The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-01-16
WASHINGTON.
The District commIssionership.


WASHINGTON, Jan. 10. "A delegation Of citi
zens OF the District, including III. w. Garrett,
N. W. Burchell, A. S. Pratt, W. Moses
hutchinson Dingnann and Bender called at
the White House today and presented the
name OF q. @. Duncanson as commissioner of
the District Of Columbia, in place of Olmstead, +,
Withdrawn.
The Star Route Cases.
In the star route case today, at the sugges-
ton OF the court, Mr.. Merrick read to the
jury those portions of the Indictment relating
TO each route. After some passages between
Merrick and Ingersoll, Anthony Joseph, post
master at Oio Caliente N. M, was placed up
on the witness stand and identified a number
of letters received by him from S. W. Dorsey
and others.
The Jury Bribery Case.
Gov. H. H. Wells, special prosecutor for the
government in the star route Jury bribery
cases, this morning sent before the grand
jury the cases of Frederick A. Shaw and VIM.
Dickson, and witnesses have been summoned
to testify in each case.
Decision Against the Government.
The United States Court of Claims rem
dered decision in favor of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company for $85 1888, in its suit
against the government under its contract for
carrying the United States mails on the China
line number Of years ago.
The Jeannette Inquiry.
The Jeanette board of inquiry met this
morning and Chief Engineer Melville was re-
called to identity certain documents to be in
troduced as evidence. These included the
journal, letter of the late jerome Collins,
and two letters of Delong relating to the De
Long-Collins difficulty. Melville testified in
addition that he was ignorant of the fact that
the bodies which had been buried near Matver
were disinterred by jackson and Larson until
he read of it in the published accounts of the
testimony of Noros.
Congressman Seriously III.
Representative John W. Shackelford Of
North Carolina is seriously i'll in this city and
fatal results are feared.
The Tariff Bill.
The metal schedule as reported by the Sem
ate finance committee in their tariff bill has
provoked so much criticism from various in
terests affected by it that today. by order of
the committee, a telegram was sent to Mr.. Oh
iver, member of the Tariff Commission, who
was specially entrusted with the preparation
OF this schedule to come on to Washington at
once and confer with the committee in rela-
ton to it.
Gen. Sherman and the P residency.
Gen. Sherman wrote on the Sth inst. to an
inquiry Of some person as follows: "Please
don't ask me to write sany more on the subject
OF the Presidency. 1t gives me twinge of
pain every time see my name in print on any
subject other than my pure official work.
am not, nor never Will De, candidate Tor any
office, and think can look ahead with some
composure to passing the evening of my life in
comparative ease and repose at st. Louis, Mo.
Surely in this land of freedom, that much can
be conceded to an old soldier
Nebraska Not to Have Another Repre-
sentative at Present.
The judicial committee of the House will at
its next meeting agree upon report in refer
ence to the case of one Major, who, it will be
remembered, was elected in Nebraska as
Representative to Congress contingent upon
an increase of the population. The census
showed the necessary increase, and Major ar
piled for seat. His application was favora-
bly, reported on, but question of fraud in the
census having been discovered the matter was
referred to the District committee for invest-
cation. This committee will report that tho
allegation Of fraud is sustained In view of
this the application will undoubtedly be re-
jecteu when il is brought before the House.
Four Navy Yards to be Closed
The Post understands that the Secretary OF
the Navy has decided to close four navy yards
on the 31st of March. 1t is not yet finally de-
termined which of the northern yards will be
kept in operation, but it is settled that the
Washington and Mare Island yards and one
north and one south of the Potomac will not
be closed.