Morning journal and courier., 1882-05-12

here states that terrible explosion of fire damp occurred to-day in the Pluto mine at the town of Bachum, Westphalia. The bodies off victims have thus far been recovered and number of other persons are missing.
 THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
 The Last Word SpOken-Guiteau's Plea
 for a New, TrIaI-The Arguments For
 and Against-The Assassin's Chance a
 Very Slim One-Mason's Wife Pleading
 for Her Husband-Happenings of Inter-
 est at the Capital.
 WASHINGTON, May 11.-The last word has been spoken for Guiteau. Mr.. Reed closed his argument this morning, and the lawyers who heard tsay that it was 8 very able one {; but it is doubtful if Mir. Reed himself expects that the court in banc will decide that the trial ill the court below was irregular or will interfere with the sentence of Judge Cox, which provided that Charles J. Guiteau should on June 30th next be hanged by the neck until he is dead. Mir. Reeds argument as to the jurisdiction particularly was a strong one, but if Chief Justice Cartier sin terlocutory remarks mean anything, they very clearly indicate that, as far as Guiteau vas concerned, the murder of the President was committed when the fatal shot was fred and death could add nothing to the assassin's crime. Colonel Reed was followed by Colo nel Corkhill for the government. His first point was directed to the claim of want of jurisdiction because President Garfield died in New Jersey. After rehearsing the facts of the shooting and the removal to Elberon, Col. Corkhill said ''But this effort to save his life, and if possible by human means to prevent the effects of this crime, is now made the important and leading feature in argu- ment against the punishment of the criminal. It is gravely said that because President Garfield was not allowed to remain here and die that therefore this court has no ju- risdiction to try the assassin who committed the murder and that under the construction of the law for centuries the fatal stroke and the death must both occur in the same jurisd, 5tion to make the crime con- piete. If this claim is well founded it is one of the most absurd legacies that we have in- herlted from system of law wise in it's day and adapted to the condition of society as it then existed but utterly inapplicable to our present system of jurisprudence. It never had any foundation in the crime itself It was one of the exigencies growing out of the form of the then existing administration of crimi- nal justice" Col. Corkhill finished his argu- ment at 12:45 and Mir. Davidge immediately began the closing argument for the prosecu- tion, addressing himself to the question of jurisdiction. He discussed the proposition at some length. and after quoting the stat utes held that their plain and obvious mean ing was that the jurisdiction was clear wheth- CT he died within the limits of the District or not Court adjourned, after MT. Dav1dge's argument, until to- morrow morning. The decision of the court will not be given, it is thought, before next week. It will then re- main to be seen what effect npon Guiteau the knowledge will have that his days on earth are numbered unless the President shall par don him. There was no intimation in MT. Reeds speech which might possibly be con- sidered to mean that an attempt would be made to get pardon and it can scarcely be possible he considered that such movement is contemplated. It is quite certain that the last man in the United States who would for moment entertain proposition to pardon Charles J. Guiteau would be Chester A. Ar thur.
 Before the House Committee on Foreign affairs to-day Mir. Bliss, of Morton, Bliss < Co.,, testified that his service was requested by Randall as counsel of the Industrial com pany to become their agent at per cent commission. The contract was made in May and L. P. Morton was appointed minister in March. No member of the firm had ever sought the influence of the government to favor the company.
 Senator Hoar said to-day that he did not expect to secure the rejection of Worthington as collector of Boston.
 It IS expected vote will be had in the House on the Geneva bill tomorrow, after which Mir. Crapo will attempt to get consid- eration of the bill extending national bank charters. He hopes if he gets the bill before l the House to dispose of 1t this week.
 Mrs Sergeant Mason called at the White House this afternoon and had an interview with the President in regard to mitigating the sentence of her husband. She states this evening that she has confidence that her husband will be released from iail but does not expect he will be reinstated in the army and hopes not. It is generally thought some thing will be done in the matter tomorrow | at the Cabinet meeting.
 From the report of Special Census Agent l Wyckoff on the silk manufacturing industry 1t appears that the production of raw silk during 1880 amounted to over $12, 900, 900 | and the imports of silk manufactures at New New York alone were over $33 COG, 900. Dur 1 ing the same year productions of finished silk | goods in the United States amounted to $34,- . 1 900, 900 or 38 per cent. of the whole con-
 
 i per cent. since 1860. ! The representatives of the Louisiana sugar l interest and of the refners who are not in l the Hayemeyer combination have agreed up- | on new sugar bill which was introduced l by MT. Gibson, of Louisiana, yesterday. It provides that the Secretary of the Treasury | shall select proper Dutch standards of sugar and cause their saccharine strength to be as- | certained and when ascertained to declare it.; | fhptI Iuho Str is l the duty shali be collected according to the | strength and not according to the color. It l Is not known whether those who have been | such strenuous supporters of the existing | Dutch standard will approve of this change in the existing law.
 United States Senator Mitchell of Pennsyl- .vania, referring to the action of the Penn sylVan1a convention yesterday, very plainly lntlmates that the Independents will not &C., cept the results, and that split in the Re- 1 publican ranks is quite probable. MT. Mitch l ell plainly says that he does not think that | the Independent convention will ratify all o1 the Cameron ticket, although it may approve | of certain of the nominations. He does moi desire to have it understood that the door is finally closed, he thinks it possible that I the Independents may consider 1t wise not tc l contest the nomination for Congressman at- 1 large. The fact that Senator Cameron has not shown any purpose of withdrawing tht nomination of Jackson for the internal rev
 enue office, carrying out the principles o | harmony which Mir. Mitchell seems to under
 stand to have been adopted in the treaty oi peace, is regarded by Mir. Mitchell and hil
 followers as in substance violation of that
 treaty. Mir. Mitchell says that the candidates
 with possibly one exception, were all selected
 by Cameron
 The brewers convention here adjourned te
 meet next year at Detroit The following
 permanent officers were elected President
 H. B. Scharman of Brooklyn, N. Y.; vic'
 presidents, H. Clausen, jr., of New York
 Charles G. Steifter of St. Louis; treasurer
 William A Miles of New York secretary
 Richard Katzenmeyer of New York; also {
 board of trustees and vigilance committee.
 The American Society of Civil Engineers
 annual convention will be held in this cit.
 May l6, IF and IS. Two hundred and lift.
 delegates are expected to be present.