The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-05-18

DuSlItSS.
President Arthur has approved the rules
prepared by the ciyil-serylce commission for
the examination of candidates for positions
under the government, having made num-
Der OF changes In them, none of which are
OF radical character.
The Patent Office has prepared five large
volumes containing lists of all the patents
ever issued in this country on the subject Of
fish and fisheries, which will be forwarded
to Professor Baird, at London and will form
part of the United States exhibit at the
coming London fish exhibition.
Lieutenant Colonel Guido Ilges, eigh-
teenth infantry, who rendered his resigna-
tiOn to take effect January /, 1884, has been
notified that unless he desires his resigna-
ton to take effect at once court-martial
Will be convened to try him upon the charge
of duplicating his pay accounts.
An attachment taken by the government
upon property of Captain Howgate, the en-
bezzling officer of the signal service, has
been adjudged void because of the negli-
gence of the government attorneys in fail
ing to have the attachment recorded.
The amount of business transacted by
the pension bureau Is enormous. Its month.
ly mail Is as large as that of city of twen-
ty thousand inhabitants. During March
there were received about 150, 00J pieces of
mail matter, and there were sent over l30,.
0OO-nOt all the communications requiring
acknowledgment
The War Department has not as yet re.
ceived from General Crook reply to the
the telegram sent him by General Sherman
on the 18th ult., nor has any official inform
alton been received in regard to his having
crossed into Mexico. The press reports that
he had passed the boundary line before the
cautonary telegram could have reached
him, are, however, fully credited at the de-
partment.
The millers on Monday won two notable
victories in the United States supreme
court, the Deuchfeld and Downton patent
suits having been decided in favor of the
defendants. The royalty to be recovered
under the Deuchlield patent for cooling and
drying meal amounted to $1,000, 600, while
the DOwntOn patent for manufacturing mid
ding flour was estimated to be worth 49,
100000.
The department of state has advices from,
United States consuls in Ireland that nC
exceptional distress exists in that cOuutw,
although in many agricultural districts the
peasantry are in state OF abjeet poverty,
which has come to be regarded as theii
normal condition. The consus report
that they have no knowledge of plans for
the deportation of paupers to the United
States.
Paymaster Wasson, of the United States
army, who claimed to have been robbed of
s24, 900 on railway train near Fort Worth,
Texas, has confessed that he was not rob
bed; but there being deficiency of $500
in his accounts, he abstracted SIS, 200 more,
the hiding place of which he has reveal.
ed to his superior officers. His bondsmen
will make good the embezzlement of So,
500.
Fifteen more desks have been crowded
into the hall of tine house of representatives
which leaves but little space for members
to gather in knots and gossip, and for the
members of the third house, who mysteri.
ously, gain the privileges of the floor to as
semble. Until few years ago ladies and
anybody whom the members chose to ask
could be invited upon the floor of the house;
but the use grew into such an abuse that ii
had to be broken up.
Governor Butler has written letter to
Mr.. Folger, secretary of the treasury, ask.
ing that steps be taken to prevent the land
ing of Irish paupers (or assisted emf
grants'O at Boston. Mr. Folgerreplies that
the governors communication has been
sent over to the state department, and that
the matter complained of was brought to
the notice of the secretary of the treasury
by letter from the collector of the port of
Boston under date of April 20.
There was full attendance at the cabi-
net meeting on Friday and the cOnsidera-
ton of the civil service rules, as changed at
the last meeting, occupied the time of the
President and Cabinet until nearly o.
clock. While the consideration of the rules
by the President and Cabinet is said to be
practically ended, still they may be the
subject of another Cabinet discussion, but
will very probably be promulgated by the
President within the next few days.
j. Edwin Sherman, metallurgist, of Bos-
ton, has just concluded here series of ex-
periments upon new metal, recently dis
covered by him, with aview to ascertaining
its fitness, as compared with other metals,
for telegraph wire. The experiments, it is
said, show that wire made Of this metal has
great tenacity, does not rust, and is superior
in point of conductivity to any wire now
used for electrical purposes. Metal, which
has nearly the specific gravity and some
what the appearance of silver, can be pro-
duced, it is said, at a cost of five cents
pound.
General Crook, in a telegram to army
headquarters, promises to observe the treaty
stipulations with Mexico, but intimates that
he has assurances from the state govern
mentS of Sonora and chihuahua that should
his troops cross the border in pursuit of the
hostile Apaches, such action will not be re-
garded as violation of the treaty. Advices
from the border state that General Crook
crossed the frontier with his command on
April 26, leaving guards with orders to per-
nit no one bearing orders for him to follow.
The Indians are forty miles from Guada-
lonpe, in the Sierra Madre, where 1t will be
difficult to reach them.
Itseems to be the fate of the freedman's
institutions here to get into constant trout
BILE. This time it is the Freedman's Hos
ptal 1t is charged at the Treasury De-
partment that the managers Of the institu-
ton have been taking money appropriated
by Congress for clothing and using 1t for
personal services have been illegally in
creased, and clothing provided for by law
necessarily not procured. The frauds have
been discovered, and Comptroller Lawrence
says he will not pass the accounts of the
dsbursing officer. 1t is expected that an
other investigation and more scandal will
follow.
Colonel Bliss closed his argument in the
star-route conspiracy case at Washington
Tuesday, having spoken seven days. A
communication from brewster, attorney
general" to Mr.. Merrick, of counsel for the
government, was read, claiming for the
government the right to those closing argu-
ments, one of which he himself purposed
making; but in case the court should decide
that there should be but one closing argu-
ment, Mr.. Brewster said he would leave the
closing to Mr.. Merrick. The court stated
that the invariable custom had been to al
low the government but one closing argu-
ment, and there was no reason why an ex-
ception should be made in this case. There