Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-11-02
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Notes of the Day and Record OF Carrcnt
Events.

Washington, ID. g., November -
The secretary of the navy has detach.
ed Ensign John Il. Burnadiua Ia mr.
coed to Corea for the purpose of max.
ing n report on the geological and
other scientific features OF that island.
The secretary OF state has received
from the geographical society of
France n very handsome gold medal
intended us testimonial 10 Lieuten.
ant Frederick A. Schwa,ka, United
states army, in recognition of il ser
vices in the successful expedition To-
King William $ Island i'm 1878
Secretary Folger has issued circular
which provides that when meats
cured with imported salt are shipped
coastwise. or inland from one division
to another for expectation, an entry
for refund of duties may be mad ut
the port of original shipment.
Reduction OF the public debt during
October, $4,000 79s; decrease since
June 30th, 1883, $50 5Si 40: cash in the
treasury, 1861, 3i7 sol; gold certificates,
SS3 LBS, $40; silver certificates, $1,000
lil; certificates Of deposit, Sl2,G2O. 900;
refunding certificates $325, $50: legal
tenders, S2i0, 5sl ,0l6; fractional curren-
cy, S6,0A0, SO3.
Acknowledgement Drum submitted
his annual report, and he says the
state militia has steadily improved in
discipline, soldierly bearing and
knowledge. He recommends tue re-
tiremcnt on full pay of men who have
faithfully served thirty-tive years, and
an amendment OF the statute author
izing the president To drop from the
rolls of the army for desertinn any
officer absent from duty for three
months without leave, so as TO include
| officers on the retired list within the
meaning of law. This recommenda-
ton has beaThg ION the Nickerson
case. In order 10 reduce the number
of dcsertionsait is proposed that the
term of service be fixed at three years
| instead of five. IL is suggested that
the increase pay for re-enlisting be
made to depend on immediate re-
enlistment in The same regiment, and
| that Il man re-enlisting be granted a
furlough of one, two or three months,
according to the number of terms he
has already served.
Ex-senator Thurman and Judge
sShellabarser opened argument to-day
in the supreme court OF the United
! ''t''Np IVA WV olttAtn VI iillIl bis
and IOWA, petitioners in
what are known rs the ''liye Der cent
cases." maintaining that it Is tn,
duty of the commissioners of thu
land Office, when required so TO do
to state the account of tn,
United States and the states o
Iowa and Illinois, and that tn,
duty of the commissioners to rendc
such statement is purely ministerial
and mandatory.in its characte ',leavin,
no room for the exercise OF judgmen
or discretion, and # not the petition
ing states are entirely without remedy
unless IL be afforded by the interposi
ton of the supreme court in granting
n writ of mandamus. COMMISSIONS
Mcfarland, in reply to the allegation
of petitioners, admits that he has re
fused 10 furnish the statement of &C
counts, and says that he ha
done so for the reason that neitbe
the acts OF ISIS and 1915 admitting til
; states OF Illinois and Iowa TO tn
: Union, nor the acts of 1886 and lSi
mentioned in the petition authorize
these states To claim n percentage o.
such public lands within their boun
diaries rs have been disposed of by In
land warrants; second, that If TN
to original meaning of these acts wa
; otherwise, still contemporaneous col
) struction thereof by the general Ian
! Office and the states of Iowa and Ill
/ nois in numerous and importan
transactions have established the meal
ing first above suggested; that in Isl
the state of Iowa madea formal deman
! upon the secretary of the interiC
, as the official inferior then of the con
: missioner general of the land Office, I
/ be allowed the percentage now claim
; ed. and the same was refused wit
9 reasons, whereupon the state pract
: cally acuuicsced in such ruling unit
} the date of the present demand, twei
: ty-iive years thereafter, combining Il
t efforts in the meantime to application
? to congress for n change in the statute
I. Argument will be continued to-mo
: row. The principle involved in tn
g litigation affects the proceeds mo,
e than 81, 100000 acres OF public land
= nineteen states.
!. LAND ENVRIES.