The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-02-08
WASHINGTON.


Marshals in the South.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7.-E. B. Wiegand ex-
amiuer of the department of justice in his
testimony to-day before the House committe q
on Expenditure exposed The impositiops
practiced by deputy U. S. marshals in GEORGIA
Alabama and North Carolina, who made false
arrests snd pocketed the fees. Many men were
illegally arrested on tie Charge of chopping
wood on public lands aud were baDkrupted in
paying the costs of tlisl. He had been
threatened while Investigating and w. A.
wilson now receiver of public money had
once tired to shoot him. La Covington county,
Z Alabama, witness said there was scarcely q
man VINO had not been arrested and Mr. VIE
gand could not recall a single case where the
prisoner had been convicted.
Relating TO the Naval observatory.
Senator Pike of New Hampshire introduced
In the Senate to-day bill to give assistant as
tronoDers at the naval observatory the rank,
pay ard privileges of assistant naval construc-
tors and to provide that In all future spDoint-
ments of assistant astronomers the candidates
for appointment shall be examined BY the
board of medical examiners and professors of
mathem tics at the naval observatory such ex-
aminations to be open to ali who apply to the
Secretary of the Navy for permission to COM
pete.
Forfeiture of Land Grants.
The bill introduced in the Senate today by
Senator Morgan of Alabama to provide for the
settlements of The rights of States and corpora
tlons and persons interested in any land
grant made in aid of any railroad or canal
which shall be declared forfeited by act of
Congress; provides that the Circuit Court of
the United States shall have jurisdiction of all
questions arising out of such declaration of
forfeiture and shall have jurisdiction to de-
termlue wht ther any such declaration or for
feiture has been so made as to abridge. impair
or destroy the constitutional rights of any
State. corporation or person having rights un-
der the act of Congress making such grants.
Complicated and EmprabfscabIe Bill.
Treas ury experts who have examined Morri-
sons tariff bill say that it is exceed ngy COM
plcaied, and that it is doubtful if it will be
possible by figures to show what its actual eff
feet will be, and that if it should bee me law
1t would not be possible to decide under what
Particular rate of duty each class of articles
would come in. The Treasury authorities
whose special duty it is to construe the Gus
toms laws maintain that this BILL if enacted,
would result in the most extraordinarg COM
plicstions, and could not fail to cause very
extensive litigation. The horizontA Al reduction
with the "fs" aud lands" and exceptions
and "provisors" would prove confusing.
Mr.. Morrison will not be able to report his
tariff bill from the ways and means committee
as soon as he hoped. At the meeting this
morning two things were determined: First,
that the majority of the committee will in-
sst that hearing shall be given to those inter-
ests, or that, il it is necessary, that members
of the committee shall have schedules to
know what the effect of the bill is 1t is even
more impO tant that those whose business is
to be affected by the proposed legislation
should have the same information. This will
Cause delay,
General sherman Retired.
General Sherman will be placed on the re-
tired list OF the army tomorrow, and a general
order will be issued announcing his retire
ment.
Colonels Tourtellot and Bacon, now acting
as sides-de-camp to Gen. Sherman, will be or
dered TO rejoin their regiment.
Insurance Companies and the Geneva
Awnrd
Arguments which began Monday, Feb. 4th,
before the court of claims on a motion to dis
miss the petitions of insurance companies for
moneys der the Gneeva award were finish
ed to-day. The court reserved decision. The
amount of claims represented in the arguments
is 81 000,000.
Miscellaneous.
Passed Assistant Engineer VIM, L, Bailis
has been ordered to special duty at Woods
Ho'l, Mass
Hon. Wm. NJ. Evarts, on behalf of the West.
ern Union Telegraph Company, made an ex-
haustive argument against a postal telegraph
before the Senate postoffice committee today.