The Portland daily press., 1881-08-22
WASHINGTON.

Reorganizing the Pension Department.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2C.-Commissioner of
Pensions issued an order creating Board of
Review" at the head of which he has placed
Q. B. Walker, deputy commissioner, with J..
III. Hobbs as assistant; a "Board of Special Ex-
aminations," which will be managed by H. r.
McCalmot, with W. E. Dulin as assistant; an
Eastern Division" having charge of the
claimants for pensions sin the New England
States, New York, New Jersey ard Delaware,
in charge of Fred Mack, with J. M. Curtis as
assistant; a middle Division" including
Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan; a "West-
ern Division including Indiana, Illinois,
Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kan
sas, Nevada, Colorado, California, Oregon,
and 1.-THE several Territories: A Southern
Division. including Maryland, Virginia,
West Virginia, North and South Carolina,
Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Ar
kansas and the District of Columbia. j. w.
Howell is designated as appointment and f.
nancial clerk, and will have supervision of all
public property, etc. The Board of Review"
reau, through which all claims must pass be-
fore being allowed, instead of their being ad-
justed by the different "div isions,' as has
heretofore been the custom.
Suppression Of Abusive Postal Cards.
The Postmaster-General has directed post
masters to destroy postal cards containing
abusive matter at the written request of those
that they will receive them.
Settlement with the Poncas.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21.-An agreement
signed by the Sioux and the Secretary of the
Interior cedeS to the United States GAO acres
of land for every family and every unmarried
male of q in the Ponca nation out the old
Ponca reservation. When the consent of
three-fourths of the Sioux and the ratification
OF Congress are secured the Poncas will be
ceded land by the United States 1t will be
patented to them. The patents will render it
inalienable for 20 years Cultivation is made
condition precedent of occupation. The
Yanktonnais Sioux refuse to sign an agree
ment, and Secretary Kirkwood is proceeding
regardless of them. They do not own the land
occupied by the Poncas. Secretary Kirkwood
considered the arrangement very favorable for
the Poncas. Under an agreement with the
Secretary of the Interior, Little Chief and his
band of Cheyennes will be allowed to re-
turn to their old Dakota home this fall. The
Secretary wanted them to wait until next
summer inasmuch as their supplies are to be
delivered at their Indian Territory agency,
but they said they would rather go home and
trust to luck for supplies.
The Howgate Defalcation.
In the Howgate case to-day w. w. McCul-
Tough, w. b. Moss and Notary Anderson were
offered as sureties, but further hearing was ad-
journed till Monday in order that the Govern
ment counsel might ascertain the responsible.
ty of the sureties. Meantime Howgate re-
mains in custody in his house under strict sur
Vigilance Asthe sureties have heretofore been
connected with Howgate in business it is be.
iieved they will not prove acceptable. 1t is
said irregularities have been disc overed in con-
nection with the fitting out of the Gulnare,
which will increase the defalcation to $1OO 0CO