The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-02-07
WASHINGTON.
The Jeanette Crew


ceived the following cablegram from james
Gordon Bennett at Paris this morning:
Since you have decided to send officers defer to
your judgment. viii you kindly let me know their
names whether Junior or senior to Danenhower In
rank by what steamer they sailed and when they
will arrive in Paris as may be OF some service IN
Lena which has been rendered me- is Of course at
their disposal My correspondent, who is almost at
Tkutsk, will know that the expedition is to be in
charge Of the officers of the United States navy and
will 20 simply as Herald correspondent
Secretary Hunt also received the following
from Acting Minister Hoffman at st. Peters
burg this morning:
Danenhower acknowledges orders. viii proceed
home v 18th the invalilds.
The Secretary sent Mr.. Bennett the infor
nation asked for.
The Straw Bond Cases.
The grand jury to-day Instituted inquiries
into the alleged straw bond cases in the post
Office department. They commenced with the
case of contractor Albert E. Boone, and exam
ined several witnesses.
Another Call for the Continued Elves.
The Secretary of the Treasury will to-mor-
row issue the 108th call for the redemption OF
continued five per cent bonds to an amount
not to exceed $40, DOC, 900. principal and accrued
interest on which is made payable about the
first of April next To the close of business
to-day the treasury department had redeemed
United States bonds as follows; under 1O5th
call $40 2S2 800. and under the 1O6th call $16,-
396,650
woman's National Tempe rance Union.
The Woman's National Christian Temper
ance Union opened its annual conference to-
day at Cavalry Baptist church. Three ses-
sions were held during the day and evening at
which were made by number OF prominent
workers The conference will continue through
tomorrow.
Steamship Line to England.
in fbo
to-day to establish a fast ocean steamship mail
between the United States and Great Britain
and to secure to the government the use OF YES
sells employed therein for postal, naval and
other purposes.
Army Oficers Retired.
Brevet Mai. General M. G. Meigs, quarter
master general, was to-day placed upon the re-
tired list. also Brig. General Nathan w. Brown,
paymaster general.
Executive Nominations.
The President sent the following nomina-
tons to the Senate to-day:
Col. Daniel FL. Rucker, assistant quarter
master general, to be quartermaster general
vice General MeIgs, retired, and Maj. VIM. b;
Rochester, paymaster, to be paymaster general
vice General Brown, retired.
Tariff Matters in Congress.
The action of the Senate upon the Morrill,
commission bill is awaited with great interest
inthe House, inasmuch as failure OF the COM
mission bill in the Senate would have very
disastrous influence upon the Kasson commits
sion bill in the House. The Morrill, bill in
cludes the same provisions as to the investl-
CATION of the internal revenue system as the
Easson bill, and these provisions are now be-
ing made the subject of animated debate IN
the committee on ways and means. The oppo-
nents of tariff commission bill in this COM
mittee are making strenuous resistance to the
incorporation Of the clause in the billwhich d.
reefs the commission to investigate into revenue
questions as well as those which relate to the
tariff. There is indeed tendency among. the
more radical of the protectionists to favor
what perhaps may be called the " PENNSYLVANIA
plan" of making considerable reduction in in
ternal revenue taxation, the theory being that
If these reductions can be made there will be
less demand for a reduction of customs
tariff duties. 1t is already claimed
by those who have interests before
the ways and means committee that
that committee has already given private init
nations that il will recommend reduction OF
at least $40, 100000 in internal revenue taxa
ton This statement, however, must be taken
with allowance, as the committee and its varl-
GUS subcommittee have not as yet been able
to agree upon any subject, much less upon one
30 important as an aggregate amount OF inter-
nal revenue reduction or that any reduction
shall be made The contest in the ways and
means committee which will begin tomorrow,
again turns upon that clause in the Kasson bill
which authorizes the commission, that the bill
proposes to create, to investigate the internal
revenue system, with a view to possible reduc-
lions of taxation. The argument against this
section of the Kasson bill, SO far as the discus
sion has proceeded in the Senate, is that, while
the customs tariff is intricate, complicated and
abstruse, and requires experts for its careful
calculation, the committee has in its power to
obtain all possible information as to whisky,
tobacco, perfumery and other articles in the in
ternal revenue schedules from which it is pro-
posed to take off the tax. AS to steel rails,
sugar and other questions in the custom tariff
schedule, however, the committee seems to be
of the opinion that it will be unable to form
any just conclusion without the aid OF COM
mission of experts. The opposition may, per-
haps, be considered somewhat inconsistent,
bur SO far as can be learned, the obstacles to
favorable action upon the Commission bill in
the Ways and Means Committee are such as
are here indicated. Mr. Randall is the mover
of the motion in committee to strike out from
the Kasson bill the clause which would en-
power the Tariff Commission to investigate
internal revenue questions. Meanwhile it is
pretty certain that the Mckinley bill will not
be reported from the Ways and Means Com
mittee until after action has been taken on the
Kasson bill in that committee. The coming
week promises to be one of great interest and
of much importance in tariff matters.
Miscellaneous.
The claims of Messrs Cook and Gibson
for services in connection with the star route
cases have been allowed.
The Indian appropriation bill will probably
be reported to the House from the committee
tomorrow.
The subcommittee to which was referred the
bill for the admission of Washington Territory
as State, will tomorrow report to the House
committee on Territories favorlng the passage
off tho hill