Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-26

| WA-HISGTON. March 25.-Ihe secretary
! OF war mas ordered 10000 rations issued at
| Mound City, H., for the food sufferers.
Bill Chandler for Secretary OF the Navy.
There seems some authority for the state
ment made this evening that The position OF
| secretary OF the navy was definitely ten
| dered by the president 10 William f. Chand-
Ter few days since, and the latter signifed
! his acceptance.
Republican Idea of civil Service Re
form.
Colonel Dudley, commissioner OF pensions,
has written letter . the select committee
. GA Reform IN Civil Service, regarding 500 ad-
ditional pension clerks asked for by him in
order to settle the enormous number OF pension
claims now on file. He says if the request Tor
an increased number Is granted, the clerks
should be selected-other things being nearly
equal-from ex-UniOn soldiers, their sons,
widows or daughter; and other things be-
ing equal, or nearly SO, Republicans should
be preferred, but they should be divided
among the States and Territories IN pro
portion TO the vote each casts to the
whole vote Of the country, taking into
consideration the distribution OF those no W
employed; and in his judgment the Repub-
licsn vote should be tae basis, inasnuch as
this is a Republican administration.
Opposition 10 the Rea.an Railroad Bill.
The House Committee on Commerce heard
luTiHeF arguments IN opposition 10 the fea-
gan interstate commerce bill tx Cover
nor Brown, Of Tennessee, representing the
southwestern interests OF Gould, maintained
that the passage Of the Reagan bill would be
disastrous to the southwestern part OF the
country, and absolutely destructive to the
revenues of the railroads. The Reagan bill
Is really bill not to regulate, but TO control
interstate commerce, and to discriminate az
well. He reviewed the disastrous effects in
numerous ways of the enactment of such bill
into law, among which he maintained
that it would entirely break up through car
riage. He held that while Congress may
have the power to regulate interstate COM
merce it has no right to attempt to regulate,
much less to control, common carriers.
The Star-ROute Trials.
The Star-route cases came mp in the
Criminal Court to-day, and Colonel Inger-
soil, on behalf of Stephen w. Dorsey, mott
fed the court that he desired TO file motion
to set aside the indictment to quash, and
was prepared to submit authorities in sup
port of it. Colonel Ingersoll read the mo-
ton, which was based on the following
grounds: That the grand jury had no
legal authority TO find said indictment: that
the district attorney had no authority to
draw said indictment, and exhibit it TO the |
grand jury; because George b. Corkhill, dis |
trict attorney, did exhibit the Indictment
without the order of the Supreme Court |
of the District of Columbia, or any |
justice thereof; and that the grand !
jnry did not find the indictment !
of their own knowledge; neither were Dorsey |
et al bound over to answer the charge or
action of the grand jury. Jere Wilson, as |
counsel for General Brady, then flied mo- |
tion TO quash the indictment to his client, |
and after reading the papers, which were very !
long, set forth numerous reasons, including |
the want of jurisdiction as insufficient |
insaverment of facts to set forth the crime |
against the United States; because the crime |
as set forth is not such a one as to be penal |
under the laws of the nited States; because |
at the time of the commissian of the acts |
charged the defendant an officer OF the |
United States government. and his acts not |
subject OF investigation by this court. Judge |
Wilson read motion on behalf of L. q. |
Hine to qussh the indictment for substan- |
TALLY the same grounds as set forth in the |
it agreed to postpone the further hearing |
OF Dorsey and Brady until Friday next |
Colonel Ingersell gave notice that he should |
also file motion to quash demurrer. Colo |
mel Bliss then asked for the arraignment of |
the parties indicted in the straw bond cases,
and Kate N. Armstrong, Albert f. Bone,
James w. Donohue and William w. Jack !
son were arraigned and entered formal pleas |
Of not guilty.
The secretary o! the navy announces the !
death of Rear-Admirals Spots and Scott, |
and directs that the usual tribute of respect
be paid to the memory Of the deceased
officers.
Secretary Hunt received a cable this
morning from Lieutenant HARDER, of the |
Jeanette search expedition, announcing the |
arrival of himself and Master Schentz at
Irkoutsk, in good health.
Judge Advocate General Swain has nearly |
completed his report on the case of Sergeant |
Mason, and will submit it to the secretary of |
war for action Monday. 1t is generally uu-
derstood that General Swain recommends |
the mitigation Of the sentence OF the court |
martial