The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-03-11

Hon. Milton s. Latham, ex-U. S. sena-
City on the 4th.
Patrick Eagan, treasurer of the ma.
tional land league funds, has sent q letter
from Paris to Judge Birdsall, of New
York, member of the committee, sug-
gesting that in view of the slanders oil
enemies concerning the expenditure OF
| funds, an auditing committee be ap-
pointed to examine every detail of outlay.
The reserve fund is now $287 900, prop
erly secured.
The following are last weeks postal
changes: Established Fultonville,
Wasco county, Oregon, James Fulton,
postmaster; Howard, Wasco county,
Oregon, Mary G. Allen, postmistress.
observation-disclosures, Whatcom Co.,
W. T. Postmasters appointed Charles
Evans, New Tacoma, Pierce county, w.
T.: Melisa L. Taylor, Pekin, Cowlitz
county, w. t.
1t has been discovered that George
Sheppard, who claimed to have shot
Jesse James, is really James friend, and
made the claim merely to get the reward
and divide it with Jesse. He was appar-
emily leagued with the police trying to
find James, and shot himself through the
leg to create the belief that he had fought
with James. Taxed with his perfidy, he
confessed that James was still alive.
The contract division of the postofice
department sent out nearly 5000 notiica-
tions to successful star-route contractors,
informing them of the official acceptance
of their proposals for service. The ag-
gregate sum of their bids is about 81 ,OO0, :
600. A. E. Boone, one of the contract
ors now under Indictment for conspiracy
by the grand jury, has secured large
number of these awards, although if
found guilty of this offence the depart
ment may begin proceedings to cancel
these and similar contracts.
The steamer Vile D'Alger arrived at
New York from Bordeaux and reports
that Feb. 2Sth she fell in with the over
due steamer City of Berlin, from Liver
pool for New York, with machinery
broken, and took her in tow and towed
her for eight hours, when the steamer
Samaria came up and took the Berlin in
tow for Halifax. The City of Berlin has
95 cabin passengers and nearly 400 in the
steerage, Among the former is Jacob
Schaeffer, the billiard player The Sa-
maria arrived of Boston light this even
ing with the City of Berlin in tow. She
will arrive up late.
The grand jury came into the criminal
court at Washington on the 4th and pre-
sented indictments for conspiracy in con-
neetion with star route mail service
s. W. Dorsey, Henry M. Vail, John w.
III I11x I'll. Il
Nc. r. Odell, J. L. Sanderson, VIM. II.
Turner, and also against Alvan o. Buck,
VIM. S. Barringer and Albert e.. Boone,
and against Kate NJ. Armstrong for per
jury. The indictments against Brady,
Dorsey and others are voluminous, and
based on charges heretofore stated in
prosecution of the cases in various
stages.
Representative Bland, member of com.
mittee on coinage, weights and measures,
made argument before that committee in
favor of establishment of mint at ST.
Louis or some other eligible point in the
Mississippi valley. In course of his re-
marks Bland urged the importance OF
popularizing silver coins as a means ot
encouraging habits of economy and say
ing among people, which he considered
far better than continuance of the pres.
ent system, which results in locking up
in the vaults of the treasury large pro.
portion of standard silver dollars, and
thereby practically demoEetlzing silver.
Burchard, director of the mint, also made
a statement favoring the establishment
of mint at some point on the Mississippi
river.
Representatives of several house com.
mittees have been in consultation fol
some time upon bills introduced looking
to the transfer of all claims upon the
treasury now before congress to the
court of claims. They decided to recon.
mend su bstantially the bill of Represen.
tative House of Tennessee. The calendar
is SO loaded with all sorts of relief bills
and claims it is practically impossible t.
consider any of them promptly. The
design is not to confer upon the court
power to decide and award, but simply
judicially investigate and report the tes.
timonv in each case with an opinion oi
its rights, for the guidance of congress
when it comes to consider an appropria'
| tion to pay claims, for only such as have
merit are likely to be submitted.
| A Paris cable says a party of Ameri
cans travelling from Brussels to this city
were subjected to indefnable brutality
at the police station of FeIgnies on the
night of the 1st inst. They were awak
ened by custom officials to have theil
baggage examined. and were abused fol
not Immediately complying, and assaulted
| by the commissarie de police for protest
ing against the way in which Mrs Rey
nolds, of Providence, was treated. Tha
lady was roughly dragged ous of sleep
ing car, bareheaded, without q bonnet
and CLOAK, and exposed to coarse jeers oi
! douaniers. The male portion of ths
party resisting the violence done them
the gen d'armes with fixed bayonets were
called to the assistance of the officials
and three of them arrested and refused
permission to telegraph the American
| minister and their friends. They were
not released until morning, and were
! condemned to fine of 500 francs each
coupled with police surveillance for eigh
months. The case seems EXCEPTIONAL,
bad and calls for action on the part O
our representatives here. Leon Leon
tuir, formerly of Chicago, was one of th,
party.
Johnson, of Virginia, has fled in tn
senate the petition of Gen. John G. Ere
mont, in which he claims to be owner o
fee simple of Alcatraz island, and ask
that his claim be referred to the court o
claims for adjudication. Fremont set
forth that while he was military governo
of the territory of California in 1847, b.
purchased for the United States the sal
island, commonly called Birds island
lying at the inner end OF the straits
which makes an entrance from the Paoifi
ocean into the bay of San Francisco. an
to which he (Frenont) gave the name c
Golden Gate; that the U. S. governmen
refused to accept, repudiated the pur
chase, and made the subject a charge G
mutiny in proceedings by court-martia
in 1S4S, where the fact of the purchas