Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-13
TOPICS AT WASHINGTON,
PRESIDENT APPROVES THE DE.
PARTMENT OFAGRTCULTUBE AoT.

81 Nominations and Conf7rmations-Sena
Il Stanford Offers Number of Amend
ments-GeneraI Greeley Desires t
i Improve the Signal Service Depart
il ment-The Alleged Political Outrage
i I'm Arkansas.
/ WASHINGTON, February 1.-THE Presi
4 dent has approved of an act to enlarg
the powers and duties OF the Department
Iof Agriculture, and to create an executiv.
department TO be known as the Depart
ment OF Agriculture.
/ The ways aud means committee will moi
REPORT the tariff bill to the House before
Thursday.
/ NOMINATIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS.
The President, to-day. sent the following
Lhominations tg the Senate: Norman j
Colman, Of Missouri, to be Secretary Of
Agriculture; Adlar e. Stevens. of Illinois,
to be Associate Justice OF the Supreme
Court OF the District of Columbia.
The Senate made the following confirma-
tions: Lieutenant-C Colonel w. A. Bricker,
Assistant General with the
rank OI SOlOHtI, MdjOF CudrlSS M. ltrr6Ii,
Deputy Paymaster. General with rank OF
Utah, Judge of probate. Box Elder county;
Joseph D. Jones, of Utah, Judge OF Pro-
bate, Utah county, Utah.
srANFoRD's AMENDMENTS.
Senator Stanford to-day proposed an
amendment to the army appropriation
bill, authorizing the secretary OF war to
purchase four pneumatic guns with neses-
sary apparatus for firing and carriage, to
be located in San Francisco harbor. The
Secretary Endicott, approving the same.
Also an amendment to the sundry civil
bill, authorizing gtheexpenditure OF $3S, 600
on the National cemetery on the reserva-
tion of Presideo San Francisco, in improY
ing the roadway, etc.
He also introduced bill appropriating
$35, 900 TO pay james I. Sherley, OF Idaho,
and the estate of the late Francis Delong,
of California, the amount to be due them
on an old mail contract by the court of
pleas.
Also a bill llappropriating S., 900 to estab-
lish light house at the entrance to San
Pedro harbor, California.
A SERVICE THAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.
The Secretary Of War transmitted to the
House statement of the chief signal officer
OF the army, setting forth the very unsatis-
factory condition OF the signal corps and
the iuefhciency of the present lieutenants OF
that corps. General Greeley urges the pas
sage Of q reorganization bill for the import
ance of the service generally.
JAPAN's CONSTITUTION.
The Japanese minister, to-day, receive d
; telegram from the minister of foreign
affairs at Japan, saying that the constitu- |
ion Of the Empire was proclaimed by the |
Emperor in person, this morning, amid |
,reat enthusiasm. Mutsu communicated |
he telegram to Bayard, who assured him |
hat the people Of Japan had the best |
wishes OF the government and people of the |
United States.
The ARKANSAS POLITICAL oUTRAGEs.
Representative Grosvenor to-day offered
J lengthy preamble and resolution relating
o the recent events in the second con-
ressional district of Arkansas, which cul-
minated in the assassination OF the Hon.
ohm NJ. Clayton. The resolution provides
hat committee OF five members of the
AOuSo, HOW memDer6 OI tne committee On
lectlons and elected to the 5lst Congress,
'e appointed by the Speaker to proceed
Fithout delay, and take testimony touch
ng the issues Joined in the contest, ascer-
ain all the facts relating to the election
nd contest, and report to the next House
( Representatives.
The resolution provides further. that if,
4 the opinion of the committee on elections
o this House, there is no authority
I existing law to prosecute and carry on
be contest under the circumstances de-
ribed, the committee is authorized to re-
ort by bill or otherwise such act or resolu-
ion as may be necessary to accomplish
he object stated. II
The resolutions were referred to the
on elections.