The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-11-08
WASHINGTON.
News Gathered About the Capital
(,ify

: torney-general submitting the queS
ton as to whether he can lawful,
detail an examiner in the pension
office to assist Col. Corkhill, United
States district attorney, in investigat
ing frauds by attorneys and claim
agents upon pensioners. In conclud
ing the letter Secretary Teller says hi:
endeavor viii be to vigilautly carry
out the law regarding this matter, and
to assist to the best of his ability and
authority in the prosecution of those
persons who have committed offenses
against pension laws, or are guilty OF
other statutory or common law Of
lenses.
After hearing the defense offered
by RouX & English, pension attorney
OF this city, who were suspended a
short time ago, they were to-day
debarred from practicing before the
interior department by Secretary
Teller.
Postmaster-General Gresham, Sec
rotary Lincoln and Commodore
Walker, will accompany Secretary
Chandler on trip from New York to
Newport on the U. S. S. Trenton. The
party leaves Washington Sunday
night.
Secretary Folger has gone home to
vote.
No bond call will be made for some
time to come.
1t is estimated by the commissioner
of pensions that $40,0O0,O00 will be
required for payment of pensions the
next fiscal year.
The report Of the chief of ordnance
shows 33,62l arms manufactured ut
the national armory during the year.
He recommends that congress encour-
age the formation OF volunteer organ
izations in every state, district and
city, by making liberal appropriations
for arming the same.
AT meeting of the French and
American claims commission awards
were made in favor of the following
claimants against the United States:
Alex E. st. Marin, New Orleans, $500;
Nicholas Dronet, Galveston, $500;
J. L. Lacroix, Donaldsonyille, La,
$500; j. Rateau, Donaldsonville. La,
$500; j. A. Bohn, Cleveland, Tenn,
$780, and S. G. Boughinval, Cleve-
land Tenn. $4,000. The claims of
large number of persons against the
United States were diSallowed. Some
Of these were claims for property des-
troyed by the military forces Of the
United States and belong to what are
called Donaldsonville cases. The ma
jority of the commission hold it was
lawful and justifiable act of war. The
commissioner for the French republic
dissented;he commended that the prop
erty of claimants was destroyed after
the battle hadtaken place.
In the case of Bernard Subervielle,
executor of Eugene Darrell, VS.. the
United States, which the commission
disallowed, the French commission
also filed dissenting opinion.
The case of Denis Menge VS.. the
United States was diSalloWed. This
was also a claim for property de-
Stroyed by Admiral Farragut in 1862,
in bombarding the town of Donald
sonYille. a majority Of the commits
sion held that the bombardment and
burning were lawful and justifiable
acts of war, caused by the firing of
the Confederate military forces, with
completely of the inhabitants of Don
aldsonville, upon the transports Of the
United States passing up the river.
The commissioner on the part Of the
French. filed a lengthy dissenting opin-
ion, contending that the firing upon
the United States vessels was the act
of a few Texas guerrillas encomped
near the town of Donaldsonville, and
that there is no evidence to show that
the inhabitants of Donaldsonville had
provoked the bombardment in the
way of retaliation.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5.-Upton, sec
ond comptroller of currency, in his
annual report suggests a statute of
limitations on war claims. This, he
thinks, would effectually prevent any
claim agent or attorney presenting
claims, as has heretofore been done,
without even an attempt to ascertain
whether it be meritorious.
j. Bancroft Davis was to-day ap-
pointed official reporter of the SUI
preme court, vice Judge Otto, who re-
signed.
Commissioner Evans to-day received
an official letter from Danville, Va,
stating that further trouble is feared
there, and that threats have been ut
tered against revenue officials.
The annual report of the surgeon
general of the army shows $1,000
white troops were on the sick list
during the year, and the total num-
Der of deaths from all causes was
PA, or 10 per thousand. Among col
ored troops, 1859 cases of all kinds
and 26 deaths, or II per thousand.
The colored troops make particularly
favorable showing in the small num-
Der of admission to the hospital for
alcohC lism, the rate being 4 per
thousand, against rs per thousand
among the whites. 1t is recommend
ed that thorough re-vaccination of
every Individual in the mill
tarY establishment which has
been so eminently protective
in the German army be rigidly en-
forced in our army. The total num-
Der of official demands upon the
record and pension division for infor-
nation as to causes of death and hos
pital records of soldiers IS 119, $50; an
increase of $3.50 over the previous
year.
The postmaster general has dis
missed Amos p. Foster, postoffice in
spector stationed at Austin, Texas,
from the service, for rendering TO the
department false and fictitious ac-
counts for per diem services which
were never rendered.
The supreme. court decided that
self-killing by an insane person I'M
derstanding the physical nature and
consequences of his act, but not its
moral aspect, is not death by suicide
in the meaning of condition in poll
cy of insurance upon life, that the
policy shall be void in case died by