Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-06

by an unrepealed and existing statute,
brought suit in the court of claims to re-
| cover the amount of the deficiency and
obtain pro forma Judgment in his favor.
The court reverses that judgment, but
adds, however, it does not wish to be un-
| derstood as deciding now the question
| whether simple failure by congress to
appropriate any or sufficient sum to pay
the salary of an officer fixed by previous
law is Of itself an expression Of q pur-
pose by congress to reduce
that salary. The effect of
the present decision seems to be to con-
firm the power of congress to regulate by
means of appropriation bills, ard without
any separate and specific legislation all
salaries over which it has control and to
change every year, every officer of the
government, except the president and
judges Of the federal courts, by merely
changing the amount appropriated for
payment of that officer, and adding to the
sum, prouided, it shall be in full compene
sation.
The court decided that self-killing by
insane persons understanding the physical
nature and consequences of his act, but
not its moral aspect, is not death by
suicide, within the meaning of the condi-
tion in the policy of insurance upon his
life, that the policy shall be void in case
he shall die by suicide.
SURGEON GENERALS REPORT.
The annual report of the surgeon gen
eral of the army shows that $1,000 white
troops were on the sick list during the
year, and the total number of deaths from
all causes was PA, or 10 per thousand,
mean strength. Among the colored troops
there were 1859 cases of ali kinds and
twenty-six deaths or eleven per 1000,
mean strength. The colored troops make
q particularly favorable showing in the
small number of admissions to hospital for
alcoholism, the rate being fou- per thousand
against seventy-si1 per thousand among
the whites. It is recommended that thorough
revaccination of every individual in the
military establishment, which has been SO
eminentlv protective in the German army,
be rigidly enforced in our own. The total
number of official demands upon the
record drspension division for in
formation for causes of death, and hos
pital records soldiers was 1850, an in
crease of $3.50 over the previous year.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Upton, second compti oller, of the cur
rency, in his annual report suggests a
statute of Limitation on war claims. This
he thinks would effectively prohibit any
claim agent or attorney from presenting
claims as hasheretofore been done without
attempting to ascertain whether they are
meritorious.
The issue of standard dollars in the
week ended November Sd was 81, ,499
against 1,O33,00O in the corresponding
period last year.
j. Bancroft Davis was to-day appointed
official reporter of the supreme court vice
Judge Otto resigned.
Commissioner Evans to-day received an
official letter from Danville, Va, stating
that further trouble was feared there and
threats had been made against the revenue
officers.
1.-THE postmaster general has dismissed
from the service Postoffice Insr ector Amos
P. Foster, for rendering the department
false and fictitious accounts. He was sta
toned OF Austin, Texas, and was rendering
accounts for per diem services which he
never performed.
Argument was begun in the Kilbourn-
Thompson case this morning and contin-
ued throughout the day.
A rumor is current to-day that the va
cancy in the court Of claims made by the
resignation of j. 9. Bancroft DaYis will be
tendered Secretary FoIper