The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-12-22
WASHINGTON NOTES.

The house committee on education has de-
G1ded to report favOrably bill appropriate
ing $40. OO0,O0 annually, for five years, to
aid the public schools.
The commissioner of railroads reports
that at the end Of June last the Union Paci-
fc company owed the government SOS, go :
ed-to the amount Of So, lac, S13.
A citizen of Nebraska purchased from the
limits on the grant to iiS Busiinsto1
and Missouri River road, and received his
patent The railway had previously filed
at Washington map Of its location, which
the supreme court holds was all that was
necessary, and man who purchased the
held to be the rightful owner. r-r rvg~s
Among the nominations sentt to the senate
"Wednesday were those OF j. G. Bancroft
Davis to be judge of the court of claims |;
Rev. Charles e. Pierce, of Illinois, to be
chaplain of the 9th cavalry, and Charles II.
Chamberiain TO be receiver OF public mon.
eys at San Francisco. It's ,rumored that
the president will be asked TO state the
causes for the removal of Marshal Henry.
Rnmors are floating about Washington
that within sixty days Secretary Lincoln
will be appointed minister to England, Gen.
Harsranft be made secretary of war, and
Attorney General Brewster be given JUS
tice Bradley's seat on the supreme bench
A stalwart republican from the west has
been selected for attorney general. The
presence of Simon Cameron at the national
capital has given rise to these predic lions,
as he Is planning to recover Pennsylvania
from the democrats. t
POSTAL STATISTICS. M
Mr.. Bingham, In report TO the house
urging the reduction of letter postage to
two cents, gives statistics as far back as
a. &C., IAkA
six cents for distance Of 80 miles, and Is
cents for $50 miles. There Is also careful
estimate based on the history of the reduc-
ton i'm the past, which sustains tn theory
Of the report, that the stimulus to letter
writing which would naturally be caused
estimated loss the first year, which mot
counting such an increase of letters) would
only reach So, 900, 900. The entire loss, the
report assumes, could be Offset by fair al
lowance for carrying the mail matter of the
government. II Is also estimated that
should the reduction not take effect until
Jan. L, 1884, as provided In the amended
Anderson bill, the surplus of the first half
of that financial year would balance the loss
of the last half, and there would be ample
of government stamped three cent .envel-
opes. The surplus OF the postofiice depart
ment In 1892 will be fully doubled, it Is be-
lieved. In 1883. IL Is suggested that when
the loss experienced by this reduction shall
be fully made up, and when there shall
again be surplus, reduction of postage on
drop letters should be made.
THE RIVER AND HARBoR BILL.
The first meeting Of the house committee
on commerce was 9 mournful affair. In
fact It was sort of indignation meeting, at
which the members expressed themselves
pretty freely about the abuse their river
and harb0r bill had received on the stump
and by the press and its overwhelming con-
cemnation at the polls. The members
talked over the situation and pOndered
what they should do about 1t. Among
their grievances was the slight put upon
them by the administration in neglecting to
send to congress the usual estimates OF
what moneys will be necessary to carry on
works of internal Improvement during the
next fiscal year. Some, III not all, regarded
this as q studied effort to prevent the COM
mittee from preparing q river and harbor
bill this session, so they resolved to call
upon the secretary OF war to forward the
estimate as required by the statutes, and
that they would decide for themselves after
they get the estimates whether they should
prepare another Of their omnibus bills. The
formal resolution agreed upon simply calls
for the annual estimates required by law.
This resolution will be reported to the
house at the proper time, and then there
may be lively opening of the discussion
as to whether river and harbor bill shall
be framed this season.
CIvIIs-sERviCE REFORM.
Dormsn V. Eaton and Orlando u. Potter.