The Portland daily press., 1883-10-06

| WASHINGTON, Oct 5-The New Orleans ~ a
| tional Bank, through its counsel Mr.. Inomp-
son, to-day instituted a suit for 500 O00 10 the
| District Court, against the Postmaster GsLer
on account of the latter's order of Sept. ~ D,
| forbidding the delivery to the bank OF regis
| tered letters and payment of money orders py
reason of its relation with a lottery company
Cutting Down Expenses.
Secretary Folger has ordered a number OF
discharges and changes in the Supervising Ar
chitect's office. Three draughtsmen and two
male clerks were dismissed. Two female
clerks were transferred to other bureaus in the
department, and the pay of all employees in the
modelling room was reduced from IS to S4 30
per day. This makes a saving of $500 a
month. The appropriation for the current fs-
cal year is $1,000 less than it was last year.
10 bring the expenditures within the appropri-
alton, number of employees will be furiough-
ed for various periods
A Further Plan for Cheap Postage.
Among the various suggestions which the
Postmaster General has, in connection with
his annual report, is the subject of increasing
the limit of weight on letter postage Mr..
Davis, acting third assistant, thinks that if
any letter weighing less than an ounce ia CAR
ried for one rate of postage, the reduction in
revenues in consequence will be balanced by
the increased use of the mails. He said that
there are many cases 10 which it is a hardship
TO exact double postage on letter which in
one post office may turn the scale at half an
ounce, and in another office may not balance.
Again there are times when letter upon
which one rate only is necessary when mailed
absorbs moisture on the route, and upon arrlv-
ing at its destination an additional rate Is ex-
acted. AS the bulk of all letters weigh less
than half an ounce, it is believed that the in
creased limit would not materially affect the
revenues.
The Commerce of the Country.
The total value of the imports of merchan-
ifrrir fku lad
was 1906, 704 ,564, and for the previous twelve
months S749 00o, ,9l3; decrease for this year
of $35 204, ,9l3. The total value OF the exports
of merchandise during the twelve months
ended Aug. 81, was $S20,710,9l9, and of the
twelve months ended Aug. 81, 1882, S737, ,325
758, an increase this year of $83, 1856 151 Ex-
cess of exports over imports of merchandise
for August 1884, ,S43, two months ending
Aug. 81 1888, excess of imports S943 $40;
eight months ended Ang. 81, 1888, excess OF
exports $45, ,130 ,409; twelve months ended
aug. 81, 1883, excess of exports, $113, 3,906,555.
Civil Service Regulation.
The heads of departmeni 80 will hereafter be
supplied with the apportionment lists of per-
sons eligible to appointment from the several
States and Territories by the Civil Service
Commissioners in advance OF the certi6cation
of names SO that when csrtfcation is made
the head of department will not be troubled
to determine whether or not the quota OF the
State or Territory has been filled before MAX
ing the appointment.
Alabama Claims.
In the Court OF Comm issioDers OF Alabama
Claims. judgments were announced to-day as
follows:
No. l--George J. Appold and Samuel APP
pold, under the name of Appold & Son, ST.
383.26, with interest at 4 per cent, from Feb.
u, 1864.
No. S65-William Keyser ct al, under the
name of Keyser Bros. & Co., $162 80, with in-
terest at ner cent, from March 4, 1865.
No. 20 John Fitzgerald, $327.4O, with in
terest at per cent. from July 6, 1868.
No. 419.-Chsres Brown, 1897 80, with in
terest at per cent. from May 13, 1868.
No. 1,989.-Frederick S. Dyer, $412.50, with
interest at per cent from Aug. 16, 1864
miscellaneous.
A circular has been issued from the Treasury
to collectors of customs, informing them that
the provisional rates of draw back OF duties al
lowed by the departments order of June 8,
1888, on expectation of sugar and syrup refiLed
wholly from imported materials, will be con-
tinued in force until Jan, 1, 1884.