The Portland daily press., 1885-03-16
WASHINGTON.
work ef the Ssu.,e.


ly to devote some OF its spare time during the
present week to the consideration of foreign
affairs. 1t is expected two or three treaties OF
minor Importance and in respect to when
there can be little difference ef opinion will be
reported from the committee on foreign rela-
tions and taken up by the Senate in executive
session during the week. Among them Will
probably be the treaty in relation to the boun-
dairy lines between this country and Mexico;
the treaty providing REHABILITATION of theWell
and Da Abrs claim and the Manderson resolu-
ton calling for information with regard TO
Central American affairs may also be reported
and discussed during the week. The more i'm
portant OF the pending treaties, however,
among which are the Hawaiian reciprocity
treaty and that relating to international pat
ents rights system, will be held back until the
regular session. The Backbone" resolution
offered by Senator Van Wyck will doubtless
be further discussed tomorrow 1t Is probable
that all public business which the Senate has
in hand will be disposed of with three or four
days discussion and the body will then only
await the pleasure Of the Executive and will
adjourn as soon as his important nominatio ms
have been received and voted upon.
Valuable Autographs.
In the executive office of the Senate there
are preserved all the executive messages of the
Presidents of the United States from the for
nation of the government. Though not often
referred to some of these documents are becom-
OF the Senate caused selections to be made
from the files with a view to preserving some
OF the interesting autographs in a cabinet by
themselves. In some cases the first message
OF the administration was taken and where
this was OF more Importance the first conspic.
nous one, generally that making the nomina-
tions for cabinet positions, was taken. They
form an interesting collection of historic me-
mentoes and one of the most valuable auto
graph collections in the land. None of Amer
f1n1 s1ar1 tt1~n
ington and Jefferson would be marked above
fifty for penmanship by civil service COM
mission.
American Tract Society.
The annual meeting of the American tract
society was held in the Memorial Lutheran
church this evening and was we'll attended.
The statement of Rev. DIR. Shearer one of the
secretaries shows that the receipts with the
balance in the treasury at the beginning of the
year were 1857 .470 of which $102,870, was in
donations and legacies expenditures includ-
ing $4,000 paid in reduction of the mortgage
on the tract house were $355, ,083, whole num-
ber of books, tracts and periodicals circulated
was $3.50, 900 copies and colporteurs employed
were 161. Addresses, warmly commencing
the society were made by ex-justice Strong,
Senator Colquitt of Georgia. and Rev. Drs. A.
W. Pitzer and j. G. Butler.
Mistakes of the Committee ON Enrolled
Bills.
WARRINGTON, Mar. 14.-It has been ascer-
tanned today, that, in the enrolment of the
for the abolition OF the naval advisory boar d
at the discretion of the secretary Of the navy
was omitted. The clause appropriating $780,
600 for the armament of the new cruisers was
also omitted in the enrolment, although it
was agreed to by both houses of Congress. In
the sundry civil service bill an item sppropri-
ating $5,5 800 for telegraph poles and material
for the life saving service was also dropped in
the enrolment.
The Hazen Court Martial.
In the Hazen court martial at Washington
today, the judge advocate general sustained
the objection raised by the prosecution yester-
day, to the introduction as evidence of GER
tain article published in the Sunday Capitol.
The defence then offered in evidence, and had
read to the court, that portion of sthe annual
report of the secretary of war for 1884, which
refers to the Arctic matters, and in which Gen
Hazen is severely criticized by the secretary
Tor his suggestion concerning the sending
of the relief party to the Arctic re-
gions in the fall of 1885, Extracts from afi-
davits, made by Arctic navigators as to the
practicablity OF sending an expedition to the
Greedy party in the fall of 1888, which form
the basis of the second specification to the
charges against General Hazen, were also
read.
The New Assistant Secretary of the Treas
ury.
Mr.. Fairchild was qualified as assis tant sec
retary of the treasury this afternoon and en-
ters upon his duties Monday morning. Judge
French today took official leave of his asso-
ciates. The statement that the new assistant
secretary will have the supervision of the ap-
lated in accepting the Office that he should
not have anything to do in the matter of ap-
pointments. He would succeed in the busi-
ness relating to customs, special agents, life
saving stations, light houses and other servic-
es heretofore under the charge of As
slstant Secretary French.
War Vessels Ordered 90 Proceed to Gem.
tral America.
The secretary of the navy today directed by
telegraph the commanders of the Waehusett
and Shenandoah of the North Atlantic squad
ron, now near New Orleans, to proceed at once
to Central America. The commanders of
three vessels Of the squadron remaining near
New Orleans were directed to hold themselves
in readiness to execute similar order. OF
the North Atlantic Squadron three vessels
the Galena, Powhatan and Swatara, are now
in Central American waters. The entire
squadron will be held subject to orders from
Washington. These movements are under
stood to have direct reference to the endeavor
of Gen. Bsrrios to make himself the "su-
preme military chief of Central America.
Facts and Rumors.
Commander S. d. Evans who was removed
from the inspectorship of the fifth light house
district by Ex-Secretary Chandler has been re-
instated by Secretary Whitney. Commander
Silas Casey, who was appointed to succeed
Evans has been ordered to settle his accounts.
The removal of Evans was alleged by his
friends to have been for political reasons
The secretary of the treasury has received
large number Of anonymous communications
making all sorts of scandalous charges against
employees of the treasury department.. He
said this afternoon that he wanted to have il
known by everybody that he did not propose
to take the least notice of anonymous letters.
The President is considering the advisable
itY of revoking the recent order of President
Arthur throwing open to settlement the old
Winnebago or Grow Creek Indian reservation
in Dakota. In behalf of the Indians it has
been asserted that the order of President Ar
thur was illegal.