The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-01-15
WASHINGTON.
Bills Before thesPresident.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13-The President ha.
approved the act to provide for extra work in
the government printing office in case of emer-
gency, and the act relating to expectations OF
tobacco, snuff and cigars in bond free of tax,
to adjacent foreign territory. The President
has not as yet finally considered the civil SER
vice bill. 1t will be acted upon early next
week. There is no doubt but that it will be
approved.
The Tariff.
The ways and means scommittee completed
today the revision of the tariff bill proper,
making no important changes. Most Of the
work done consisted of changing the phrase
ology, and in some instances making the duty
specific instead of ad yalorem, without really
changing the rate. The bill will be once more
looked over by the committee, and then re-
ported at the earliest opportunity to the
House.
Excluded from the Mails.
The Postmaster General has declared the
following named concerns to be fraudulent,
and has excluded their correspondence from
p1e mails: NJ. j. Carlisle & Co. Of Brooklyn,
y: X; Chase & Co, New Haven, Ct; 81. T.
Williams & Co., Boston and Newton, Mass
also Magnetic Watch Co. of New ton, and Cot
tage Library, Ashland Mass.
Happy Iron Manufacturers.
The iron and steel men are happy once more.
They have assurances that the Senate finance
committee will, on Monday next, put back the
lority OF the committee will support this rate
IN the Senate. They are assured that other
iron and steel products will receive due con-
sderation.
The Gaslight Investigation.
The committee appointed to investigate the
charges against Chief CLERK John Bailey and
the Washington Gaslight Co. has organized by
electing Mr.. Cromley chairman. Notices have
been sent to Messrs. Murch, Klotz and Borgs-
well to appear before the committee at 10
O'Clock on Monday and tell what they know.
Mr.. Bailey has been notified to appear in per-
son or by counsel.
~ Frivolous Demurrer.
In the criminal court today the judge over
ruled the demurrer in the case of b. f. Hick-
man and Benry Reed, indicted for publishing
libellous article on Hon. Alonzo Bell, ex-as-
sstant Secretary of the interior, in the Sun
day Chronicle some months since. The court
held that the demurrer was frivolous, and
gave the defendants two days to plead over.
Various Matters.
The Treasury Department was closed today
ont Of respect to the memory of ex-Secretary
Morrill,.
Nomination Withdrawn.
The nomination of J. f. Olmstead to be
Commissioner of the District of Columbia has
been Withdrawn from the Senate by the Presi-
dent.
An Address to the Tobacco Association.
Yesterday the National Tobacco Association
adopted the following address to sthe tobacco
trade and then adjourned sine die:
To the Tobacco Trade of the United States
The Convention of the National Tobacco As
sociation, after careful investigation of the
subject, affirm their belief that If the tax on
tobacco, snuff and cigars be reduced at this
session of Congress, under no possible circum-
stances can change in the rate take effect be-
fore May 1.
They also believe that the prospect for re-
bate Is exceedingly favorabls and will certainly
be accomplished if dealers will represent to
their respective members OF Congress its vital
Importance to them. (Signed)
GEORGE w. HELME, President.
b. LIEDERsDoRF, Secretary pro tenn.
The Sugar Tariff.
The Louisiana sugar men went home tc-jay
satisfied that either no tariff bill wonld be
passed at this session or that, if passed, it
would contain the tariff commission recem-
dation as to sugar duties. They combined
with the eastern sugar refiners against the
eastern sugar importers.
The Mississippi River.
The special commission on the improvement
OF the Mississippi river met last night. Judge
II. 5. Taylor of Indiana, one of the civilian
members Of the commission, was examined.
HIS testimony took the form of a legal sum-
ming al OF the evidence given before the COM
mittee by members of the commission. He be
lleved the work would be success and would
cost $2S 900. Additional plants would be
needed, which would increase this amount
somewhat, but he did not believe the entire
cost would exceed $33 900, the amount
which the commission estimated in the second
report. Judge Taylor did not present any
facts regarding the river hitherto unpublished
and at the conclusion of his testimony the
committee adjourned. There was no meeting
of the committee this morning. Mai. Suter
will be recalled at the next meeting.
Plea for Western Union.
President Norvin Green appeared before the
House judiciary committee today, and, in op-
posing the bill introduced by Mr. joyce to
regulate telegraph and cable companies, made
several statements tending to show that the
Western Union Telegraph Co. enjoyed no
privileges that could not be enjoyed by other
companies, and that in the main the rates
charged are more reasonable than those in any
other country, beside which there was greater
speed than in Europe. Mr.. Green went into
the matter in detail at great length.
Alabama Claims.
Today is the lasG day for filing claims in the
re-estabished Court of Commissioners of Ala
bama Claims. The total number of claims
filed to date is between 5000 and 5000. The
Court will reconvene on Wednesday next and
the government counsel will be prepared to go
on with any case that may be presented.
Funeral of Clark Mills, the Sculptor.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 14.-The funeral of the
late Olark Mills look place at All Souls (Un1-
tarian) church this afternoon Dr. Shippen
pastor, assisted by pastor Greene of one Of the
city Baptist churches, conducted the ceremon-
les. The burial was at Glenwood Cemetery.
Many people attended
National Republican Committee.
1t is expected that about thirty membs rs of
the National Republican Committee will be
present at the meeting to be held here We'd
nesday to settle the question of representation
on the district plan in accordance with the
resolution of the National Convention of $780,
Several elaborate methods will be laid before
the committee. The time and place for hold
ing the next nominating convention will proba-
bly, not be fixed at this meeting as one or more
will be held before the call. The matter of
proxies was mentioned topight'to prominent
member of the committee and he said he be-
lieved there was a rule that the holder Of
proxies must hail from the state for which it
is given. These will be enforced as far as
practicable. In the case of territories it will
mot ha iurietod r1pou