Morning journal and courier., 1883-02-09
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

Mill Hands in New England-Enervatinx Effect of Their Present Cfreunastancss-- Am Interesting Day With n Representa- 1 tive of Labor-stray Notes From she l Capital.
 | WAsHNGToN Feb. S-Frederick K. Foster
 secretary of the Massachusetts federation of l trade and labor unions, was before the Senate Committee on Education and Labor this
 morning He said that the assumed worship of God had ceased to level all distinction
 among men in New England. At least he
 thought the mill operatives as class were in
 worse condition than other classes. Among
 them the hours of labor are sixty a week,
 while in England fifty six only are required
 and there is no difference in wages. The condition of life among the operatives of
 New England is such as will surely produce
 in the future an enfeebled race of men and
 women and such has already been developed
 in England. Massachusetts operatives are
 better of than those in other New England States ten hours daily labor is required there. The average wages in Massachusetts have increased.6.9 g per cent. since 1878, while the average increase in cost for all necessities of life during the same period has been 21.2. MT. Foster's testimony will be continued to- morrow morning.
 General Hazen, chief signal officer of the army, stated to the press this evening that the speech of Congressman Beltzhoover printed in to-day's Record antagonizing the ! weather service and urging it's transfer to the 1 Interior department was rehash of certain I scurrilous newspaper articles and that the | speech was prepared for Beltzhoover by dis | charged employees of the service.
 Treasurer Gilfllan said this morning that | ''consciencesc contributions are becoming cpl l denic'' Among the amounts received to- | day from conscience stricken persons were | $1OO note from Philadelphia with an enclosed inscription Owed to the government" | and $1O received by Acting Secretary | French in an envelope postmarked New York l city.
 Prof. Wiggins, the astronomer who pre-. diets that to morrow and March Il next will | witness the most severe storms ever known, | and which will sweep over this continent | shaking the earth from pole to pole has | asked the Navy department to call in all | United States vessels from the sea in order | that they may partially escape the wrath of | the furious elements.
 The President sent to the House to day | communication from the Secretary of the h. terior setting forth the necessity of stringent 1 measures for the repression of the rapidly l evasions and violations of the laws relating to public lands and of special ap- for the purpose both in the cur rent and next fiscal years.
 The special committee of the House on the of the Mississippi will probably report next Saturday. The report it is said will favor the jetty system and be against levees and will recommend that the work be confined to the Plum Point and Providence reaches.
 The House Patents committee will draft 8 bill making the date of foreign patents run seventeen years instead of sixteen years as now.
 Mr Ingalls,, chairman of the Senate Dis trict committee says that the statement pub Iished this morning that the conference be- tween the District commissioners and the Senate committee had resulted in 8 bill to lions of the railroad depots of Washington and the construction of a union depot is altogether premature, that the Senate com mittee has reached no conclusion and has further problems connected with the propo- sition to consider.
 The sixty third anniversary of the birthday of General Sherman was celebrated here to- night at a private dinner given by District Attorney George B. Corkhi1l. Twenty per sonal friends of the general were present, among them Attorney General Brewster, Chief Justice Waite, Justice Matthews Sena-
  General Phil Sheridan.
 Through the acting Secretary of the Treasury to day letter from the commis- sioner of internal revenue. giving reasons for an early amendment to section 3,2S9 of the revised statutes, was transmitted to the House of Representatives. The amendment is as follows: That section 3,289 be amended by adding the following s'And any package of distilled spirits shall be for feited to.the United States if such spirits shall be found to differ in proof from the proof indicated by the marks and stamps thereon, unless such differences shall be oc- casioned by lapse of time, the conditions Rnder which the spirits have been stored or kept or by other natural causes" The letter urges that action be had before the end of the present session of Congress.
 The President this afternoon transmitted to the House of Representatives a report from the Secretary of the Interior upon the Cherokee Indian matters. The report con- sains recommendation from Special Agent Q. c. Clements for an appropriation of S421, ,653 69, with interest, the amount found due the old settler or eastern Cherokee h. lians, aud that it be paid in the manner they suggest, which is per capita.
 To day was occupied in the Star route trial n hearing evidence on the route from Sioux Falls to Nermillion, Dakota.
 Secretary Teller has written letter to Governor Sherman, of Iowa. calling attention ~ oy patent to the State of Iowa on account of he Sioux City and St. Paul railroad is in excess of the amount to which the State is entitled. He asks the Governor to call the attention of the State Legislature to the mat ,er and intimakes that unless the State makes restitution it will become the duty of the de partment to recommend 8 resort to legal to compel restitution of the lands to the government