Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-03-21
Washington.
THE PORTER BILL.


ment must be concurred in; and as i
is far down on the calenkar of bills
lying on the speakers table, it is hard
ly likely to be reached. Gen. Slocun
will have charge of the Fitz Johr
Porter bill in the house. The only
difficulty expected is that some of it.
opponents will make the objection
that the preamble is not pertinent t.
the bill. The fact that the bill had t
go back to the house is due to blum,
derlng on the part of the house man
ayers. Instead of selecting the bill
which passed the senate last year,
which provided adequate safeguards
against back pay, and which would
be certain to pass the senate this year,
the house managers adopted a differ
ent phraseology, which, in the opinion
of the best lawyers in the senate, did
allow back pay. Yet it was not Gen.
Porter's desire to have his case com
plicated with such question.
THE TARIFF SITUATION.
WASHINGTON, March 1S.-The dem
ocratic caucus on the Morrison bill
will not be held before Saturday,
The Herald's dispatch from here says:
The friends of the bill are in no haste
with it, because they see that delay
strengthens it with the country. The
1roquoiS club, of Chicago, many
members of which are manufacturers,
formally approved the bill ten or
twelve days ago, and the democratic
state committee of Wisconsin, in is
suing call for state convention
last week, instead of Sinking the tar
1T issue as the natioral committee
did in its call, adopted the concluding
words of Mr.. Morrison's report on his
bill, and, as part of their convention
call, demanded substantial reduction
in tariff taxes as measure of partial
relief to the people from unnecessary
taxes and as measure of justice to
consumers and conducive To the gen
eral industrial prosperity. )"
From other sources and especially
the northwest came great many of
the most encouraging indications that
the sentiment of the people is rapidly
taking definite form and clearness for
tariff reform.
A return made to the ways and
means committee, Showing articles,
values, amount and rates of duty on
importations for the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1888, and the estimated
amount of duty on the same importa,
tlons under act of March 3, 1883
also house bill to reduce import duties
and war tariff taxes" (the Morrison
bilD shows that the duty received un
der the old tariff on the arti
cles touched by the Morrison bill
was in round numbers $17S, 600, 900
under the present tariff on the same
values of imports $16S. 200, 900, anC
would be under the Morrison bill
S137, 600, 900.
The average ad valorem duty under
the old law was on these articles 40. s.
per cent. it is under the present law
49, IA per cent. and it would be under
the Morrison tariff 81 IL per cent. The
reduction in taxation by the Morrison
bill will amount to $50, 600, 900 an6
the average reduction in duties to
1927 per cent.
THE GREELEY RELIEF EXPEDITION.
The president to-day transmitted tc
the house letter from Secretaries
Lincoln and Chandler, opposing the
proposition to offer reward for the
dis oY cry and relief of the Greeley
party, by private enterprise. They
think it would be inadmissible to offer
an incentive to inadequately prepared
private parties, when the government
expedition is thoroughly equipped.
Another reason urged against the
proposition is that the government by
inviting such cooperation will as
sumo certain responsibility towards
those whom it thus induces to enter.
THE BANKING BILL.
Friends Of the Mcpherson banking
bill in the house are of the opinion
that the bill cannot be reached before
the middle of May, if by that time.
GENERAL GRANT.
Gen. Grant is at the Arlington
hotel. He is believed to be better
than at any time since his fall and is
accompanied by Mrs. Grant, Col.
Fred. Grant and his wife and Miss
Bessie Sharp, of Yankton. They
will remain in the city about three
weeks.
THE KILBoURN CASE.
When the circuit court met to-day
Justice Hazen said he was not salts
fed with the manner in which the
jury was selected to sit in the case of
Kilbourn against ex-Sergeant-at-A Arms
Thompson. They were empanelled
and he discharged them. A new jury
was selected and the case went over
until tomorrow.
NOMINATIONS.
Sumner Howard of Michigan, was
nominated for chief justice OF the su-
preme court of Arizona. Case Brad
erick of Kansas, was nominated for
associate justice of the supreme court
of Idaho. Jacob b. Blair of Wyo-
ming, was nominated as associate JUS
tice of Wyoming. Major Orville E.
Babcock will be nominated as lieuten-
ant colonel of the corps of engineers.
INVESTIGATED ENOUGH.
Sec. Chandler has written a letter
to Representative Cox, chairman of
the committee on naval affairs, strong
ly opposing a second investigation of
the Jeanette Arctic expedition. He
says the friends of Jerome Collins
had every opportunity before the
court of Inquiry to ascertain the facts
III the case, and that in his opinion the
proposed re-opening of the case is
highly inexpedient, and it seemed a
pitIless sacrilege TO again tear open the
graves of the dead for the purpose
Of indecentiy calling public attention
to what a court. of inquiry correctly
termed trivial difficulties, such as oc
cur on shipboard even under the most
favorable circumstances, and which
had no influence in bringing about
the disasters of the expedition, and no
pernicious effect upon its general con-
duct.