Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-28
WASHINGTON.

WASHINGTON.
BSINGING HOME TIE FROZEN BOD
les OF ARCTIC EXPLORERS.
A Government Commissioners Report on
the Pacific RaiIways-The Northern Has
the Best Country-Weiss Beer BottIers
Get Final Decision.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-The Star says
Hon. James g. Blaine has leased his new
and magnificent residence on Dupont cir
Gle to Mr.. L. q. Letter, of Chicago, for
term of years, who will take possession this
fall. E1-Secretary Blaine and family will
probably pass the winter in Washington,
however, as he is almost compelled to fin
ish his book here.
An unusual number of congressman are
in the city at present on department bust
ness.
THE PACIFIC RAILROADS.
Commissioner Armstrong, of the rail
road bureau of the interior department
has just returned from four months tour
Of inspection over the land grant rail-
roads in the West, Starting from New
Orleans, the commissioner examined the
Southern Pacific railroad and its branches,
and the completed portion of the Atlantic
& Pacific railroad as far as the Colorado
river. He then Travelled through southern
California to San Francisco on the South
ern Pacific railroad, then over the Califor-
MIA & Oregon railroad as far as it was
done, and thence by stage to Portland.
He reports the gap Of
258 miles in the last
named road between Redding, California,
and Glendale, Oregon, being rapidly re-
duced. A visit was next made to the Vel
lowstone National park for the purpose of
deciding upon the expediency of allowing
the construction of a railroad through it.
After witnessing the driving of the last
spike upon the Northern Pacific road the
commissioner returned to Washington. He
speaks very confidently of the possibilities
of the country through which the Northern
Pacific railroad runs, and says in his opin-
ioa that road is destined to become one of
the most prosperous in the United States.
He believes it will not be as much OBJ
structed by snow as are the Union and
Central Pacific roads, on account of the
nature of the country it traverses and its
easier passes through the mountains.
The Bozeman and MuIlan tunnels, he says,
will probably be completed this year. The
commissioner also reports the Southern
Pacific railroad doing good business, but
does not think the country tributary to it
as valuable as that traversed by the North
ern Pacific. The assistants of the COM
missioners who were sent to inspect the
Central and Union Pacific railroads report
those roads in admirable order.
WEISS BEER TAXES.
Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Evans has written letter to the attorney
foc Weiss beer manufacturer in reply
to brief, filed some days ago by the lat
ter urging reconsideration of the commits
sioner's decision in regard to bottling
Weiss beer from stamped packages.
declining to reopen the question and re-
affirming the former decision. He says,
after careful examination of the argument
submitted he has reached the conclusion
that Weiss beer is nquestionably fer.
mented liquor and as such, comes within
the scope of the schedule relating to re-
moval of ferrnented liquors from stamped
packages. He says also he understands
that as a matter of practice beer is not
bottled from barrels but pumped from
them into vat and other ingredients add
ed and then bottled. On this point he says:
SIT is perfectly apparent no tax is paid
upon beer at all, but that your clients pay
taxes on mixture about one-haIf or one
third as great in volume Rwhile in the
progress of making as it will be when it
becomes beer.' He adds: $50 that meet
ing you upon the ground presented in
your brief, it seems to me to be perfectly
clear case. Assuming that Weiss beer is a
fermented liquor, as has been decided by
my predecessors, that instead of the Weiss
beer men having grievance they have
been so far favored as to be permitted to
pay taxes upon only about half ths
beer they actually make, with this result,
being accomplished by their stamping not
what beer but the mixture from which the
beer is to be intimately made by addition
of other ingredients. He also says: eff
your clients bottle Weiss beer frem bar
rels, upon which stamps have been affixed
there shall be no violation of law. The
he says, has no power to
dispense with any provision of law on be-
half Of any one because it imposes hard
ship upon some individuals or industry,
sure relief being only to be
had from congress. He informs
the attorney that the assistant attorney
has been directed to facilitate the trial of |
The pending case, SO that the legal points
involved may be decided.
BOUNCED.
1t is understood the secretary of the |
navy has approved the action of the court |
martial in the cases of Commander F. R.
Smith and Lieut.. David w. Davis, both of |
Fhom were convicted of gross violation of |
he navy regulations and sentenced to dis
nIssal from the service.
The treasury department purchased to-
lay $4,000 ounces of fine silver for the
Philadelphia, New Orleans and San Fran
isco minis.
LIEUT.. HARBER's MISSION. %Y2~ses
1t is expected at the navy department.
hat Lient Harbe-.vhJ was sent to Siberia
o assist in the Jeanette search, and who
vas afterwards ordered to bring to Amer
ca the bodies of Lieut.. De Long, De Am
Ter, and Jerome Collins, will leave r.
entsk about the 1st of November next,
nd will reach the United States with the
'odies some time IN January.