The National tribune., 1882-12-28
THE NEWS OF THE WEEK.
A Sad Record of Christmas Crimes
and Casualties.
THE PITH OF POLITICS.
Events at the Capitol and
n ia the Departments.
THE PITH OF POLITICS.

The annual report of Lieutenant Colonel
Thomas J.. Casey, Corps of Engineers, Z. :. A.,
engineer in charge Of the Washington Monu-
ment, shows that at the close of the present
season December l. 1SS2l, the height of the
shaft was $40 feet above the level of the floor
of the shaft, showing an increase in height
during the year of ninety feet. He says that
If the marble can be obtained from this time
forward with the same Tapidity as during the
past season, the walls and pyramidion or roof
of the shaft can be completed possibly by July
!. 1854, and certainly by the close of working
season Of 1854. Since the completion of the
foundation in 1880 the total load added TO the
then existing structure has been $3.50 tons,
and the settlement of the shaft due TO this
load has been on an average about II inches for
the structure. The total pressure now borne
by the foundation is 74S71 tons, or about 92-
100 Of the total pressure 10 be finally placed
upon it. The amount expended on the mOnu-
ment during the past year was SlT7 1880
leaving balance available OF S33 4l7.37, which
will supply and cut the marble to course $40
and the granite TO course 800. An estimate of
S250,00O Is asked for continuing the work Oi
the monument for the year ending June 30
1854, which it Is expected will complete the
shaft and pyramidion and also the interior stair
case and elevator during the year 1-ci. An
appropriation of S25OGO0 by the present Con-
eress is recommended by the Joint Commission
as necessary TO complete the Washington mOnu-
ment to its full height of 800 feet.
Three of the regular annual appropriation
bills have now been passed by both houses of
Congress, viz, the Indian, the consular and di-
plOmatic and the agricultural bills. They still
require action by the House of Representatives,
however upon various Senate amendments in
creasing their amounts slightly. The House
has also passed the military academy and the
postal appropriation bills. The former has been
reported from the Senate committee and placed
upon the Senate calendar in readiness for pas
sage. The latter remains in the hands of the
Senate Committee on Appropriations for fur
ther consideration. The three bills first named,
as increased by the Senate, provide for aggre-
gate appropriations as follows: Indian, S5,376,-
256 consular and diplomatic, 81 ,321 ,755: agri-
cultural, Si04,640 The postal appropriation
bill as passed by the House authorizes a total
expenditure during the next fiscal year Of
b44,2lS, 800, (which is less than the estimated
postal revenues for the same periOd,) and the
total of the military academy bill is S305, ,657.
The army bill now pending in the House pro-
videS for total appropriation of $24,68l 800.
Commissioner Price has sent all the Indian
agents circular-letter, in which he foHlulates
a sort of penal code for the government of the
Indians on the reservations Each agent is
authorized TO appoint three of the most intelli-
gent and virtuous Indians Of the tribes under
his charge as judges of 4" a court of Indian
Ofenses" The jurisdiction of this court is to
extend only to the class of Otfenses mentioned
in the letter. To take part in the "sun dance"
the scalp dance" or the war dance" is an
otense coming within the jurisdiction of the
court, punishable by imprisonment in the
agency iall not exceeding fifteen DAYS, or the
Withholding of rations for the same period
plural marriage is to be punished by fine of
not less than 500, or twenty days of hard labor
both, at discretion. Polygamists are ineli-
Sible 10 be judges. Where an able bodied In
dian is convicted Of falling to support his wife
and children, no rations are to be issued to
him. An appeal lies from the Court of In
dian Ofiense" to the Commissioner of Indian
: Affairs.
4 communication was laid before the House
last Friday from Messrs. J. G. Ames, superin-
tendent of public documents for the Interior
Department; A. r. SpolfOTd, librarian of Con-
gresS, and Spencer +. Baird, of the Smithsonian
Institute, relating 10 the printing and dis
tribution Of public documents by authority of
Congress, and recommending a reduction in
the number printed. The report also calls
attention 70 the number of surplus documents
left over, which amounted to 27,600 for the
Forty-siXth Congress. The whole number of
documents for the Forty-sixth Congress was
2,524,254, Of which $4,000 were unbound pam
phlets For the Forty-seventh Congress there
have already been printed /, ,354 947 documents.
Including sixteen volumes OF the census.
Mr. Logan introduced bill in the Senate
last Thursday for the transfer Of the weather
bureau from the War Department to the De
partment of the interior. 1t provides that so
much Of the business of the United States
signal service as relates TO meteorological OBJ
servatioDs shall be turned over TO the Interior
Department, and the enlisted men now en-
ployed in this service shall be discharged and
employed as civilians at rates Of compensation
not exceeding that which they now receive
one oh of SO I,ffs E
the army, with the rank Of colonel and one
assistant, with the rank Of major, whose duties
shall relate solely to military signaling and
military telegraphing. The lieutenants Of the |
Signal Corps are to be assigned to regiments of
the line.
A meeting was held last week at the Ebbtt |
House, at which an Association of American |
Economists was organized, with the object of !
gathering facts and statistics bearing upon in /
dustry, commerce and finance, and the wide /,
dissemination Of economic KNOWLEDGE The /
following officers were elected President.
hon. William Lawrence; first yice-presidcnf
Hon. John G. New Nice-prcs,dents-F For
OHIO, Hon. G. Delauo; for Illinois David II. |
Mason; for Massachusetts,, George Basil Dix
well; Tor Connecticut, Hon. Marshall Jewell: /
treasurer, >. Il. Dodge: secretaries Dr. J. T.
Young and J.. Sanial. The Association viii f.
hold meeting in Washington next month
The Joint Congressional Committee on the
Newburg y. " centennial celebration met
last week and directed Representative Beach
ol New York, 10 correspond with the governors
oi the various States requesting them and es-
peclally the governors Of the thirteen riginal
States, TO attend the celebration escorted, if
possible, by military guard of one hundred
men, wearing the Continental uniform. IL
was agreed that the celebration should take
place either on the Sd and 4th or 10th and lIth
Df October next, and the commission will sug-
gest to the Secretary Of War that The memorial
column DC erected on the grounds Joining
Nashington's headquarters.
The japanese Prince Taruhito of Arisugawa
5Ecle Of the Mikado, has arrived in this CITY
accompanied by his suite of five persons. The
distinguished visitor was met at the depot by
the japanese Minister, the American Secretary
Dir. Stevens, and other members of the Lcga- I
ton. The Prince was driven 10 the Arlington
Hotel in the carriage of the Japanese Minister
and VIII remain here until the 29th instant
when he will leave for San Francisco.
nations TO the Senate: joel b. Erhart of New
York, to be United States marshal for the
southern district Of New York; Geo NJ Lam
bertson, United States attorney for Nebraska:
w. +. Rowland, of New York TO be consul at
Nice and George +. MOsher, of New Hamp-
Ghire, to be consul at SOnneburg.
Secretary Chandler has received cable mes
sage from Minister Hunt, dated st. Petersburg,
December y, stating that the Governor at
1rkutsk thinks the proposed removal of the
bodies of De Long and men impracticable now,
eudaugering the dogs and reindeer reoUired