The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-01-19

Duncan T. Kenner, one Of the tariff COM
,miSsi0ners, has written q letter to a gentle
man In New Orleans urging him and his
frinds to- provide the sinews of war to influ-
ence legislation on the tariff bill presumably
In the direction of sugar.
General Grant has requested the senate
foreign relations COMMITTEES to pass judg-
ment on the Mexican reciprocity treaty
drawn up by himself and Minister Romero.
He explains that he can not improve upon
1t, and has yet time to decline the appoint-
ment as commissioner slOuld the treaty
prove unsatisfactory.
The American revenue cutter Oliver VOL
colt, lying ut Victoria, British Columbia,
was requested by the prime minister TO
render assistance In quleting the Indians at
Fort Simpson, there being no British naval
vessel In those waters. Secretary FOlger
Instructed the captain to prevent violence,
and use force to repel attacks on the whites
at the request of the British authorities.
The president has decided to call an OK
ira session OF congress Immediately after
the 9Th OF March. 1t is understood that the
occasion for this Is not to provide for the
presidential succession, but to dispose of
revenue questions that are pending. No
one has any expectation that the internal
revenue and tariff bills now in congress will
be passed by the h of March, and it is rep
resented to the president that the agitation
of the tax question has so unsettled the
manufacturing business that it would be
disastrous to leave everything in suspense
till next winter.
The eastern pig-iron men have memorial
lied the ways and means committee against
the proposed tariff on pig-irOn and scrap
iron. The duty Oh the former Is reduced to
2S cents and that on the latter $1.2S The
stand that reduction, but scrap-iron certain
ly will not. Their memorial sets forth the
prices Of domestic and foreign pig and scrap
iron, and the cost of converting each into
bar-iron, and the amounts of pig and scrap
iron imported.
TIE NEW NICKELs.
The secretary of the treasury has approx
ed the proposed change in the device of the
scent nickel pieces as submitted by the d.
rector of the mint. The new coin is I'M
changed in weight, but the diameter is in
creased one millimeter and the thickness
prOp0rtiOnately decreased. Upon the OBJ
verse side Is the classic head of Liberty,
with the date OF issue, and on the reverse a
wreath OF corn and md cotton, ncIosing the
inscription United States of America"
made in conformity to law, and is great
improvement on the old coin. The PhiIa-
delphia mint has been instructed to begin
coiningdhe new pieces at once.
TIE GARFIELD BILLS.
There has been q good deal of anxiety
lest the doctors who attended President
Garfield should refuse to accept the amounts
awarded them by the board of audit and the
bookkeepers of the department should
thereby be subjected to much inconveni-
ence. There is no occasion for any further
alarm on this subject. Every one of the
drafts issued by the board OF audit has
been cashed. When DIR. Bliss heard that
only $3.50 had been awarded TO him he was
filled with Indignation, and declared that
he would not touch the beggarly pittance.
He kept his word, but a creditor armed
with power of attorney drew the money,
and IL this particular creditor had declined
to help the doctor in this delicate manner,
any one 0f n considerable number Of other
creditors could easily have been persuaded
to do il
PENSIONS.
The house has fixed day for the cOnsid.
Grafton of the bill that provides for giving
pensions to all surviving soldiers and wild
Ows Of soldiers who served in the Mexican
and Indian wars This bill includes sol
ders of the Mexican war who afterward
engaged in the rebellion against the union,
and embraces every survivor of the Mexican
war, without regard to whether he was
wounded or disabled or is now poverty
or rolling in wealth. In these re-
spects 1t gives him great advantage over
the soldiers who suppressed the rebellion,
on the pensiOn.rOlls unless they suffered
some disability In the service of their cOun-
try. Some of these facts have been pointed
out but quite q number of representatives
thought 1t would only be fair to the really
claimants among the Mexican
heard. When the bill comes up for cOnsid-
Grafton 1t will either be amended so as to
exclude ex-cOnfederates and include desti-
tute and disabled veterans, or it will be de-
l. &c. AAI
the senate or house by lacking on an amend
ment providing that all union soldiers of the
war of the rebellion be put upon the pen
sion roll.
THE ARMY.
The report to the senate Of the military
on the subject of seniority in the
army says: Your committee do not believe
it is within the reasonable power of con-
gress-in fact life is too short-tO undertake
to infinitely review and reconsider and REM |
edy anew all the seeming or imaginary
of every officer now in the regular
and relative rank, after the lapse Of seven
teen years from the close of the late war |
and the disbanding of a large number of |
officers In the volunteer service and reOr-
ganizatiOn and reduction of the regular
army. The present dates of entry into the
service and relative rank of all officers now
In the service have been known and accept
ed and acted upon for years. They have
been nominated by the president and con-
frmed by the senate, and have accepted
There must be an end to legislation upon
these questions or confusion worse than
strifes and contentious, will
exist, and increase with every act of legis-
latiOn. The time of congress and the valu-
able time Of officers of the army can be more
and pleasantly employed than in
)vcrhauling and attempting to correct or
change the existing status. Let peace pre-
vail in the army as In civil life. Your COM
mittee recommend that the bill and whole
therein referred to be indefi.
litely postponed.