Connecticut western news., 1888-03-14
AT WASHINGTON.
Some Matters of Moment Brough,
 Up at the Capital.

Mir. Farquhar of New York introduced bill in the House to authorize the Secretary of the o te t6s o rea f bonds, the interest of which is to be used in the improvement of the Erie and Oswego canals. Before depositing the bonds the gen. eral Government shall have from the Legisla- ture of New York pledge to begin immedi- ately the enlargement of the aqueducts and one tier of locks on the Erie and Oswego canals to sufi cient capacity to pass war vessels 25 feet in width and 200 feet in length and mer- chant steam vessels of 600 tons burden. The bill provides for the appointment of board of Commissioners to supervise the work, at . salary each of $5,000 per year.
 bill was introduced in the House by Rep- resentative Hogg to revise the law relating to the purchase and redemption of Government bonds, &c. It provides that it shall be unlaw- full for anyone to offer or expose for sale any bonds, securities, or obligations of any char acter of the Government of an ninterest-bearing nature for any price or sum in excess of the face value Authority is expressly given to his duty to call in and pay off all bonds &c., of the United States of an interest bearing nature at their face value. The Secretary is required to call in such bonds in the order of their issue when ascertainable, but when this cannot be done, then, at his discretion, any such bonds, &c.,, owned by any persons other than citizens shall be first called in for payment Those bonds deposited with the Treasurer of the Uni ted States by national banks to secure the cur rency notes issued by them are exempt from the duty provisions of this law, except in those instances where such banks have not issued and put into circulation national bank notes to be used as currency and provided for under existing law.
 The Secretary of the Treasury sent to tho Senate response to the resolution of inquiry with regard to smuggling between this coun- try and Mexico, and especially with reference to the Gree Zone" The Secretary says there is no doubt that the existence of the free zone of Mexico furnishes an opportunity for snug gling into the United States. The total value of foreign merchandise which passed through the United States destined to Mexico during the last fiscal year, and which was, therefore, free of duty, was $496 654. In addition to that withdrawn from warehouse and exported to Mexico. Of this whole amount $211, ,5S9 was dutiable under our tariff laws. It has been al- legged that a large proportion of this dutlable merchandise is smuggled back in the United States, but the department has no means of ascertaining to what extent the allegations are trne. Horses and cattle are the principal arti- cles which have been seized by the customs officers on the Mexican border. So long as our present tariff on imports is continued, the Sec retary says, customs officers will be needed to collect duties and prevent smuggling, and he is not advised that the number of officers could be diminished if the free zone of Mexico were abolished.
 III the HOUSE HUI, Ol llllIlO1S ed joint resolution for the promotion of com mercial union with Canada, which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. It pro. vides that whenever it shall be duly certified to the President that the Government of the Dominion of Canada has declared a desire to establish commercial union with the United States, having a uniform revenue system like internal taxes to be collected, and like import duties to be imposed on articles brought into either country from other nations, and no duties upon trade between the United States and Canada, he shall appoint three Commis- sioners to meet those who may be likewise designated to represent the Government of Canada, to prepare plan for the assimilation of the import duties and internal revenue taxes of the two countries and an equitable division of receipts in commercial union; and said Commi issioners shall report to the President. who shall lay the report before Con- gress.
 Mr. O. B. Thomass bill in relation to trusts, introduced in the House, declares it unlawful for any trust to ship or transport from one State to another or to any foreign country, or from such foreign country to & State in the United States, any article of merchandise pur- chased controlled, or acquired, held or used, with the intention to unduly enhance tho price of such article ill the market, or to the consumer. Violation of the law is made pun ishable by imprisonment for not less than two years nor more than five years.