-This morning a
train on the Burlington and
Missouri Railroad, ct Louisville, Neb., ran
over the fireman, named Hart. He mad one
arm and leg amputa.ed, and received other
injuries from which he cannot recover.
The Santa Claus Race at Rochester.
NEW YoRK, August 13th-The Tribuacs
Rochester dispatch says: The 2:15 race yes
field OF such strength as Hopeful, Santa
Claus, Midnight, Charley Ford, So So and
Harris vera allowed to trot in 2:1S3 2.2l,
2:22I, 2:2ial aud 2:35l, without protest from
the judges. So So was securing, and although
Bair whipped her until her sides were full of
marks, she either could not or would not trot
better than 2:2j Santa Claus was sore and
stiff, and two heats demonstrated he had no
chance, so he was Withdrawn. When only
Ford and Midoight were left in the race,
pools were sold on Midnight 5000, on Ford
500 Ii vas then thought sure thing and
men were investing literally at the long end.
Hichok was placed behind Midnight, but
there was no trot left in the horse, and Ford
beat him in Jog. Last night the chaps who
were dumped were squsalIng like pigs and
kicking like army mules. Hopeful won the
fir heat easily aud the second fairly, but
was not given II, and was beaten by the
Judges at the start for the third, and was then
nut ~ ha fran ant
that there was job for Midnight to win, but
the judges overlooked it and allowed the
drivers 90 do as they pleased. Unfortu-
nstely for the schemers they played duffsr
Of the WORST character, and the final result
was that Ford won.
The Friends or hartmann. tho SlhllIsf
NEW YoRK, august l3.h.-A large and
audience, composed principally
Of members and friends of the Socialistic
Labor Party, assembled tonight ia Irving
Hail, and adopted the following
wHgREAs. Immediately on the arrival of Leo
Hartmann IN this city, the possibility OF his being
delivered mp 70 Russia a. . common murderer has
been entertained bY portion OF our Press and Off
ciai head Of our state Department, chief OF which,
Hon. J. G. Blaine has refused TO make public his
views on the subject, on the ground thar it was a
hypothetical case on which he was not prepared TO
state "a opinion in advance: and whereas, the act
u which Hartmann stands accused by tire Russian
Cox crnnlent IS evidently not common attempt at
murder, but measure Of political selidtfense, OF
lstce directed by the oppressed people Of Russia
against their oppressors, who trample down all
laws Of humanity under foot and has been reeog-
uzed by public opinion Rad the Governments Of
France aud Ergaud that Hartmann's possible extra
1tion IS question not Of private, but Of the
highest public intereS; therefore,
Res0lred, That we brand the opinions set forth by
those who you'd like to transform the soil of
Republic into an ante-chamber OF the Russian
Poice Department as mean, eowardly and debasing
To the honor Of the American nation.
ResO'ued, That VIC hold the Secretary OF State
bound 10 give an explicS ansWer-not evasive as he
has already done, aud IS the practice In. Euro.
pc1n diploniacy-but open and abogehoard, as
belts an American officer responsible to the peope
The Chatauqua Meeting.
CHATAUQUA IN. ~, August 18th. This
was National Day at Chatauqua, and Gen.
sral Howard, commander at West Point.
presided over the platform meetings. DIR.
Vincent read letters from Robert L. Lincoln,
Secretary OF War, and ex-President Hayes,
and read also an address made by President
Garfield at this place a year ago. The reader
was unanimously applauded. The Orator Of
ths Day, Schuyler Colsax, in prelude to
his lecture on Abraham Lincoln, said he
Knew, as he spoke TO them, their hearts
would be burning toward him who, for six
ong and weary weeks, had suffered SO ua-
and Sd brsvely on his bed of
pain and peril at Washington. Wicked as
was that fearful shot, it united all parties, all
creeds. all sections in our land. More than
this, it has taught us more of our President
than We ever knew before. We see him
facing death with moro than the GOODNESS of a
veteran; On the Afternoon Of the day he was