Morning journal and courier., 1882-05-18
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. SHEPHERD DEFIANT. His Refusal to Answer the
 Committee. THE LATTER IN A QUANDARY Undecided as to Their Fur
 ther Course. A LETTER FROM THE WITNESS,
{! LETTER FROM THE WITNESS
Alleging Unfair Treatment
 by the Committee.
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL,

lnittee Undecided With K Sn rd to Tn
 F"ture Course-The Forfeiture of Rail-
 road ands-Lawyer Reeds Efforts for
 His Client-The Capitals Contribution
 to taae News Summary.
 WASHINGTON, May 17.-The Committee on Foreign Affairs was in executive session until 11:3O o'clock this morning, when the doors were opened and the chairman told Shipherd that the committee had decided to put the following question: Will you furnish the committee with copies Of all correspondence between yourself and any person or persons whomsoever, and all papers and other evi- dence in your possession tending to show what you attempted to do to enforce the claims of the Peruvian company, or to in duce tho United States to force its claims against Peru? Shipherd answered emphati- cally that he would not. The committee then went into executive session again and decided to discharge Shipherd until further orders. The session then adjourned until to- morrow. The committee has not fully settled upon it's course toward Shipherd. and it may be that it will be determined not to require him to make further answer, as the matters about which he declines to testify not of great importance. Meanwhile he has been temporarily released. He appeared very much downcast to-day at not being permitted to make another stump speech, and left the committee room greatly indignant.
 Shipherd has written long letter to Chair man Williams complaining of histreatment by the committee in permitting Blaine so wide a latitude and sunlmarily dismissing him with tn R1ain fo correct Blaines testimony. He notifies the committee that he is prepared to supply in effect, although not literally, all the evidence called for and states that this evidence in- cludes an important letter from the Presi- dent recently discovered correspondence with official and unofficial representatives of Peru and with the Department of State through the consul. He submitted that the committee which has allowed it's sessions to be made the vehicle of personal assault in the hearing of the whole country has used a license to which is annexed an unquestionable duty.
 The signal corps station at the Delaware Breakwater reports that the Mallory line steamer Rio Grande, from Galveston for New York, laden with cotton, reached that harbor at G:5S a. m. with her cargo on fire in the forehold and amidships. The passengers were transferred to the Italian barque Pep pino 75 miles southwest of the Breakwater. A wreckipg company is at work with steam pumps extlnguishing the flames. The ves- sel was finally sunk to save her cargo from destruction by the fire.
 Lawyer Reed says in case the District court decides against Guiteau 'I shall apply to one of the justices of the supreme court and request him to certify the petition of writ of habeas corpus to the full court on the ground that 1t was a case of such importance as to require a hearing before the entire court. If one justice should refuse this l should try another, and should then take the certified appeal to the President of the United States and request of him respite of the sentence of Guiteau from June 30th until after the argument of the question as to the jurisdiction could be heard before the full supreme court in October, and if any justice of the supreme court certified to such a state of facts, the President could not refuse to respite There certainly is enough prima facie to warrant supreme court justice in making a certihcation."
 It will be remembered that MT. Cobb, of Indiana, recently introduced bill in the House providing for the forfeiture Of all lands granted to railroads where the terms of the grants had not been compiled with and the bill was referred to the Judiciary commit tee. Under this the committee have made their first report to the House, being in the case of the claim of the Outonnagon and
 
 parties in Michigan, involving the forfeiture of many million dollars. The committees work has been strictly private. The result of the action affects the values of all claims made under the same head The land in the case reported on was granted the company under an act of Congress to aid in the completion of the road. The road was not constructed during the term of years men, toned in the grant, but after the time had expired '4h company constructed it's road and oia, Ing the land attempted to dis possess the p irties who had in the meantime taken possession under the usual methods of obtaining government lands. These parties appealed to Congress with bill to perfect their title to the land as already granted by the government officials. The bill was wig orousIy opposed in the committee, not only by representatives of the Outonnagon and Brule river road, but by other corporations who felt that the decision on this bill must affect their cases The report of the com mittee favors the confirmation of the acts of government officers granting the land to set tiers and purchasers, declares the claims of the railroad company null and void and rec ommends the passage of the bill. The report discusses the questions involved at length and is the result of much labor on the part of the committee.
 Official reports place the total immigration in April at 174 ,274 ten thousand ln excess of April last.
 Agent Llewellyn telegraphs the Indian of- flee from Mescalero agency to-day that owing to the failure of Congress to appropriate subsistence it will be necessary to transfer the Indians at that agency to the War depart ment to keep them from starvation. He says also that nothing short of force can make them remain on the reservation and starve
 Bonds redeemed under call today were $2, S93, ,35O.
 At the convention of civil engineers today the special committee on standard time re- ported through Mir. Sandford Fleming, of Ottawa, chairman, that they had an e1pres sion of opinion on the question from every State in the Union and the British provinces. A number of railroad men and scientists have been heard from, and emphatic opinions | received on several points. All are in favor of the establishment of a comprehensive | system of standard time as soon as practica- 1 ble. Ninety-seYen per cent. approved gen. orally of the scheme under consideration | Of the society seventy six per cent. were in ! favor of four standards of meridian time for | North America one hour apart six per cent. l for two standard and thirty six per cent. for | a continental standard. The convention re- 1 solved to call upon Congress to take the first | step necessary for time reform, the estab- ! lishment of prime or seers meridian, with | that view seeking the cooperation of other ! nationalitieS; in the event of other nations ! declining to cooperate, the people of the Western continent to establish prime merid | ian for their convenience.
 | A Democratic caucus held after the ad- | journment of the House lasted for two hours. There was strong feeling in opposition to l the consideration of election cases before the | appropriation bills were disposed of. Long l speeches were made by Messrs. Randall, Car ! lisle Sparks House, Kenny, Holman and | other leading men. Various prop ,sitions | were presented and discussed without any | action. The following by Mir. Kenna was ! adopted: Resolved, that the purpose as
 indicated by the Republican majority to force
 a decision on the contested election case of Mackey ys O'Connor upon evidence which
 was na erally altered by Mackey without notice to O'Connor or Dibble the present oc- l cupant of the seat which evidence hns been l openly charged to have been forged and which has been recently proved by sworn
 testimony in the federal court to have been | forged, and the denial by said Republican | majority through it's party vote in It's con- 1 mittee to give an opportunity to Dibble the | present cOntestee, to have the evidence so al | tered by said Mackey retaken in the manner and subject to all the safeguards as prescribed l by law for the entertainment of truth, is a | fragrant attempt to deny justice, the same de | manding as 1t shall receive our condemnation. The Senate in executive session this aft 0 I