Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-27
WASHINGTON NOTES.
Contract Awarded - -Court-Martial - Ap
pointments-Health.
10 Tho nt4natrh

tBy telegraph TO the Dlspatchl
WASHINGTON, July 26.-The bond offerings
aggregated SSs, ,5OO-all AS at 1885, and
all accepted.
The contract with the Union IRONY Works,
of San Francisco. for the construction of n
coast defence vessel was signed to-day by
Secretary Tracy. The contract price Is
100000.
The finding Of the court-martial in the
case of Passed d-Assistant-Pa Paymaster Henry
r.. Smith. of the navy and the action Of
Secretary Tracy thereon We're made public
to-day Smith was pay officer on board
the Essex in New York harbOr. On the
25th Of April he drew $1,000 of the pay
funds and was missing until the 81 OF May.
He was charged with being absent from his
station and duty without leave. and plead
cd guilty. The court sentenced him to oe
suspended from rank aud duty for SIX
months on furlough pay, with the unani-
nous recommendation that the sentence
be RENTED because of their belief that he
was mentally irresponsible for his actions.
Secretary Tracy approved the finding Of
the court and adopted their recommends
tion remtting the sentence.
W. G. Elan, of Louisa county, Va, has
been appointed chief of the division OF
railroads in the General Land Office rice
General c. NJ. Wilcox. relieved. Both
EltiU tIil " lA|NA SCI va III AAA' ~
army, the former rs a private and the latter
a, malor-general. Elam IS prominent
Republican in Virginia and writer OF
ACKNOWLEDGED ability.
The Marine-Hospital Bureau has received
a telegram from DR.. Daniel, president OF
the State Board of Health of Florida,
stating that the alleged existence of
dengue-feyer az Fernandlna has been IN
vestigated by the State Health Oihcer and
reported by him to be false.
This morning Secretary Tracy was in
formed 10y Commodore Ramsay, Of the
BROOKLYN nayy-yard, that the Yorktown
was ready to start upon her four days
cruise; but up TO the time the department
closed this afternoon no report lad been
received of her departure. The board APP
pOinted to supervise the trial consists OF
Captain Bridgcman. Engineer Stlvers, aud
Constructor steele After this trial the
Yorktown will go 90 Newport tor her turn
ing trial by Commodore Nalker's board.
There set remains about S21OOO due con-
tractors.
The Secretary Of the Treasury to-day de-
cided an interesting question arising un-
der the alien tontrGct-labor law. It seems
that irwin a Sellers, merchants Of England,
who have branch house I'm New \ ork,
recently discharged a book-keepcr IN their
New York house. an American named James
f. Watson, and sent over "A book-keeper
in the home office named Edward +. Hen.
messy take his place Watson complained
To the Collector at New York, and the re-
suit was that when Hcnnessy arrived at
that port the Collector refused To allow
| him 10 land on the ground that 1t would be
"a violation of the contract-labOr law. Nm
appeal was taken to the Secretary of the
! Treasury. and he instructed the Collector
! 20 allow Hennessy to land on giving bond
i'm the sum of 500 for his return IN case ~
was decided that he came within the pro,
| hibltOry clause. The question was referred
20 the Solicitor of the Treasury. and that
officer gave an opinion that as Hennessy
| had clearly come TO this country under
contract ID labor, his landing would be a
palpable violation Of the law. The Secre
iary conceded In this opinion, and In
structed the Collector at New York To com
| pei llennessy 10 return 10 England.
Secretary Window to-day received let
ter from G. w. Arnold declining for private
reasons the office of collector of internal
revenue for the District of Georgia, t.
which lac was appointed few days ago.