Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-10
AT THE NATIONS CAPITAL
$1,000 ASKED FOR IMPROVING
TYBEE ISLAND.

A Savannahan Given an Assistant
POstmastership in the HOuse-Dari-
ems Appeal for the Improvement of
Her HarbOr and River-Wiegand
Again Giving Testimony.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.-Mr. Nichols
will introduce on Monday bill to appro-
pirate $4,000 for the improvement of Tybee
Island. The bill will be accompanied by
memorial setting forth that the drains and
bitches on the island were filed up, and
in many cases totally obliterated by the
storm in August, 1881, to the detriment of
health and property. The memorial is
signed by leading citizens of Savannah.
T. j. Sheftall, of Savannah, has been
appointed one of the Assistant Post
masters of the House. The appointment
was secured by Mr.. Nichols.
A petition has been received here from
the people of Darien, asking an apprOpria-
tion for the Improvement of Darien harbOr
and river. 1t is necessary that there
should be a survey before the apprOpria-
tion can be made. Mr.. Nichols on Mon
day will introduce bill to secure such
survey. He thinks that the River and
Harbor Committee will provide for it.
THE LABOR PROBLEM.
The House Committee on Labor to-day
ordered a favorable report on Representa-
tive Hopkins bill for the establishment of
a Department of Labor Statistics. The
measure provides for the appointment of
a Commissioner, who shall require all
useful information upon The subject of Ia
bor, its relations to capital, and the
means Of promoting the material, social,
religious and intellectual prosperity of
labOring men and women. The question
of contract convict labor was discussed
without reaching a conclusion. Next
Friday the committee will hear the argu-
ments of employers favoring foreign con-
tract labor.
WIEGAND CONTINUES HIS RECITAL.
E. B. Wiegand, Examiner of the De-
partment of Justice, continued his testi-
mOny to-day before the House Committee
on Expenditures in the Department of
Justice investigating the conduct of gov
ernment officials. The witness was ex-
amined in relation to the conduct of r.
M. Douglas, a son of Stephen A. Doug
las, and eX-Marshal, of the Western Dis
trict of North Carolina, and said that he
found him impracticable and almost en-
tiTely without business capacity. His
Office was in charge of his brother-in-law,
said by Wiegand to be totally incOmpe-
tent. The main object of Mr.. Douglass,
h1InCDO W do W uldAG llIt
office pay the maximum compensation
allowed by law rather than to faithfully
administer the duties of the posi-
ton. Mr.. Wiegand cited numerous in
stances of Overcharges and false
accounts made for guards and transpOrta-
ton, and said that the reports of four or
five Investigations Of Mr.. Douglas office
were against the incumbent. In explain
ing the charges against Deputies for
making false accounts, the Marshal de-
Tended them by saying that the law al
lowed them to make such charges. A
majority of the arrests in North Carolina
had been made for illicit distilling.
ON LONGsTREET's CORNs.
Mr.. Joel w. Bowman, an examiner of
the Department of Justice, was the next
witness.
He testified that he had made an inves-
tigation of the offices of Mr.. Douglas, ex-
Marshal of the Western District of North
Carolina, and Gen. LOngstreet, Marshal
of the Northern District of Georgia. He
said that the officers were derelict in their
duty and were guilty of negligence and
inattention to the affairs of their offices,
while some of their deputies were dis
honest. In each district he had arrested
two deputies for rendering false and tic-
titiOus accounts. Two of them had al
ready been tried, the result in one case
being a conviction and the sentencing of
the deputy to the penitentiarY. In the
other the result was an acquittal.