, 1889-02-13
WASHINGTON Notes.

~AShlNbION, rtD. LII the eXeCu-
tive session of the senate this afternoon
the committee on agriculture favorably
reported the nomination of Norman j..
Coleman to be secretary of agriculture.
Objection was made by Republican sena-
tors 70 its consideration at. this time and
the Democratic senators then objected to
discussion on the nomination and under
the rule it went over until the next execu-
tive session. 1t is understood that the
nomination will be confirmed, however,
when * again comes before the senate.
The nomination OF Assistant Secretary
OF the Treasury Thompson to be civil ser
vice commissioner in place of Edgerton,
and First Assistant Postmaster e eneral
Stevenson to be judge of the Supreme
Court of the District Of Columbia will be
subject to the general rule adopted by the
majority OF the senate respecting political
nominations. The objection to Steven
son, it is said, lies in the fact that his
nomination is in violation of the Republi-
can platform concerning territorial offices
that they shall be filed by residents.
Thompson is objected to on the score of
extreme offensive p~artisanship in the
South Carolina elections.
The conferees on the land grant forfeit
ure bill had another meeting TO day. At
the suggestion of Plumb the senate bill
was taken up for detailed consideration,
and about one-third of it was gone over
before the conference adjourned. AL
though 1t would appear from this pro-
ceeding that an understanding had been
reached that would result in ultimate
agreement. there was nothing said which
would warrant the assumption that Stone
had abandoned his intention to insist
upon the adoption of the amendment of
the senate bill providing for a test case in
the supreme court to determine the power
of congress to declare forfeitures.
Senator Plumb to-day presented a reso-
luton of the lower house of the Kansas
legislature requesting congress to adopt
such measures as will secure to every Cit.
zen of the southern states perfect protec-
ton in the exercise OF all political rights,
even though it be necessary to place such
states under the military authorities.
The Democratic members of the com-
mittee on ways and means have practi-
cally completed the report on the senate
amendment to the tariff bill. TIC ,niRht
or tomorrow morning the Republican
members of the committee will be sup.
pneu with copies OF the majority report
for their assistance in preparing a minor
ity report if they should decide to make
one.
The computations made by the treasury
department of the probable effect on rev.
enues of the tariff bill and senate amend
ments have been made public. They
show hat the house bill would reduce col
%lections from the customs $50, $50, 345 and
from the internal revenue SIT, 6l0,2 34, or
a total reduction OF revenue of S67, &c.,
579. The bill as amended by the senate
would reduce customs collections $l3,-
976,S and internal revenue receipts
S33, 9O5. $50, or S47, $50, 667 in the aggre
gate. The average ad valorem rates
under the existing law is SO. 81. Under
the house bill it would be AZ. So, and
under the senate bill 46. 90. In his letter
transmitting the computations Secretary
Fairchild says: TO avoid extra delay and
labor the department made up from the
estimates formerly prepared based on the
importations for 1889. Although made
according to the plan and theory usually
adopted, | recognize that these estimates
are largely conjectural and more or less
unreliable and misleading"