The Portland daily press., 1888-01-06
Open sassIons Of the senate.

9eO ohOht POihupo'
Open Sessions of the Senate.
There Will be renewal Of the fight on
the executive session for one thing. Senator
Platt will charge once more to the front, and
this time he will have the support of Senator
Aldrich of Rhode Island. The latter does
not go to the length proposed by the Con.
nectieut man, of having everything open.
| He wishes to preserve partially the secrets,
| throwing open all the Senate journal and
| allowing Senators to talk about secret ses-.
| which q special injunction of privacy Is
thrown. This would be compromise which
| would greatly satisfy the public but it is
| very doubtful if it meets the approval of the
Senate. The Senate stands still very
steadily on its dignity and anything which
crushed out of the way in most dignlhed
but most freezing sorC of manner. The New
England Senators, too, with the exceptions
noted, are all pretty solidly in line on this,
to them, important question.
DutiabIe Articles in the Malls.
The Secretary of the Treasury has just is
sued a regulation of considerable interest
to border States, regarding the treatment of
dutiable articles received in the mails from
foreign countries. He decides:
''When letters, sealed packages, or pack
ages the wrappers of which cannot be re-
moved without destroying them, are received
in the United States from foreign country,
and the postmaster of the exchange office at
which they are received has reason to believe
they contain articles liable to customs
duties, he shall Immediately notify the GUS
toms officer OF the district In which his OF
fee is located, or the customs officer desig-
mated by the Secretary of the Treasury for
the purpose of examining the mails arriving
such letters or packages. and their several
addresses; and if any letter or package of
this kind be addressed to a person residing
within the delivery OF his office, the post
master shall also, at the time of its arrival,
notify the addressee or addresses thereof
that such letter or package has been re-
ceiyed, and is believed to contain certain
articles liable to customs duties, and that he
or they must appear at the post office at a
time in said notice to be designated, not ex-
notice, and receive and open said letter or
package in the presence OF an officer OF the
customs.
Letters and sealed packages, or packages
the wrappers of which cannot be removed
without destroying them,. which are sup
posed to contain articles liable to customs
duties, and which are addressed to persons
residing outside of the delivery of the United
States exchange where they were first re-
ceived from abroad, shall be forwarded.
hours, to their respective destinations,
marked supposed liable to customs duties,
and upon their receipt at the offices of desti-
nation the p0stmasters thereof shall notify
the nearest customs officer and the parties
addressed, in the manner and to the same
effect as hereinbefore provided in the case of
similar letters or packages addressed for de-
livery at the United States exchange office
where they were first received.
provided, however, that nothing herein
QhQvQ shall authnri1a ar oil
customs aficers to seize or take possession
OF any letter or sealed package while the
same is in the custody of a postmaster, nor
until after its delivery to the addressee; and
provided further, that no letter or sealed
package shall de detained at the Office of
delivery longer period than may be neces-
sary for the appearance of customs officer
and the addressee, in pursuance of the
notices hereinbefore provided to be given"
Belva Lockwood's Party.
Belva Lockwood has come back from a
lecturing tour in New York and Philadel-
phia, evidently more impressed with her
eligibility as a presidential candidate than
ever. She says that her party has been
merged in the Industrial Reform party, that
all is ready for grand conference on Feb
ruary %, from which time on the campaign
will boom. Mrs. Lockwood's greatest hobby
is the Mormon. She is as warmly in praise
of admitting them to the Union as Kate
Field ever was opposed to the.l.
The Custom House Cut.
The treasury department seems to get
worse the further it goes. But the officials
now are taking rather an obstinate tack.
Special agents are to so Maine, it is true,
but Judge Maynard, in conversation, at
least holds stifiy to the motion he declared
for at first and is now putting in force. He
seems bound to carry out an iron-bound law
as to the expense of collecting customs
that the cut shall be if possible all under
two cents on 81. The only treatment for
obstinacy in such places is to give it its own
medicine to the full The Democratic col
"They have given the places now they make
them so poor and mean we don't want
them," said one New Englander who is ON
here begging of Judge Maynard not to take
away all his hopes.
Pension Deficiency.
Pension Commissioner Black is after $685.
600 in the new urgent deficiency bill to come
at once before Congress. In his explanatory
letter to the Senate he says: ut is proper in
this connection to explain that this deficien-
cy has resulted from the terms of the appro-
pration act of March /, 1887 providing for
the payment of invalid and ether pensions
for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1888, and
for other purposes, which limited the use of
the sum of S1,00o,00c. appropriated for the
payment Of fees and expenses of examining
surgeons, to the payment of accounts for ser
vices rendered within the fiscal year for
which the appropriation was made. Prior
to the passage of this law, following the de-
cision of the accounting officers of the Treas
ury Department, accounts of examining sur
geons were payable when presented out OF
the appropriation current, without regard
to whether the service was rendered in that
or the previous fiscal year. Said law changed
the entire practice, and as it was not antic-
pated, deficiency to the amount indicated
has resulted Had the limitation referred to
not heen added to said law, the accounts of
examining surgeons earned prior to July /,
1887, but not presented until after that date,
would under the decision Of the accounting
officers of the treasury, have been paid out
of the appropriation for the present fiscal
year." VAN.
Captain Selfridge's Case.
Captain Selfridge, who is now on the Ash
attic station, has been ordered home, and to
report his arrival TO the Navy Department.
The following circular has been issued by
Secretary Whitney in regard to his case:
The circumstances of this case have borne
tached from his ship by the Admiral, and ordered
home for wiful violation of law and unlawful dis
regard of the safety and the lives of others. A
court of inquiry has exonerated him from the
graver part of this charge. The court finds that
he was guilty of culpable negligence, but not of
any wilful misconduct. He held his Target prac-
tice where he should not have held it, and was
negligent IN the manner of conducting it. he
supposed himself to have taken all necessary
precautions against endangering life, but in fact
had not done SO. Shells were left unexploded
upon Japanese soil, and the handling of one by
innocent persons caused the death OF several and
the serious injury of others. The line of flight of
shells also implied negligence on the part of the
commanding officers. BY the usages of the ser
vice Captain Selfridge is entitled TO a court mar
tal to enable him to controvert the alleged facts,
and also TO give him the benefits of the judgments
of his brother officers upon his acts AS the facts
are already substantially established, the trial
Will probably be matter of form, and, consider
ing the punishment already borne by this meri-
torious and usually cautious officer, it should be
considered without delay upon his return, and
with due regard to the severe humiliation and
suffering to which he has been already subjected.
The Red Mans Hard Lot.
The President has sent to Congress COM
munication from the Secretary of the In
terror submitting the draft of bill ito pro-
vide for a reduction of the Round Valley In