The Portland daily press., 1884-02-18
WASHINGTON.
Rebate Of Tobacco Tax.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16.- The First Comp
troller of the Treasury has prepared circular
letter to be sent to all claim agents for rebate
of tobacco tax under the recent act of Con-
gress, notifying them that it will be impossi-
Bile for him to give any definite information as
to the time when their claims can be passed
upon, unless the clerical force in his Office is
increased. The First Comptroller says that
there are about 48, 900 of these claims filed
in his office, that he has only four clerks who
are charged with the settlement of such &C.
counts and that there is no prospect OF settling
these latter claims under the existing crcum-
stances inside of three years.
Immigration Statistics.
The Chief of the bureau of Statistics reports
that during the month of January there arriv-
ed in the customs districts of Baltimore, Bos-
ton, Detroit, Huron, Minnesota, New Orleans,
New York, Passamaquoddy, Philadelphia and
San Francisco 1874 passengers of whom 12,-
015 were immigrants, 2,264 citizens of the
United States returned from abroad and l, ,4S5
aliens not intending to remain. Total number
OF immigrants arrived in the above named GUS
tom districts from principal foreign countries
during seven months ended January 81, 1884,
was 250,366 and during the same period of the
previous year 283, ,419.
The Pacific Bank.
Comptroller Knox publishes a long state
ment touching the failure of the Pacific Ma
tional Bank of Boston and his official action In
that connection. He says that the questions
both as to responsibility of stockholders and di-
rectors will beIdecided by the courts, and stock
holders have no just ground of complaint
against the comptroller; also that there is no
ground for any congressional faction, as pay
ment of these assessments was rendered nec-
essary by mismanagement of the bank, though
previous to them it is purely question OF law.
Morrison's Tariff BILL
The Ways and Means Committee of the
House was addressed to-day by Joseph Whar-
ranrpapnfiDO the R6gaPmPr Stnpl infarasf.
Geo. "a. Ely ofCleveland and B.T.Jones of Pitts
burg. representing the iron ore interests, in op-
position to the Morrison bill. Messrs. Will
iiams and Jewett of the American Tin Plate
Association for an increase of duty on tin
plate. Mr.. Jewett said that the profits of Eng
1ish manufactures had been larger than those
of American ever since the manufacture of
iron began. The committee will hear argu-
ments from cotton men on Monday; from glass
and earthern ware men on Tuesday; from
wool growers on Wednesday and representa-
tives of the New York Free Traders League
and Brooklyn ReformClub onThursday of next
week. Manufacturers are asked by the COM
mittee to send in writing, any information
they may desire to place before it and to an
swer the following questions:
Where is the competiting article produced.
Price per unit OF quantity produced.
Cost OF ocean transportation.
Price of the domestic article.
Cost of it's production and wages paid per
capita
How many days, weeks or months in the last
year have your sorks been stopped and the
cause.
How many and what changes in the rates of
wages have been made IN the last year.
Presidential Post Offices.
The following post offices have been assigned
to the third (Presidentia) class and the salar-
les of the postmasters fixed at the amounts
stated; Bethel. Conn, $1400; Foxcroft Me-,
$1,000; Brookfeld, Mass, $1,000; New Market,
n. H., S1lO0 The change in classification of
these offices will take effect April LIST.
The Attorney General holds that all cases in
which it appears from the biennial readjust-
ment of salaries of postma7ters OF the third,
fourth or fifth class, that they received 10 per
cent. or more less then they would have re-
ceived in commissions under the act of 1854,
they are now entitled under the act of 1883, to
the difference between what was paid them
and what they would have received as COM
missions under the act of 1854.
Miscellaneous.
The German Minister says he has received
no information concerning the alleged action
OF Prince Bsmark in regard to the House reg
oluton of coincidence on Herr Lasker's death.
Secretary Frelinghuysen has received no reply
to his telegram sent to the U. s. Ministers OF
Berlin, regarding the return OF the Lasker
resolutions and is inclined to doubt the truth
of the report in view of the fact that neither
he nor the German Minister have been inform
ed of any such action by Prince Bismarck.
The President signed the joint resolution ap-
priating $1,000 additional to the relief of the
sufferers from the overflow of the Ohio river
and its tributaries, as soon az received by him
from Congress. The Secretary of War is busi-
ly engaged in taking measures for the relief of
ths flooded districts.
The remains of Geo. E. o. G. Ord are ex-
pected to reach this city from Havana the last
of this month. Gen. Hancock and staff will
receive them on their arrival at New York,
and guard of honor will accompany them to
this CITY.