The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1885-02-06
WASHINGTON.

Internal revenue collec tions in the Unit
al States for the first six months of the fls-
cal year amounted to Sl6,5lS, Sos, decrease
or S4,91O, fS6 rs compared with the CORES
pondlng period last year.
Having come to the conclusion that it
Will be impossible for want of time to pass
the Publlc-IIealth bill this session, the
House Committee On Public Health has de-
cid ID TO recommend an apprO ,riitOn of
S25, 900 for the National Board OF Health
and $500, OO0 TO be lisei at the discretion of
the President IN preventing the spread of
cholera should the d,se ,Se appear in this
country before the next Congress assem-
bleS.
A delegation OF Iowa snttlers upon lands
along the Sioux City II St Paul Railrol d
is urging the Senate Public Lands Comm T.
tee to act favOrably on the bill already pass.
ed by Congress declaring the forfeiture of
these tracts. IL Is represented that MANY
OF the settlers will I've ruined II the railroad
is permitted to hO.d the lands, which are
worth over 100000. There does not seem
20 be much prospect for the passage of the
bill by the Senate this session.
1t has been discovered by the Senate
Committee OH Indian Affairs that Town
send, former az mt OF the Indian Bureau,
negotiated with an agsnt q leas of the
Iowa Reservation. just before the lease
was signed Townsend resigned. The lease
includes nearly the whole of the Iowa Res
occupancy of some hundreds of thousands
of acres to Townsend and his partner. The
lessees paid the Indians $4,000. Nobody
witnessed the payment and there was no.
body to protect the Indians rights. No
fences were put up, and the money paid for
the lease went back into the pockets OF
Townsend and his partner, who were Ii
censed traders at the agency.
AGRICULTURE.
The Agricultural Appropriation bill WAS
reported TO the House Thursday by the
Committee OH Agriculture. 1t provides for
total appropriation OF $;46,e2O, or $l0S.90J
less than for the current year, and about
Sl54,000 less than the estimates. The re-
port was not q unanimous one and it is UNI
derStood that one appropriation in the bill
will provoke lively discussion and much
opposition in the House. as well from the
minority of the Committee as from a good
many other members. 1t is the provision
which authorizes the Commissioner OF Agri-
culture TO uSe any part OF the appropriation
Tor the Bureau OF Animal Industry as ''he
may deem nee 'SSary or cXp2dlent and in
such manner as he may think best TO pre-
vent the spread of pleurO-pneumOnia not TO
conflict with the existing law" This pro-
vision, IL Is held by its opponents, leaves al
together too much to the discretion of the
head of the department.. Among the mem
oers OF the committee who Will offer vigOr-
Gus opposition to it is Chairman Hatch, who
hopes to have it stricken out Oh Il loint of
C.der.
THE PRECIOUS METALS.
The Director Of the Mint is engaged in
the preparation of his report on the prOduc-
ton of gold and silver in the United States
during the calendar year 1884. From re-
turns made from the minis and assay Offices
it appears, he says, that contrary to his
own expectation and general opinion, a
greater amount of gold was obtained from
mines in the United States in 1881 than dur
ing the previous year. Reports from the
minis and assay Offices of deposits of gold
and silver, which he caused to be verified
by the accounts, show that during the cal
endar year 1884 they received gold of do
meStic production $50, s07, 1G0-nearly $780,
0O0 more than the previous year; while The
deposits OF foreign bullion were 81, 217,3)9,
foreign coin $6,32S, 9!2, iewclry, plate, etc.,
81, S90,577, and United States gold com
$2G7, Fla total, excluding redeposits, OF
S50,51S, l4S. Burchard says there can be no
question that nearly thirty-one millions of
gold, as shown by these reports, were OBJ
tanned from the mines of the United States
during the last calendar year, because the
description and character OF the gold are
apparent to the weigh clerks upon inspcc-
ton, or are easily ascertained, and general
ly the locality, also, whence received, by
inquiry or knowledge OF the business of
the deposltor, and are entered Oh the rec
ord