The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-12-02
WASHINGTON NOTES.
ruNIsmaIENr or rnE ArAcnrs.

WAsHINeToN, November e9.-The fate of the In.
uians captured IN Miles campaign is practically
settled. lt was net decided when they were fret
sent east whether any of them would he tried for
their crimes or not. The president has examined
the case very carefully, and has come 10 the con.
eluslon that life confinement for all these In
uians In Florida, whore they can do no harm, will
be the most thorough punishment which can be
visited upon them
DISCHARGE OF EMPLOYEES.
WAsHINGToN, November 2g.- Secretary Whitney
has issued an order for the discharge of all EN-
ployes In the civil establishments OF war and tha
navy yard, with the exception OF the foreman and
clerk for each department of the yard The Star
tonight says:
when the secretary issued his order turning
the yard over to the ordnance bureau, and direct.
ing the discharge OF employees in the departments
abolished by the order, advantage taken of the
provision for keeping enough force to pack up
goods OF diiferent branches to retain civil estab-
llshments In the various departments The work
OF packing up viii be done hereafter BY employing
soorers, the secretary not believing in retaining
clerks, watchmen and messengers for laborer's
work. dozen employees under tina bureau of
yards and docks and about thirty under the steam
englneering bureau will be included In the dis
charges, as we'll "a employees ander other bureaus
which have been abolished"
THE BELGIAN EXPRESS RonBERY
WASHINGTON, November % The postcfiice de.
pArtment has received a numerical list OF the
amount of registered packages lost In the recent
Belgian mail robbery. Among the large number
Texas, the original Nos. OF the came being 233 eai
and 2i5, all from Waco. Referring TO the state
ment cabled from Brussels that the Belgian gov
ernment under existing treaties, Is responsible 10
this government for the loss of these packages,
Snperint ndent Bell said that, for the want OF con.
gressional authority, the postal authorities had
not subscribed To that provision OF the Lisbon pos.
tal union treaty, which provides for the ndemnih-
cation OF owners for loss of registered matter and
as the provisions of the treaty were reciprocal In
heir operation they bind only those governments
| Mnlcn nave become OAItipa 10 them kunarinfpnd.
ent Bell also stated that the statements IN the dis.
patches purpertng to give the aggregate value of
the lost packagea were the merest guess work, as
no one could know the value OF the packages but
the eenders.
BUILDING THE CRUISERS.
WASHINGTON, November 2p-The eecretary of
the navy to-day accepted the following BIZ for the
construction of the new cruisers and gunboats.
Cruiser No. ?, Charleston, union works Of San
Francisco, at Si,0l7ho0; cruiser No. 3, Baltimore,
Cramp " Sons, OF Philadelphia, s1,3y5O COO; gun.
boat No =, the Columbia Iron Works and Dry
Dock company of Baltimore, at $247,000. In tho
Case OF gunboat No; |, no decision has yet been
reached as between the bid OF heeder Il Sons and
the bid OF Cramp Y Sons.
TREASURY ITEMS,
WASHINGTON, November 80.--owing to heavy
payments this month, amounting TO over i20O0,-
900, II IL thought at the treasury department there
has been very little, II any decrease In public debt
for November.
officers of the secret service recently eeized a
fac simile painting of u 81 United States note as
being a violation of the laws against counterfeit.
ing. The painting was on q wooden block, aud
was 50 well done that II looked as though the note
was lying on wood and could easily he removed.
The chief OF the secret service division thought
that the painting should be destroyed. The artist,
however, protested against this as unjust He
represented that the painting was the work OF art,
and worth about S5 0. Some or tue treasury ofi-
cals are OF the opinion that the artist Is right.
The question has been referred TO the solicitor OF
the treasury. II Is understood that there Ia num-
Der OF these paintings In existence.
APPoNTMENTs
WASHINGTON, November 3O.-The president
made the following appointments, to-day;
Philip w. Downs, to be general appraiser Of mer-
chandise, for the district OF Baltimore
VIM NJ Neal, Of Franklin, Ind, to be agent for
Indians OF Lewhi agency in Idaho.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
WASHINGTON November 3l.-Fhe presidents
message again formed the only subject of discuss
sion at the meeting Of the cabinet to-day ALL
members were present. II 10 Understood that the
message is complete with the single exception OF
that portion relating 10 the naval establishment
COMMITTEE WORK
WASHINGTON, November 30.-The house sub
committee on appropriations has made such prc-
gress the sundry civil bill that doubt Ia enter
talned that the measure will be ready for consider
alton OF the full committee next Monday. The
TO have Its bill ready for submission as soon as the
sundry civil bill is reported 20 the house.
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.
WASHINGTON, November BO.--'rhe c0nfreres on
the interstate commerce bills, with the exception
OF Representative Crisp, who has not yet arrived,
assembled to-day and epent some time In reading
over the testimony taken upon the subject Of Intel.
discnssic of the merits of the house and senate
bill.