The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-03-02

A gentleman connected with the treasury
department. after hasty review of the law
upon the subject, says that there Is no pun
ishment for persons who plate the new g.
cent coin, giving 1t the appearance OF So
gold piece. There Is q law against defac-
The new, coin Is neither. Persons can DO
punished only, the gentleman says, for at
gold piece. The opinion is expressed in
the department that an order will be issued
requiring the word cents placed on the
new scent pieces hereafter to be coined.
THE PRINTERS.
The halls and lobby surrounding the SEN
ate chamber have been filled with work.
men from the government printing office,
who are endeav0ring to defeat the amend
ment proposed by Mr.. Anthony to the sun
dry civil bill, directing the public printer
to employ workmen at the market rates in
Judging by Mondays debate, 1t Is thought
likely Mr.. Anthony's amendment or one
more stringent will be adopted, in order to
bring the Office down to a business basis
and give many capable printers and binders
not members Of unions opportunity to share
the employment afforded by this great pub
fishing Institution.
RAILROAD LANDS.
A method of settling controversies by
and actual settlers upon lands supposed to
be portion of the public domain was sug-
gested by Representative Carpenter. of
Iowa, In the form Of bill presented In the
house. 1t Is that, when actual settlers
have made homesteads or preemptions upon
lands which the general land office believes
to he public lands, any controversies re-
speeding the title to su"h lands. and the
rights of parties shall be adjudicated by the
courts before the land officers of the gov
eminent shall take any action in respect to
the controversy.
A SMART CONGRESSMAN.
The journalists In Washington are enjoy
ing story that Is told at the expense of a
New England congressman, q country law
yer, one of the class OF people who imagine
that the function of every newspaper man,
whether he be reporter, correspondent,
editor, proprietor, or stakeholder Is to
.'pick up items" This gentleman was In
troduced some time ago to Mr.. Haskell,
whose income as one of the prOprietOrs of
The Boston Herald runs into four ciphers,
and Is said to have very comfortable figure
in front of them. "Ah," said he benevol-
emily, 'glad to see you, Mr.. Haskell.
You're down s here. suppose picking up a
SMOKING IN THE HOUSE.
Among the rules of the two houses of con-
gress is one against smoking upon the floor
or in the galleries. This is strictly adhered
to in the senate, where when senator
wants to enjoy "pull' at the weed he re-
tires to one of the cloak rooms, but in the
house there is less respect for the order and
back of the seats of members, but also at
their desks, and some are so free with their
habit that they actually parade around the
speakers desk with lighted cigars I'm their
mouths, giving rise to clouds Of smoke that
make the air anything but agreeable to per-
10 i,,t I,n nYin \
have not fondness for the fragrance of q
strong cigar complain OF this custom, which,
because of q lack of enforcement of the
rule, is daily becoming more obnoxious. The
marquis of LOrne, 1t is said, was somewhat
shocked when he noticed to what an extent
the custom prevailed upon the floor Of the
American congress.
THE CIvIL-sERyICE COMMISSION.
The plain meaning of the nominations for
civil-service commissioners, says the New
York Herald's Washington dispatches, is
that the president puts the execution Of the
new law into the hands of its friends, with
the strong desire that they shall make II
successful 1t is well known that he APP
proves of the law, and it vii be found that,
in important nominations hereafter to be
made, he will conform to the spirit OF 1t
and give that aid and cOuntenance to the
labOrs of the commissioners which will
help them TO its successful administration.
He has the determination to do all in his
power to separate the business of the gov
eminent from mere partisan politics. Al
though he makes fewer professions than
some of his predecessors it is well known
here that no president for many years has
so constantly discouraged mere Of1ice-seek-
ing. Nor have any of his recent predeces-
sors so carefully administered the govern
ment on business principles, dealing with
subordinate places to be filled from a bns-
mess and not from mere partisan stand
point.