The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-06-09
GENERAL WASHINGTON NEWS.
Captain SeIfrIdge Tesrifies In His
Own Behalf.
The omaha's Target Practice and
the Subsequent Proceedings.
congressmen Devote Another Day
to the Salt Clause.

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WASHINGTON, June 8.-The court martial of
Capt Thos 0.Selfridge continued its sessions
at the Navy Department yesterday. The ac-
cused officer took the stand in bis own be-
half and detailed the precautions against
danger taken by him on the occasion Of the
target practice in question. He said he did
not claim that he had any right to practice
at target within the three-mile limit, but as
serted that II had been well-known usage
and custom not only Of ships Of the Ameri-
can Navy, bnt OF other naval powers to have
target practice within this limit. and it had
never,in any instance within his knowledge,
been prohibited or objected TO by the Jap
anese authorities. On the contrary, it ap-
peared that the Japenese government recog-
nized this al the usual custom, and In 1881 IS
sued letter OF request to the consuls of the
different foreign governments requesting
them 70 inform commanders Of ships that
they should not have gun practice within
the three-mlle limit unless they should ask
and obtain special permission. This order,
It appeared, was not made public, and Capt.
Seliridge testified that he was entirely
ignorant OF II, as were also Rear -Admirals
Davis and Chandler who had commanded,
the squadron. He stated that the practice
vas hoU dedAnot Tic DluIl, anu not IN VlOld-
tlon OF any Japanese rights, but entirely
from considerations Of safety, as the sea for
twenty-five miles, or as far as could be seen,
was flled with fishing smacks, makingiit
was in the line Of greater precaution that he
shells.
Capt. Selfridge closed his testimony by
detailing the punishment, humiliation and
suffering to which he had been subjected on
account Of this accident; that without Off
elal investigation he was illegally relieved
from command OF his ship, the Omaha land
ordered TO take passage in her while under
tne command Of the executive officer from
Nagasakl to Yokohama.
He was reported to the Secretary of the
Navy by Rear Admiral Chandler in report
Wnicn bears upon its face personal animus
ana IN which the English language has been
almost exhausted in tinding terms sufficiently
strOng 10 express the character OF the Of
fences; that upon the conclusion Of the
court OF Inquiry he was kept five months in
Japan, where the cause Of being relieved
from his ship was well known, and that
finally, at the expiration Of fifteen months
from the date of the target practice, he APP
peared to ask justice from the court martial
Ihe defence will probably rest here, the
prosecution relying upon the evidence taken
Deiore the court Of inquiry in Japan.
The Tariff Struggle.
MrDingley of Maine, in the House today.
from the committee on merchant marine and
fisheries, reported back his resolution calling
upon the Secretary Of the Treasury for in
formation as to whether any order Is now In
fo-ce by which vessels from United States
ports are required to pay less tolls in passing
through Welland Canal and other Canadian
canals, and when they pursue their voyage
by way OF Lake Ontario to American ports.
and whether additional legislation is.neces-
sary to authorize the Secretary of the Treas
ury to impose additional tolls upon vessels
passing through the Sault Ste. Marie and st
Clair flats canal, bound to Canadian ports. in
case the Dominion authorities continue dis
criininatlon against vessels bound to Ameri-
can ports. The resolution was adopted.
The tariff bill was then taken up in COM
mittee Oh the whole, the salt paragraph be-
ing under consideration.
Mr.. Grosyenor Of Ohio said his was great
salt producing district. The tax ON the people
on account OF salt amounted to about six
cents per capita, and If that small protec-
tion was removed. salt could not be produced
In the United States. To certainty. the
works In his district would be closed, and
tion.
Mr. Cox of New York pleaded for cheap
salt. Why should Congress discriminate
against dairymen and in favor of the fish
Mr.. Belden denied that such was the case.
and added that Cox did not know what he
was talking about.
Mr.. Cox replied he had good authority for
his statements. He wanted to reduce the
surplus and to reduce the cost of the break
fast table.
Mr.. Burrows supposed it had been deter
mined in caucus by the Democrats to pass
the bill Just as 1t stood, and naturally they
were Indifferent to any facts that might be
presented.
Mr., Tarsney, of Michigan charged that the
Republicans struck the first blow which
brought down the salt industry in Michigan.
he quoted the utterances and votes Of for
House-Messrs Hale, Hiscock. Burrows
and Reed in favor Of :free salt for pack
ing meat and fish.
Mr.. Breckenridge, of Arkansas, said the
salt duty was class legislation, pure and
simple. He wanted to know why the farm
ers OF the West should be deprived of the
men.
Mr.. Hooker, of Mississippi. cited treasury
reports To- show that sixty million Of people
gagged In salt production.
A motion by Mr.. Burrows to strike out the
paragraph was rejected. An amendment by
Mr.. Grosvenor, Of Ohio. to exclude bulk salt
from the Tree list, admitting only dairy and
table salt, met similar fate
MIR. Bayne, of Pennsylvania, offered an
amendment TO insert rice. cleaned and un-
cleaned, IN the free list. The lines 30, 81. 81
and 33, relating to flax were read, and Mr..
Browne, OF Indiana, moved to strike them
out of the free list.
Pending debate, the committee rose and
the House took recess until So'elock
AT the evening session the House passed
80 private pension bills and adjourned.
Miss RIves's Marriage.
A Richmond (virginia) special says: "An
intimate friend of Miss Amelis Rives, who
has just returned from Castle Hill. states
that the latest rumor about her to the effect
that tshe is engaged to Mr.. Archie Coolidge
Of Boston Is utterly untrue. She is engaged
TO MIR. John Armstrong Chandler of New
York This gentlemen met her at Newport
three years age, and has visited her at her
fathers house frequently since. The en-
gagement was announced last Tuesday, The
marriage will take place at the house of the
bride In September, and few weeks there
reside.
The Pension List.
The following Maine pensions have been
granted
ORIGINAL, INVALID.
Randall I. Mayberry, Mechanic Falls.
Vim. w. Bingham, Togus.
VIM. q. Martin, Bridgton.
REISSUE.
Clinton Ripley, deceased, Buckfeld
George w. Freeze, Portland.
Samuel K. Griffin, West Pembroke.
Horatio N. Joy, Ellsworth.
ORIGINAL, WIDOWS, ETC.
Mary, widow Of Thomas Melody, Portland.
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