Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1883-01-19
The Lobby Vigorously Work
ing for Hig her Duties
On Steel.
Tho Nat Ional Board Of Trade Din
ing ard Wining With Con-
gressmou.
Progress OF Work on the New M. xA-
can Treaty.
CAPITAL NOTES.
Special Dispatch to Tns ,xx.

IMPORTANT LAND DECISION.
WASHINGTON, January 1S The Sec
retary If the interior has received
question of much Importance tosetlers
on lands within the limits of railroad
grants, where settlements have been
made after the withdrawal of the lands
and before the date of definite location
of the line of the road. The secretary
holds such Withdrawals imperative
against settlers, and that settlers
are protected by the statute up to
the time the line tf the road Is fixed.
1t appears preliminary Withdrawals
have generally been made in years past
for the benefit of land grant railroads
before the definite location of the
roads, and that settlement rights had
been excluded ftom the withdrawal tf
the lands. Large amounts Of land
have been Withdrawn for the North.
ern Pacific, Southern Pacific, Atlantic
q Pacific, Texas & Pacific and New
Orleans q Pacific roads. Secretary
Teller's decision opens such lands to
settlement and entry under the home.
stead and presumption laws Of the
United States.
MAIL CONTRACTS.
Judge Lawrence, first controller of
OF the treasury, has rendered q de-
oision in the case of t appeal OF a
sub contractor for carrying the mails,
from the &c;ion of the xth auditor in
Unfolding from him compensation
for his service for throe months, for
the reason that while he had fully por-
formed tho service, the original con-
tractor had failed to perform the ser.
vice under another contract. Judge
lawrence says: The effect of the
statue and regulation of the postoftict
department on the subject is, that the
sub, contractor is entitled to authorize
payment for service from any quarter
when mis- contract id fled and motto
given to the proper auditor before the
balance Ia certified therefor In favor oi
the original contractor.
A CHANGE OF OFFICERS.
Alta meeting of the light house board
to-day, Woe Admiral Rowan wa,
chosen chairman over General Poe,
by o vote OF 8 to 4, the secretary of The
treasury casting the decidIng vote.
THE NATIONAL BOARD OF TRADE
favor department of commerce aud
the establishment of postal telegraph
and telephone by the government.
THE JEANETTE BOARD
W II hold secret session Monday to
consider preliminary report. 1t has
been charged that Bartlett and COM
panions were kept in Siberia for the
purpose tf preventing their testifying
regarding the DeLong Collins trouble.
Tne board will not finish Its labors
until these men have testified under
oath regarding the matter. The board
will report to congress at this session.
THE TARIFF ON STEEL.
The senate finance committee to o-day
gave further hearing to III. N. Oliver,
of the tariff commission, in regard to
the metal schedule proposed by the
commission. A prominent member
of the committee thinks It. is very
probable the committee will decide to
bring in an amendment to their pend.
ing tariff bill to provide for making
two classifications of steel and impose
a higher duty on bars, ingota, etc.,
made of higher priced steel than on
blooms tf less costly material.
THE AssAssIN's noNKs.
Rev. DR.. Hicks, spiritual adviser of
Charles Guiteau, has executed legal
instrument tran, ferrirg to Surgeon
General Crane all his right and title
to Guiteau's body. The paper recites
the clause of the will by which Guiteau
bequeathed his body TO D.: Hicks
and 1t bears evidence of acknowledg.
mens before justice of the peace.
Surgeon General Crane was unable at
present to give any information of the
final disposition of tho assassins re-
mains.
| COMMERCIAL BANQUET.
At the banquet given by the Ma.
tional board If trade tonight, one of
the principal objects of the entertain.
ment was to bring members of con-
gress into personal contact with repre-
sentatives tf commercial organic atoms
of the country. In this respect the
banquet was entirely success fdl.
RESERVATION LANDS.
The land FIJI 20 ia preparing decis.
ion which will enable persons to enter
lands in the recently ceded Ute reser.
vation upon the ssme conditions az
those who settled thereon pyior 10 the
act OF July %, 1882.
THE MFNICAN COMMISSION.
The international committee ap-
pointed to negotiate commercial
treaty between the United States and
Mexico Is making satisfactory progress
in the work. It. 10 learned the free
list haG been agreed upon, which, al
though it does not greatly increase the
number of articles imported free into
the United Statee from Mexico, does
nevertheless, remove numker Of un-
necessary duties. Among the articles
upon whose free importation Mexico
lays particular stress, is sugar not
above No. 16 Dutch standard in color.
This is sought not so much
with view to immediate free