Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-20
WASHINGTON.
IN IMPORTANT CIRCULAR TO POST.
MASTERS ABOUT PENSIONS.
The Proteus Trial-Several Important
Land Decisions-The Whisky Vinegar
Manufacturers Fraudulent Circulars
Sent to Postmasters.
Especial Telegram to the alobel

of making money through circulars
through the postoffice and lock box has
lust come to light. Circulars had been
sent to those postmasters of the country
who came within the Law for re-adjusting
salaries, offering for the sum of SIS in ad-
vance to collect the amount due. Some of
those who have paid this fee write here
that since sending it they have not been
able to hea- from their sattorney." In one
of these cases no such firm appeared in the
directory as was given in the circular. The
facts about this matter of read djustment
are that the meaning of the law is ambig-
uous, and has not been decided upon.
When this decision is reached the
postofice department will then
settle all the accounts under it.
An appropriation must then be asked Of
congress for the sum needed, and when
this is obtained the department. will send
the amount due each postmaster entitled
to anything. These facts are perfectly
we'll known to all who send out these cir
culars. 1t is also true that. an attorney
cannot hasten the settlement of a case,
and that no necessity whatever exists for
employing one.
WHISKY VINEGAR.
Messrs. e. L. Prussing, of Chicago, and
Paul Bechtner of Milwaukee, arrived here
to-day. They are members of the com
mittee of five representing the whisky
vinegar interest, and the other three mem
bers of which from Baltimore, Buffalo and
PIttsburg will reach here to morrow. This
committee is coming here to
confer with the secretary of
the treasury and the commissioner
of internal revenue in regard to a bill to
be prepared removing many of the restric-
tions now surrounding the manufacture
of whisky vinegar and requiring the en-
ployment of a government storekeeper at
each vinegar establishment. The vinegar
men are we'll enough satisfied with the
present law, but in his annual report the
commissioner of internal revenue has ex-
pressed himself very strongly against
leaving the law as it is,
and the distillers try every way to
have the privileges of the vinegar
men taken away. The commissioner
is willing to allow the vinegar men to go on
making their own whisky provided store
keepers are stationed at the works to pre-
vent the distilling of spirits for other pur-
poses, and the distillers are also willing to
withdraw their opposition if the vinegar
men are watched as they
are. The cider vinegar interest
In the east which tried
last winter to deprive the western vinegar
men of their privileges can hardly oppose
the western men if they are watched by
storekeepers. The idea of the vinegar men
is that by procuring the passage of the
law desired they will put an end to the
agitation the whisky distillers are main
tanning for an abolition of the formers
privileges.
Western Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19.-The issuance of
silver dollars last week was $4,000 against
$4,000 the same time last year.
THE PRoTEUs INQUIRY.
Commander Frank Wildes, commanding
the Yantic, appeared before the Proteus
court of inquiry and previous to taking
the oath asked whether ne appeared to tes-
conduct as commander inquired into. The
room was cleared while the subject was con-
sidered. After a short conference
Commander Wildes was informed that he
was summoned as witness, and has the
privilege to refuse to answer any ques-
tions tending to criminate himself. He
was then sworn, and said, upon learning
of the difaster of the Proteus, it occurred
to him to land stores for the Proteus, or
Greeley party. He refused to give the
court his views on the subject.
The witness said aside from the wooden
sheathlng the Yantic was equipped for the
polar voyage the same as she would have
been for trip to the West Indies. The
failure of the expedition, the witness
thought, was due to the following causes:
insufficient and scanty means employed in
manning the Proteus, with an inefficient
captain and crew of bleach comb ers" and
"loDgshore men" and neglect of those by
whose order the expedition was fitted out
to scquaint themselves with the business
in hand before dispatohing vessels north.
His trip had been cruising in West Indian
waters and he only received orders to go
north three days before sailing.
IMPoRTAsT DECISION REsDKRKD.
A decision was rendered by the supreme
court of the United States to-day in the
important "Mercer colony" land cases.
William G. Walsh, commissioner general
of the land Office of the state of Texas,
against VIM. Preston. This was q suit
originally brought by Preston upon an
alleged contract between the republic of
Texas and one Charles I. Mercer, by which
the latter agreed to bring into Texas a
large number of immigrant families and
settle them upon unoccupied public lands,
and the republic of Texas agreed to give
Mercer and his associates by way
of compensation for this work,
$40 acres of land for every
family thus brought within its limits. The
court holds that inasmuch as there is no
proof that Mercer ever brought enough
settlers into the republic of Texas to con-
stitute even the shadow of compliance on
his part with the terms of the contract, the
state of Texas is released from ali obliga-