Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1883-02-15
N.dTfONdL CAPITAL.

NATIONAL CAPITAL.
The supreme court of the United
States has declared invalid the act of the New
York legislature imposing upon steamship COM
panies tax OF 81 for every alien passenger
landed in New York from foreign port.
House committee on coinage have
adopted resolutions declaring that coin In the
treasury, with the necessary exceptions should
be used for payment Of outstanding interest
bearing obligations OF the government and
recommending that the appropriation commit
tee appropriate money for additional vault
room.
The bill introduced In Congress on
the 9Th inst, to promote commercial relations
with Central and South America, provides for
a commissioner at $4,000 per year TO visit the
independent countries OF Central and South
America, with a view TO ascertaining what IF
forts those countries are making or desire TO
make to secure increased commercial facilities
with the. United States.
Only one month remains of the pres
ent session of Congress.
Claim agents in Washington have
been found guilty of extorting money from
pensioners, and the Senate will investigate the
matter.
A bill is being prepared by the House
committee on military affairs TO place Grant
upon the retired list Of the army with the rank
of general.
The Senate committee on education
and labor have been taking testimony as to the
condition of the laboring class, and the relations
of capital and labor.
Congress is making slow progress
with the tariff bill, and every indication points
| TO the necessity OF an extra session In order
that the bill may pass.
Secretary Chandler has informed the
committee or naval affairs that the difficulty at
Annapolis {, aot serious enough to demand the
attention of congress.
A petition has been presented in the
House by ex-soldiers and sailors asking the
passage of bill to pension soldiers and sailors
who were confined In confederate prisons.
The new river and harbor bill has
been completed The whole amount called for
by the bill viii be about So 000, 900, exclusive
OF an appropriation for tn improvement of the
Mississippi.
Representative Hubbell of Michigan,
| has filed a petition of 81 Michigan ship-owners
| for an appropriation Of 100000, In order
that the Improvement of the Harbor Of Ref
| uge at Grand Marias may be completed. He
also presented the resolutions adopted by the
board OF trede of Detroit asking for 5000 900
| TO finish the Improvement OF the Lime-Kin
crossing.
The star route trial is still in pro-
gress.
The motion to put all books on the
! free list was carried in the Senate.
The Garfield monument fair Melted
the neat little sum of 1900.
The House has voted to fix the duty
on iron ore at 80 cents per ton
The government has already paid out
over $500, 900 to resist Payne's encroachments
| against the Indians.
Director Burchard thinks we ought to
coin more silver until by International agree
ment there should be fixed rate between sill
yer and gold.
The House committee on Indian af-
fairs do not favor the bill granting the right Of
| way to railroad through land Of the Choctaw
| and Chickasaw nations.
The Secretary of the Interior says that
railroads are not limited to lands Immediately
| adjoining the road In cutting ties and other
| material used In the construction OF railroads
Secretary Folger has sent letter TO
| congress recommending consolidation of Gus
| toms districts In many instances, In order to
effect saving In the salaries Of officers at ports
where business is very small and does not in
crease from year to year. These changes rec
| commend alterations which would In effect, not
| only lessen the number of collection district but
| In some cases reduce the number of officers at
| the port which after reorganization would COM
prise all consolidated ports and reduce the
| aggregate cost for salaries S494, 295. The west
| ern ports which would be effected by the pro-
posed consultations are the following: II is
proposed to consolidate with the district of Chi
| cago. the districts of Galena, Omaha, Dubuque,
and Burlington, to increase the number OF officers
| and employees from 70 to 81, and the cost for
salaries from $94 AIS to SILL $50. 1t Is proposed
TO consolidate with the Minnesota district at st.
Paul the district at Duluth, Montana and Idaho
| to increase the number of officers and employees
| from 25 to 3D. and the cost for salaries from
So, 303 to s3S, 800. The greatest reduction Of
| officers and employees will take place at the
chief eastern ports.
A stamp used in printing revenue
! stamps Is missing, and a committee has been
appointed by Secretary Folger to investigate
| the matter.
Gen. Sherm IN was rendered ban
quet In Washington on the sth inst, in honor
of his 63d birthday. Many distinguished guests
were present, and rousing speeches were made
by host and guests
The Secretary of the Treasury urges
the necessity of an amendment to the internal
revenue bill now before Congress, providing
for the forfeiture Of all distilled spirits which
shall be found to differ In proof from that in
dicated by the marks and stamp thereon.
Secretary Teller has informed the
| governor of Iowa that unless the excess of So
Dab acres Of land patented to the state ON ac-
count Of the Sioux City and st. Paul railroad
| is returned to the government, he will recon-
mend resort to legal proceedings, with that
\ end In view.
| The House committee on patents is
preparing bill TO amend the statutes applica-
BILE to patents, providing that the American
1, patents shall run Is years from the time the
| invention was patented In foreign country,
making all patents Of whatever class to extend
| IL years. This change is to apply only to new
| patents.
The Senate committee on education
are still considering the labor question. On
the sth inst. =. X. Foster, secretary Of the
Massachusetts, federation of trades and labor
unions, speaking Of the moral, intellectual and
| physical condtien Of printers as Q class,
| said the lines of caste were growing more and
more clearly defined each year, and that In
New England at least he ASSUMED the worship
OF God had ceased to level all distinctions
among men. The mill operatives In New Eng
land, as q class, are the worst on, and their
present condition Is sure TO produce an eufee-