The Portland daily press., 1883-07-11
WASHINGTON.
Post. ONCE Department.


WASHINGTON, July 10-Durng the absence
of Judge Gresham Gen. Elmer, Second Assis-
tant Postmaster General, Is acting Postmaster
General Judge Gresham will return to WASH
ington the latter part of this week. No further
action will be taken in regard - the Louisiana
lottery question until Postmaster Gresham re
turns TO Washington.
The Loss of the Ashuelot.
The findings OF the naval.court appointed to
inquire into the loss of the United States
steamship Ashuelot have reached the Navy
Department. Commander Mellen was tried
upon throe charge3--drunkenness on duty, I'M
properly hazarding the vessel under his COM
mand, in consequence Gf which she was run
upon rock and lost, and neglect of duty. The
first charge was fully snbstantated, as, al
though not ablolutely under the influence OF
liquor when the ship struck, 1t was clearly
shown that he was still suffering from the ef-
fects OF 1t. He was found guilty on all three
of the charges and sentenced to dismissal,
sentence has been confirmed by the President.
Lieut. Wyck0f was tried for neglect OF duty
but was fully acquitted by the court Passed
Assistant Engineers EHtwistle and Heith were
found guilty OF neglect OF duty in not seeing
their men mp from below before leaving the
ship themselve1, and were sentenced the for
mer to suspension from duty for one year, and
the latter to be publicly reprimanded by the
Secretary of the Navy One of the fremen,
who had so nobly stuck to his post, answered
and how did you leave the ship?" II did not
leave her at all, she left me.
Appointment by the President.
The President to-day appointed John Fl. Llv-
ingstone to be marshal for South Carolina, vice
Abcolom Blythe, resigned.
Pension Warrants.
The Treasury Department yesterday and to
day issued warrants for the payment of $l4,-
Uoo,0C1 on account of the army and navy PEN
eiohs ior the nscai year ending June 80, 1884
New National Bank.
The Acting Comptrollerof the Currency has
authorized the Aneka National Bank of Ane-
ka, Mich, to begin husinees with capital of
thorized.
Taxing the Sale of Rock and Rye.
case involving most oil the druggists and
many other dealers in the country was taken
up yesterday and decided by the Commissioner
OF Internal Revenue in five minute1. Mr..
Evans had just taken up his days work when
Mr. kimball, the he'd of the tobacco division,
came In with magazine, In which he had dis
covered displayed advertisement of rock and
rye. lie proceeded to denounce this concoc-
lion to Mr.. Evans as snothing but sugar and
whiskey, and practically beverage" For
TINS reason he said that all who cold it should
g obliged to take cut special license as retail
dealer III spirits Mr.. Evans replied promptly
mat this position we1 manife5tly correct, and
that the sale OF rock and rye YVES great evil
that ought TO be corrected Therenpon, and
without turther inquiry, Mr.. Evans ordered
circulars to be printed, directing all who sold
this compound to take out ST scial license tax
OF S25 year. The head of the tobacco divis-
ION did not call the commissioners attention to
the Tact that Congress had just repealed the
proprietary stamp tax, under which the vari-
GUS brands of rcck and rye have hitherto been
cold.
The Whiskey Tax.
The representative of the distiling intereet
Will not rest on the opinion of the attorney
general. The revenue bureau is reported as
considering the opinion not as any instruction
TO tnat bureau with regard to Withdrawals of
spirits from ond and their expectation, be-
cause the opinion was ba- I'd upon hypotheti-
Cal statement, while the bureau it-slf deals
only with fact]. There have been come init
nations thar, notwithstanding this opinion of
the attorney general, the internal revenue bu-
feau Will De compelled TO permit the spirits to
be exported on the declaration OF the exporter
as to his intentions, and that certainly the bu-
reau is not to presume that the exporters in
tend to evade the law. The whiskey men will
probably decide upon definite policy in the
conrce OF few days.
Miscellaneous.
The health Of Montgomery Blair is rapidly
improving and he expects by the end of the
month TO oe able to re-ume his law practice.
Gen. Dudley, Commissioner of Pensions. is
taking an inventory of the work which yet re-
mains to be done in the way of payment of
pension arrears. It will take come days to
conclude the investigation
Officials OF the Department of Justice are
IQlly convinced that the gssassination of Judge
Haugh in Texss was due to political causeg The
Department has information that the defend
ants IN the election cases have threat sned to go
10 court armed and she ot the Judge and all
court officials If they are convicted
congressman Lynch (colored) of Mississippi
has written here, Indignantly denying that he
formed compact with Lamar to carry one
Congre- slonal district, as charged by Chalmers
IN recent speech.
NO meeting of the Cabinet to-day as most Of
the members are abcent from the city.