The Portland daily press., 1886-10-09
FROM WASHINGTON.
John M. corse Appointed Postmast-
er at Boston.
Dates at Which Maine Republican
Collectors Terms Expire,
Important Land office Decision by
Commissioner Sparks.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8.-An important land
Office decision has been made by Commits
sioner Sparks, involving the title to certain
valuable lands in the vicinity of New Or
leans, covered partly by the town of Carroll
ton and partly by buildinffs and improve
ments of great value, including the race
course, Metairie Ridge cemetery and the
she'll road and railroad from New Orleans to
Lake Ponchartrain. This property has been
claimed and possessed since the middle of
the last century, undera French grant, which
has been surveyed and separated from the
public domain. The adverse claimants as
serted their title by virtue of certain swamps
and other selections under grants to the
State of Louisiana. Commissioner Sparks
holds that the French grant is a complete
title, protected by the treaty of 1903, and not
needing legislative or other confirmation by
the United States, and that the lands being
private property at the date of the State
grants did not pass under those grants. The
amount involved in this decision reaches sew
eral million dollars.
Light House. Keeper Appointed.
J. w. Kelly. has been appointed light house
keeper at Petit Manan, off the Maine coast.
A New Postmaster at Boston.
John NJ. Corse has been appointed post
master at Boston.
Suit Against the Adams Express
1@ Company
Jerome f. Manning of this city, today
brought suit against the Adams Express
Company for the nOn-return to him of a
treasury draft delivered to the agent Of the
company in this city in December, 1885, to be
sent to a.client at Eastport, Me. Manning
Instructed the company to return the draft if
the money due to him upon it was not paid
within "a hours. The draft was transferred
by the Adams Express Company at Boston,
an nd hr n a.
port The draft arrived there two days after
the death of the client, and it is alleged that
the draft was detained ten days at Eastport,
and the private marks of the package OBJ
tanned. Immediately on its delivery to the
Adams Company at Boston, legal proceed
ings were taken by parties claiming an inter
est in the draft to prevent its return to Wash
ington, and Manning was deprived of his
fee. The amount claimed is $4,000.
"Iron Dirt"
Complaint has been made to the Treasury
Department against the alleged practice of
the collector at Eastport, Me-, of allowing
importations from st. John, n. b., of arti-
cles said to be ainvoiced as Iron Sand'' or
"Iron Dirt, and passed as crude mineral or
ore at duty of 20 per cent ad valorem, but
which is in fact said to be pure metallic cast
iron in the form of globules or fine shot. The
collector has been instructed to make thor
ough investigation of the matter, and if the
representations made to the Department are
correct to assess duty on the articles at the
rate of 45 per cent ad valorem.
Most of Them Maine Men.
The following Republican collectors of
customs still hold their positions. The dates
at which their commissions expire are also
given:
Daniel F. Davis, Bangor, Me-, December IA,
1886.
John L. Pierce, Machias, Me-. March 2. 1887.
NOll B. Mutt, Eastport Me-, December %.
1887.
Albert A. Gardiner, Nantucket, Mass, Decem-
ber 25, 1887
George W. Warren Cape Vincent, N. Y, March
2, 1887.
Isaac W. Boardman, Belfast, Me-, January 2,
1885,
Parker c. Wiggin, Kennebunk, Me-, January 6,
1888
George Parcher Saco, Me-, January IL, 1889.
Edwin Sprague, Waldoboro, Me-, January 1S,
1889.