Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-04-15
WASHINGTON.

The Supreme Court of the United
States has decided that the tax on tobacco in
tended for export is constitutional
Solicitor General John Goode APP
peared before the Telephone Investigating
Committee at Washington to tell what he knew
of the circumstances leading up tc the institu-
ton of the Memphis SUIT that was subse-
quently dropped. He had considered, he said,
only what he regarded the points in the matter
fret, whether the department had power
to order suit; and, second, whether the papers
presented made out prima-facie case. He
had not given the application special pre-
codence, nor had ho been requested to do 80.
The reason for finally bringing the suit at
Columbus was that there had been no de-
cision in the court at that place bearing upon
telephone suits, while in some form the
question had figured in every Eastern court
1t was thought that in Columbus they could
get perfectly fair and impartial tribunal,
and forum where there was no preconceived
opinion in regard to the matter Attorney
General Garland had never mentioned the Bell
or Pan-Electric Company to witness until
after his return from his vacation in October,
when witness introduced the subject to him,
having seen it mentioned in the public press.
Witness did not know that Mr. Garland had
any interest in the Pan Electric or any other
telephone company until he saw the newspaper
publications.
The majority of the House Com nit
tee on Elections has decided to reject the claims
OF Frank H. Hurd to the seat from Ohio now
held by Romeis.
The House Territory Committee has
decided to report adversely all bills to create
the Territory of Oklahoma on the ground that
the Government has no right TO the land under
existing treaties.
Solicitor General Goode testified
before the Pan Electric Investigating Commit
tee at Washington, on cross examination, that
he was not aware Of using any undue or I'M
usual haste in ordering the suit against the
Bell Company II he had known of the Attor-
ney Generals connection with the Pan-Electrc
Company, and an application for a suit had
beenmade, his action would have been the same
as il was When asked il il had not occurred
to him that IL was late in the day TO charge
fraud against the Bell patents, witness replied:
sNo; and want to say further that did not
know that the Bell Company was hedged about
with such divinity that it could not be brought
into court like other companies There is one
point / desire to make clear, and that
is that the Attorney General had no moro
70 do with the institution of this suit
than asy member Of the committee" Witness
admitted that he could not recall single case
. where patent suit had been ordered without
- reference of the papers to the Interior Depart
ment, but the practice, he faid, was merely
one of courtesy. The witness said he had d.
fected the diHcontinuance Of the Memphis suit
Z because he knew il would be agreeable to the
President
aihr The House Committee on Coinage
has voted TO report favorably bill for the es-
tablishment Of asub-treasury at Louisville.
The Secretary of the Interior has re.
yoked the order Of Commissioner Sparks Of the
General Land Office Of April 3, 1885, suspend
ing final action upon entries upon the public
lands.