The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1884-01-11
WASHINGTON NEWS.
DECISION IN A BOND CASE.

WASHINGTON, Jan. IA supreme court
decision was rendered to-day in one of a
series of bond cases from Virginia, namely,
Austin Smith against Samuel Greene Howe,
treasurer of the city of Richmond. The
question involved is the right of a state to
refuse to take the coupons of its bonds for
taxes, after issuing such bonds with a prom
Use that it would take them in payment of
taxes. The suit began. as an action for
trespass in state court, but was afterwar1
removed to the United States circuit court.
That tribunal remanded it to the state court
on the ground that it did not involve fed
eral question. The United States supreme
court, however, decides that it does raise
a general question, iuasmuch as plaintiff
alleges that the act of the Virginia legisla-
ture, which virtually repudiated the
coupons, was in violation of that provision
of the constitution that forbids any strife
to impair by legislation an obligation con-
tracted The judgment of the United
States circuit court is reversed and that
court directed to reinstate the case and
proceed Herewith according to law. The
submission of tie other Virginia tax-coupon
cases, on printed briefs, was set aside, and
it was decided that they be argued orally
when reached. This will have the effect of
postponing them three years.
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS.
WAsptNGToN, Jan. IA caucus Of
democratic members of the house is propos-
ed, for an early day. The object is to
consider the policy of the party on snb-
jects likely to come up durin the winter.
A LAND GRANT BILL PREPARED.
WAsHrNCToN. Jan. THE sen te con-
mittee appointed to consider forfeiture Of
land grants NIT tonight and prepared a
bill to be reported to the committee ON pub.
lie lanls tom, PROV. The bill provides for
the forfeiture of land grants of seven rail
road companies and covers five million acres
The roads are the Gulf and Ship Island. the
Elyton aud Boards Bluff, the Savannah
and Albany, the Tuccaloosa and Mobile, the
st. Louis, from Mountain and Southern
formerly the Iron Mountain AMI Missouri
and the Iron Mountain anil Kansas), the
Mobile and New Orleans, and the Memphis
and Charleston. On a majority of these
roads Cobb, the chairman of the committee,
says little or n, work has been done. The
sub committee will consider the Texas
Pacific land grant at the next meeting.
AMERICAN HOG vs. FRENCH WINE.
VASE NcroN, Jan. 6.-Congressman
Calkins proposes on Monday, on the first
chance he has, to introduce bills arbitrarily
to prohibit the importing of French wines
anil braudies so long as prohibition upon
American hogs is allowed to stand in France.
He thinks that congress will be forced to
take peremptGry measures in order t, rem.
edy the injustice done to one of the chief
products of American export. He thinks
regulate imports, in spite of a treaty es-
pecially whore initiative discrimination was
taken on the other side. In other words,
he believes congress has the right to retail
tions with any other country in the world.
RESOLUTION FOR A CUSTOMS UNION.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 7.-Renresentative
Townshend, in reference to the joint resolu-
tion intrudu ced by him, requesting the
president to invite the governments of all
American nations to establish an American
customs union, says the object of such a
union are to develop the international i'll
terests Of American countries and furnish
more extensive markets for the products of
each. The commerce of South America.
Central America and Mexi,o, Townshend
says, amounts to about 81 ),OOO,OO annu-
ally. Imports, mainly manufactured arti-
cles, are over $500, 900, GOO. OF these
Great Britain and France furnish a
much larger quantity than the United
&ates. The originator of the resolution
says the United States ought to control
all of this commerce.
FoLGfR ASKS FOR AN APPROPRIATION.
WAsHtNGToN, Jan. 7.-Treasury re-
serve one and two dollar notes having be-
come exhausted, Secretary Folger has
asked congress for an appropriation of
$l50. .0C0. to print four million ones and
three million twos. Failing to secure an
appropriation, the secretary declares ne will
have to suspend or decrease the circula.
lion of small gold and silver notes, and
issue notes of large denomination.