The Portland daily press., 1884-01-09
WASHINGTON.


which last winter he was defeated by Sabin.
WASHINGTON.
|
Agricultural Statistics.
WASHINGTON, Jan. SIT has been general,
| supposed that the West produced more corr
per acre than the Eastern and New ENGLAND
States. The agricultural report shows this il
NOT the case. In Name tI 9 weld per acre ia 81
bushels, New Hampshire 36, Vermont. 81
Massachusetts, 35. Rhode Island 80, New Jer
sey rs. The Southern States yield from tt
~ bushels per acre, and the West from Is te
80. In Indiana the average is 27 bushels, il
Illinois 70, Missouri 25. Kansas s6, New Mexi
co ~; yet 1t Is well known fact that the
lands OF the West are the richest in the world
and would yield, II properly cultivated, an
| average OF % bushels or more per acre. The
same average us to whe at exists
Accident mt the Navy Department.
There was an accident last evening at the
navy department by which Theodore Bockey
escaped death. Secretary Chandler had just
rung for the elevator which was in the sub
basement, and Bockey who had pulled the
cable and then got out to ascertain why the
elevator did not start, attempted to get in
| again as the engineer turned on the steam
He was caught between the floor of the ele-
| vator and the top of stationary door way but
the engineer heard his cry and shut off the
| steam in time to save his life The whole ton
OF the doorway was carried away and had the
| accident happened on any other floor Bockey
would have been cut in two. To-day he is
feeling much easier and probably will recover.
Nominations by the presidents.
The President sent to the Senate to-day the
nomination OF Chief Engineer Charles e..
s~A.serAns TO De chief of the bureau of steam ems
I glneerlng IN the Navy Department. .sss-sssea-s
Work of the Committees.
- s1.z IT
military affairs to-day. Mr.. Steele was in
structed to favorably report the House bill re-
lative to the date of the mastering in of GER
tain officers. The object of the measure is to
pay those officials for all of the time served
during the war. number of members of the
committee are OF the opinion that nearly every
regiment of the late war bad one or two Off
Gers who would be affected BY the BILL In
some Instances they had served one year or
more before being mustered.
The House committee on patents agreed TO-
day to report bill authorizing the Attorney
General to begin proceedings in any United
States Circuit Court to set aside patent and
empowering courts of the United States to
adJudge snch patent void In whole or in part
on proof of its fraudulent procurement. This
committee also agreed to report favorably
Dill to amend the patent laws OF the United
States so as to provide that when an article has
been patented in foreign country previously
to the obtaining of patent in the United States
the patent granted in this country shall not
expire until seventeen years after date of issue
OF the foreign patent
AT meeting of the Senate committee on
finance this morning, Senator Sherman's bill
to authorize the national banks to receive cir
culsting notes no to 80 per cent of the market
value of bonds deposited was under discussi on
but no conclusion was reached.
Land Grants Forfeited.
The House committee on public lands this
forenoon decided to report in favor of decar-
ing forfeited the land grants of seven roads as
follows: The Gulf and Ship Island; the
Eleyton and Boards Bluff; the Savannah and
Albany; the Tuscaloosa and Mobile; the st.
Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern formerly
the Iron Mountain of Missouri and the Iron
Mountain of Arkansas; the Mobile aud New
Orleans, and the Memphis and Charleston. 1t
was determined to hear the atteEneyss 81 zsa sft
stss!s lexas &C special meeting, and
I on the following day the committee will con.
| slider The forfeiture OF the land grant of that
| railroad company.
GreeIy Relief Board.
| Lieutenant Berry, commander of the relief
| steamer Rodgers, was before the Greely Relief
Board today and outlined plane for the relief
OF the dreeiy party, requiring two vessels.
Reception of belongs Remains.
| Secretary Chandler is making arrangements
! to have the bodies of Lieutenant DeLong and
| his comrades appropriately received unon
IL
| vault will be erected at the New York navy
| yard and where they will remain until tinally
| inferred in accordance with the wishes of
| friends The bodies are expected to reach New
| York by the middle of February.
The Senate Omcers.
| Gen. McCook, Secretary of the Senate. has
advised Col. Morrow and Major Williams that
| they will be retained in the positions as as
| sistant executive clerk and petition clerk
| respectively. These gentlemen are Democrats
| and ex-Union soldiers and have filed the posi-.
tions efficiently for several years. 1t is stated
that MIR. Spencer, formerly Journal clerk un.
der Secretary Gorham, will be reappointed to
| that position with Mr.. Mcdonald, the present
| incumbent, as his assistant
improvements ON the mississippi.
Tie President In his message Transmitting
to Congress the report of THE Mississippi river
commission invites their attention to continue
tion OF the work, and says the harvest of grain
and cotton produced in the region bordering on
the Mississippi are so vast as to be of national
Importance, and the project now being execu-
ted for their cheap transportation should be
sufficiently provided for as the appropriation
for river improvements is exhausted, and in
view OF the approach of the flood season. the
fresiaent recommends the early passage of q
separate bill upon the subject.
Pension Claims
Commissioner Dudley's sem-annual report
CoutalHb ouo item Wnicn SHOWS that Congress-
men have good deal to 10 besides to attend
to legislative matters. Last month Commits
sioncr Dudley received from congressman
666 letters about pending pension claims, and
during the six months ending Dec. 81, 18,767
such letters were received. One effect, and
that probably the greatest one of the publica-
tion OF the list OF pensioners, is the large in
crease IN the number of applications for an in
creased rate OF pensisn. In August, 2,440 ap-
pl1cations for increase were received that be-
Y O 10 firof ofk Al
lished list. In November, the number of ar.
pllcatons for increase had run up to 5 ,154, and
the number In December was as large. The
number of original invalid claims received
during the last six months was 1882 OF the
number of original widow claims i. 1888. and
the number of original 1872 cases 327. The
claims OF the latter class, adjusted and pend
ing, exceed 35, 600 in number. When the bill
to pension the survivors and widows of the
war of 1872 was under discussion, a man who
declared that 1t would add 10000 new names to
the pension rolls was thought to be lunatic.
His estimate was far within bounds the num-
Der of names on the rolls at this time being
about three and half times his estimate
Miscellaneous.
A called meeting of the Senate committee
on military chiefly to take action upon pending
nominations, will be held Thursday.
ID. p. Bailey Of Missouri was made clerk of
the House committee on coinage, weights and
measures to-day.
The comptroller of the currency has called
for the report of the condition of national
banks on Dec 31st ult
The cabinet meeting to-day was attended by
al members except Secretary Folger who was
detained at the Treasury Department BY off,
cial business. Routine questions pertaining
to different departments were considered,
1t is thought probable another call for tbree
per cent bondA will be issued during the pre-
sent week.
The Senate to-day confirmed the nomina-
tions of Everett jenkins and Luther Gage post
masters at Pittsfeld and Penacook, N. a.,
respectively.
MASSACHUSETTS.