, 1881-12-30
LATEST NEWS SUMMARY
BY TELEGRAPH TO DATE

on the late President Garfield before the
house.
Senator Grover Will serve on the fol-
lowing committees: Public lands. rail
road and military affairs, and Senator
Slater holds places on Indian affairs, ag-
riculture and pensions.
A special from London says reports are
Just received of a terrible typhoon which
visited the country around HanifOo val
ley, in China, raising the waters of the
sea and driving them inland four miles.
One town was entirely submerged and
swept away with all its inhabitants, num-
bering 5000.
The shooting match of DIR. Carver vs.
Messrs. Gordon and Hobson. each stand
ing for f100, Carver standing at 30 yards,
and both of the latter using one hand,
came off al Hendon, England, on the
10th. Carver won.
At Chicago last week. Mrs. Mulvina
Major and her infant child died within a
few hours of each other. Her husband,
Thomas Major, remarked 81 will be
buried with them, and although closely
watched by his brother, escaped long
enough to buy some poison which he
took Saturday night and died in great
agony yesterday.
Alexander H Hicket, late chief of po-
lice at Nebraska City. was to-day con-
victed at that place of manslaughter for
killing a man named Mcclure, a priso-
ner, who attempted to escape from him.
The defense claimed that the shooting
was accidental. The prosecution main
tanned that the prisoner was not escaping
and that the shooting was willful.
Tribune's Rochester, n. Y. special:
Bishop McQuaid made a savage attack
on the cause of Irish nationalism in his
sermon. He warned his congregation
against supporting the ''no rent" move
ment. saying it was only sanctified by
the following of few priests with loose
consciences, and added that the pope's
hostility to secret organizations was well
known, and that the lines were sharply
and determinedly drawn between the
Ievolutionists of the land league and all
good Catholics.
There is very high and apparently
ample authority for predicting that ex-
Senator Sargent will shortly, after the
holiday recess, be appointed to place
in the cabinet, and strong indications
point to the secretaryship of the interior
as the position to which President Arthur
intends to assign him. The presidents
choice for the navy department seems
Beale and ex-senator Boutwell,, with
chances at present favoring the former,
whose appointment is strongly urged by
General Grant. The widely circulated
report that ex-senator Chaffee is booked
for either the interior department or
postmaster genera'ship is entirely desti-
tute of substantial foundation. President
Arthur has no intention of appointing
Chatiee to any cabinet position. and in
fact has never taken his candidacy into
serious consideration. An impression
prevails IN well informed circles to-day
that some obstacle has arisen in the way
of Chauncey I. Filley's appointment as
postmaster general, and that ex-senator
Howe now has the best chance for that
position, but the question is still unset
tied and will perhaps remain undecided
until after the holidays Sargent is ex-
pected to arrive here in day or two, and
it is said he comes to Washington at the
request of the president for the purpose
of consultation in regard to his place in
the cabinet. 1t is generally understood
that there will be no further cabinet nom
nations sent to the senate until that body
re-assembles in January, at which time
Postmastmer General James will retire
and the formation of a new cabinet will
be completed.
The report of Joseph K. McCammon,
commissioner of railroads, has been re-
celyed by the secretary of the interior.
1t says the indications are that within q
short time there will be five different
routes to the Pacific coast, where less
than year ago there was but one. These
railroads will be instrumental in devel.
oping the country rapidly. Capital has
been invested In large sums, and still the
tendency is towards increased develop
ments, principally in the west and south
west. 1t is believed that operations in
railroad constructions this year will ex-
eeed those of any previous year, and in
consequence large tracts of mineral and
agricultural lands will be made accessi-
bic. The commissioner takes up the
question of compensation to land grant
railroads FOR transportation of troops and
government supplies, and says: Il have
reached the conclusion that fifty per cent.
OF the tariff for ordinary rates of COM
panles would be a compensation ust
alike to railroads and the government.
and proper for permanent application
Engineer blackstone, while recognizing
the general good condition of Pacific
railroads, says there is still left much to
be done IN order to bring them TO that
standard condition. and that true econ
omy IN their maintenance and operation
which he suggests. The engineer cIiti-
clsed severely the faulty construction of
many bridges and says comparatively
few OF them are supplied with proper
safeguards against accidents. In conclu-
sion he said the action of congress is in
vited to the fact that there is no uniform
system of railroad signals in use, which
IS the source of confusion and should be
remedied by appropriate legislation.