Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-03-18
WASHINGTON.
Postofhce Appropriations Dis
cussed in the Senate.
The Republican congressman
Hold a Caucus.
Withdrawal Of Counsel In the
Star Route Cases.
Hasty Action in the Case OF
Sergeant Mason.

| Sergeant Mason.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 16.-
A bill amendatory to the post-offce
appropriation bill, was reported in
the Senate, to-day, authorizing the
PostmastereGeneral to contract for
the ocean mail service upon steam
ship ps of American build and owner.
ship,and provides for the expenditure
of two and half million dollars an
nually for purposes named in the
bill. Two>f tbs of this sum is to be
expended for the service from
Baltimore and Southern At
lantic and Gulf ports.
The House ways and means com
mittee to-day did not call upon it's
sub committee for the report agreed
upon yesterday and mentioned in
last nights dispatches declaring in
favor of general reduction in the
internal revenue taxes. Chairman
Kelly, in conversation, said the action
of the Republican caucus last night
had had the effect of modifying the
views of some members who have
hitherto advocated heavy reductions.
The tobacco manufacturers con>
vention to.day discussed the follow
ing
Resolved, That the action of the
Republican caucus representing The
majority in Congress declaring a re-
duction of the tax on manufactured
tobacco unwise and inexpedient,
settles agitation, and, in the opinion
of the national tobacco association
it cannot again be revived for two
years.
After some debate it was referred
back to the committee as matter of
caution, lest it should be premature,
and the expression from the Repub,
hcan caucus should not prove con-
elusive.
The President sent the following
nominations to the Senate to-day:
Henry P. Farrow, collector of Gus,
toms for the district of Brunswick,
Georgia; Lewis NJ. Peasants, collec-
tor of internal revenue for the 3rd
district of Georgia.
The Senate confirmed John B.
Weaver, of North Carolina, consul at
Bahia.
The Senate in executive session
this afternoon unanimously ratified
declaration submitted to it by
President Arthur on the Sd inst.
That the United States accede to
the Geneva Conventions of August,
%, 1864 and October 20, 1868, 'Efor
the amelioration of the wounded of
the armies in the field" commonly
known as the ''Red Cross treaties"
A. M. Gibson has formerly with,
withdrawn from all connection with
the Star Route cases, the duties for
which he was specially employed
having been completed. Col w. A.
Cook, special counsel for the Gov-
ernment IN these cases, will also
withdraw in a few days for stated
reason that he is not exactly satisfied
with Col. Bliss method of prosecu-
ton.
Register Bruce has received infor-
nation from friends in Mississippi,
that although the Government is
furnishing assistance as much as pos
sible, it does not meet the needs
The great difficulty is to obtain small
boats to explore the interior of the
country, where the populace is cut
off entirely by the floods.
At the time Sergeant Mason's coun-
sci, Mr.. Bigelow, was before the Dis
trict Supreme Court yesterday, with
application for a habeas corpus, Ma>
son was on his way to the Albany
penitentiary, but this was not known
at the courthouse. His counsel
visited the barracks in the forenoon,
with notary, and took Mason's
signature to the necessary pa
pers. Immediately after their de-
parture Mason was started on his
journey. This hasty action has
created considerable feeling, and it
is claimed that it was taken to avoid
the service of babeas corpus papers.
MIR. Bigelow is moving actively, and
has interviwed the Secretary of War,
who promises to look into the mat
ter. Mason arrived at the peniten
tiary to-day, The Baltimore Ameri-
can has started a five cent snbscrip.
tion for the benefit of Mason's
family, which is meeting with a
liberal. response.
Every day word is received of adj
ditional deaths from exposure and
starvation.
The tobacco convention, at meet
ing this evening, adopted a resolu~
ton referring to the action of the
Republican caucus which was laid
over at its previous session.
WASHINGTON, d. c., March II.
Representative Black is a little inn
proved to-day.
The. Secretary of War has instruct
ed the Commissary- General to issue
$4,000 additional rations to General
Mangum, at Memphis, for the relief
OF the destitute people in the over
flowed districts of Arkansas, and
25,OOO to MIR. Hemingway, commis>
sloner for the State of Mississippi, |
at Memphis. About $4,000 rations |
only can be supplied for future use,
under the original appropriation, |
but Congress is expected to make an |
appropriation for the distribution of |
additional sunnl;as