Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-30
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
A VERY QUIET DAY IN THE SEN
ATE

Entries on Coal Lands-FOreman Dick
sons Case-The Star Route TriaI-The
Jeannette Court of Inquiry-De Longs
record of His Voyage in the Arctic
Seas.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.-In the
senate on motion of Mr.. Hoar, the
Dill to provide for the performance of
the duties Of President of the United
states in case ofthe inability or removal
by death or otherwise of the President or
Vice President, was taken up.
The succession bill was discussed until
40 p. m, when the unfinished business,
the bill for the relief of FitzJohn Porter.
was taken up, and Mr.. Logan addressed
the Senate.
AT O'Clock, not having concluded his
speech, Mr.. Logan yielded to a motion for
an executive session, and when the doors
were reopened, at 4:10 p. m, the Senate
adjourned until Tuesday.
THE JEANETTE INQUIRY.
The yeannette Board of Inquiry has
been chiefly engaged during the past three
or four days in the examination and con-
slderation of the official record or report
written by Captain DeLOng at intervals
Jeannette's Imprisonment in the pack ice
and found beside his dead body on the Lena
Delta. tits a closely written foOlscap roll of
manuscript containing 102 pages, or per-
haps 100000 words. 1t is addressed to the
Secretary of the Navy. and covers the his
tory Of the Jeannette's cruise and drift
from the time of her departure from San
Francisco in July, 1879, to the 1st of Jan
uary, 1881. The paper bears marks of eX-
Il.
evidently been soaked in water.
but the ink has not perceptibly faded and
the writing Is perfectly legible. The re-
port deals with the history, which is
already familiar to all readers, but ii de-
rIVes peculiar interest from the fact that
it contains the first authoritative
expression which has been given
TO the public of the views and
plans of De Long himself with regard
to the conduct and management of the
expedition. None of his officers, so far as
appear from their testimony, knew at the
time the Jeanette entered the pack
southeast Of Wrangell Land exactly what
their commander intended or hoped to do.
THE STAR ROUTE TRIAL.
In the star route trial, after argument
on the question of the admissibilitV of the
petition offered by the prosecution asking
for an increase of service on the Kearnev-
Kent route, and alleged to have been
forged, the petition was admitted. 1t was
used in the former trial. Charles II.
French, who testified i'm the former trial.
was put on the stand and repeated his
testimony before given. The defense OBJ
jected at every step OF the testimony. and
secured numerous exceptions. The court
then adjourned until Tuesday.
ENTRY on COAL LANDS.
In an Alabama case the Commissioner
Of the General Land Office has decided
that where homestead and pre-emption
entries are unlawfully made on coal lands
and are contested by any person, the con-
testant is allowed preference right for
thirty days after the cancellation of the
Illegal entry in which to make entry of
the same lands under the coal land laws.
FOREMAN DECISIONS CASE.
In the Dickson jury bribery trial the
last two days have been occupied in hear
ing witnesses for the defense i'm the direc-
tiOn of establishing a bad character for
Bowen and a good one for Dickson, and
to impeaching the character generally of
the witnesses for the prosecution. The
trial will be resumed tomorrow.