The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-24
WASHINGTON NOTES.

A BILL has been introduced into Congress
to transmit in the mails, free of postage, all
newspapers sent to actual subscribers.
THIRTY-SEvEN fats, containing three
thousand bushels of coal each, were cut
from their moorings at Pittsburgh, Pa, by
the heavy ice the other morning, and drifted
down the Ohio River. Nineteen were re
covered the same afternoon. One sunk and
the balance ioated away.
BREWSTER CAMERON, who had been be-
fore the House Committee on Expenditures
in the Department of Justice, was again be-
fore the Committee and gave in addition to
those already stated a list of twenty-five
more names of persons whose official con-
duct had been investigated on account of
alleged Irregularities and rendering fraud
ulent accounts. Some of these men, Cam
eron said, have been convicted. Ralph
Bollin. Special Examiner, who will
be sent to South Carolina to present the
cases of sixteen United States Deputy
Marshals to the Grand Jury, also appeared
before the committee to give his experience
as Examiner in Georgia, South Carolina,
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida,
New York and Pennsylvania. He be-
gan with the experience of Georgia in
the fall of 1881 and spring of 1882, by the
examination Of the accounts of United
States Marshal Fitzsimmons, pre-
decessor of General Longstreet.
Bolin said that shortage of $4,000 was
found. The official has never been prose
cuted, nor had anything been recovered
from Fitzsimmons or his bondsmen. The
erroneous charges on the part of Deputy
Marshals under Longstreet, amounting to
$4,000 or $1,000, had been settled through
Longstreet. He, however, was not blamed
by Bolin, as the overcharges were made by
Deputy MarshalS, who were punished.
SENATOR VAN WICK is said to feel conf
dent he will be able to secure the passage
of his bill appropriating money to reim-
burse, at $3.50 an acre, those settlers who
have been or may hereafter be dispossessed
Of their lands on account of priority of
grant to the Northern Kansas Railroad
Company.
THE Chairman of the House Committee
on Expenditures in the Department of JUS
tice, said recently the committee will prob
ably finish the investigation of the official
conduct Of United States Deputy Marshals
and other officials of the Department of
Justice within two or three weeks, when it
would take up the question of expenditures
Of the star-route cases.
THE Secretaries of War and Navy APP
peared before the House Committee on Ap-
preparations in behalf of an appropriation
for the Greeley Relief Expedition. The
President will send in a message on the
subject.
In recent executive session Of the Sen
ate, the Reciprocity Treaty with Mexico
came up for consideration. The only vote
taken was one to recommit. The purpose
OF that motion, it being understood, was to
defeat the treaty by referring it bach, where
It would be pigeon-holed until the expira-
ton OF the limit for Reconsideration. This
was IN the interest of the sugar producers
OF Louisiana, who were foremost in oppos-
ing the treaty. The motion to recommit
was defeated
In the new ruAes adopted by the United
states Senate the sale of Intoxicating
drinks in che Senate restaurant is ex-
pressly prohibited.
HE Chairman Of the House sub-commit-
zee having the subject in charge, will be
directed by che Commerce Committee to
report bill Prohibiting the importation of
all merchandise which the President may
deem pre5udiciai to health. This bill diff
fers from the Townshend bill, in that the
latter gives discrimination to the Presi-
dent, while the proposed bill is mandatory,
and IS directed against those countries pro-
hibiting American pork.
SECRETARY CHANDLER reported to the
Senate that there were ninety-three vessels
on the naval register in November, 1853, of
these twenty-five were built prior to tse