Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-02-04
THE VIRGINIA NINE DISASTER
THE BURNED SCHOOL BUILDING.
AFTERNOON NOTES FROM The CAPITOL
SMALLPOX LETTERS FOR GUITEAU,
LATEST TELEGRAPHIC NEWS

eA"-NsNiS en- ChhiS itAHCT EXPLAINS.
LATEST TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.
House of Representatives this After
noon.
In the House of Representatives to-day, after
the report in the first edition OF THE STAR closed,
the proceedings were as follows:
Mr.. Rice (Mass.), from the committee on foreign
affairs, reported joint resolution requesting the
PRESIDENT to give notice to Great Britain Of the
termination OF certain provisions of the treaty Of
washington relative to the fisheries. Same order.
On motion OF Mr.. Peelle (and by unanimous con-
sent the House proceeded to the consideration of a
bill reported from the post office committee author
postmasters for losses or stamps, money order
funds by burglary, fire or other unavoidable CASH.
atty. No allowance beyond $4,000 is to be made
without report to and action by Congress; nor is
the law to apply to losses that accrued more than
SIX years ago. The Postmaster General is also
required to report to Congress annually such al
lOwances.
Mr.. Hubbell moved to strike out the six years
limitation, and stated that there were very many
simple claims OF this character pending in Con-
grsss longer than that time:
Mr. Springer argued against removing the limi-
Mr.. Robinson Cdass) suggested that the bill
should be made to include bills now pending be-
After much noise and CONFUSION the bill mot
belng prlnted) was postponed until Wednesday
next
= The House then, at O'Clock. went into commit
tee OF the whole (Mr. Cakins in the chair ON the
post Office appropriation bill
The question was on the item Of s., 900 ,0G0 for
letter carriers, and on the various amendments
pending thereto. Finally 1T was adopted in this
shape lunder amendments offered 10y Mr. Bling
ham n. and Mr. Cannon, of illinois,: For payment
TO letter carriers and the incident expenses of the
free delivery system, s. 900 CO0-slOO coo Of which
may be used for the establishments OF the free de-
livery system where it is not now established.
Capitol Notes.
The House committee on rules to-day agreed to
report to the House a resolution to increase the
powers and membership of the committee on levees
and the Improvement OF the Mississippi river the
increased membership to come from states north
Of the Ohio river.
The House committee on naval affairs visited the
navy yard this morning to witness some expert
mentS in iron and steel.
The Senate committee on civil service reform to-
day listened to an argument by Dorman B. Eaton
The subcommittee of the House elections COM
mttee on the contested case of A. a. Mabsen, re-
Alabama district, held meeting this morning.
The report will be made on Tuesday next. 1t de-
ciares IN favor OF the sitting member and disnisSes
the contest.
The House committee On civil service reform
had under consideration at their meeting today
the question OF establishing another department.
or government, embracing agriculture and prob
ably commerce and manufactures. The sentiment
OF the committee was decidedly favorable
to the proposition: Also, the question of en-
SO as to relieve Congress from the consideration OF
sem-Judical matters, now belonging to several
committees on Claims war claims and pensions,
and have Invited the judges of said court to confer
With them.
THE PENNSYLVANIA WAR CLAIMS.
Three commissioners representing the state Of
Pennsylvania (Messrs. Mahon, Mead and Cook) at
tended by Mr.. Stenger, counsel, appeared be-
fore the House committee on war claims to-day
and made argument on the subject of the claims
OF citizens Of Pennsylvania for losses sustained
from Union troops and for horses and stores sup
Piled to them about the time OF the battle OF Ante
tam and during subsequent incrusons of the rebels
The amount OF tie claims now asked is about a
quarter or million dollars, and the delegation
maintained that to take new evidence in the case
would require greater expenditure than the
claims themselves amount to, rs some Of the Wit
nesses reside in distant parts OF the country.
Smallpox Letters for Ssu;teau.
While STAR reporter was at the jail this after
noon, Deputy Warden Russ was opening Guteau's
mail in the Office All On sudden the officials
scattered in every direction The cause Of the ex-
element was the opening OF a letter from Mari
eta, Illinois, which contained the following mes
sage: Here send you some smallpox. 1t is worse
than the sentence OF Judge Cox. Rub yourself
with the scab, and twill surely stap your cab"
In the center or the sheet was pasted something
that looked like little black water. Mr.. Russ at
once scratched match and burned the letter.
81 don't know" he said, ''but people think these
letters go right to Guiteau His letters have to
pass through the inspection of officers. and if
IiieIe II any Siiiaii-poA virus IN them, IL might
spread through the whole jail"
The prisoners mail will hereafter be handled
very carefully. Mr.. ScOville says he has received
three such letters, and has asked the Postmaster
General to have his letters examined and lumi-
gated. Mr. Scoville, upon the receipt OF the first
letter, had himself Vaccinated.
GUITEAU vACCINATED.
Guiteau, when he heard about Mr.. Scoville's let
ters, was very anxious to be yacctnated. So the
operation was successfully performed on his arm
yesterday.
After the letter from Illinois was opened four
more letters said to contain smallpox scabs were
found In the aSSassinS mail at Jail. There was one
from Center Falls Iowa, one from st. Louis one
from Chicago and one from Los AlamOS. n NJ The
letters were all anonymous One letter. supposed
to be infected was received yesterday from Steu-
ben county, NY.
The Fight Over the Atlanta Revenue
COllectOrship.
There is fight, of some magnitude, over the Office