St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-04
The House of Representatives.

WASHINGTON, March 3.-Mr Randall
under instructions from the committee: on
appropriations, reported back the letter from
the secretary of the treasury relative to the
rebate on tobacco. Mr.. Randall said the
claims could be paid in three months. An
intimation had crept into public notice
that persons having claims, by the employ
ment of agents at per cent. commission,
could get precedence in the consideration of
his claims. He would say to the house and
the claimants that there is no occasion what
ever for the claimants to go to any expense
to secure the payment of their money. If
they employed agents after this statement
they would do so of their own volition.
Mr.. Washburn offered preamble and res
olution reciting that petition had been pre-
scented to the speaker concerning the
Jeannettee artic expedition, the conduct CT the
surviving members and the manner of in
vestigation by the naval court of inquiry,
and that the facts presented involve the
honor and humanity of officers of the United
States service, as well as proper respect for
those who persisted in the expedition, and
that it is alleged the court OF inquiry refused
to admit valuable testimony to be given TO
bring out facts of the case, and directing the
committee on naval affairs to investigate the
facts connected with said expedition and the
alleged unofficer-like and unseamanlike con-
duct therein and send for persons and papers.
Adopted.
In connection with the resolution of Mr..
Washburn, presented for printing in the
Record the petition of Dr. Daniel Collins,
brother of jerome Collins, Of the Jeanette
expedition, setting forth, that after the
month of September, Jerome Collins, to-
gether with other members of the expedition,
were treated with every indignity and out
rage, even to being deprived of all scientific
instruments and appliances for his position
as meteorologist of the expedition, that on, or
about, the end of the year 1879, while the
Jeanette was held in the ice, Jerome j. Col
Inns was placed under suspension or arrest
by the commanding officer of the expedition,
and remained so until he died of starvation
on the bank of the river Lena, in northern
Siberia. The petition recites the attempt of
the officers and crew, in three
parties, to save their lives, after
the destruction of the Jeanette, and the loss
of two of the parties, while the third, under
Chief Engineer Melville, found place of
safety. The petition thereupon charges, that
Melville made no effort to obtain informa-
ton as to the condition or location of the
two missing parties, and he refused permits
sion to any of his party to make search. Dr..
Collins further alleges, that the evidence Of
fered to the naval court, and that which will
be further given by the survivors, goes to
show, beyond any reasonable doubt, that had
Melville performed the duty devolving upon
him as commander of the party, and obeyed
the directions given him by Lieutenant De-
long, to Immediately communicate with the
Russian authorities, and had gone
to the rescue and conducted a
search for the captains party, each and
every member of that party, with the ex-
ception of Erickson, would have been res
cued and alive to-day. The petitioner further
charges that the naval court of inquiry into
the loss 9th Jeanette, refused to admit or