Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-23
WASHINGTON T.

WASHINGTON NOTES.
The Number of Army REPRESENTATIONS
Testimony Not Wanted Just Now.
WASHINGTON, February 19.-Cullom in
PRODUCES an amendment to the army ap
preparation bill, providing that hereafte
the number of paymasters in the army will
the rank OF Major shall be forty, and tn
army shall be paid monthly, unless circum
stances shall render payments impractica
BILE.
KLEIN's TESTIMONY o WANTED.
Mr.. Klein, the American newspaper man
whose adventures in 81 moa have been thu
subject of international comment, will moi
appear before the Senate committee or
foreign relations, at least, for the present
He telegraphed Secretary Bayard, upon his
arrival in San Francisco, and suggested
he be summoned to testify concerning mat
tiers in Samoa, but the secretary was ad
vised that the committee did not deem !,
polite or wise to take further steps in the
Samoa matter pending the result OF thu
conference to be held in Berlin.
LEWIS CAss's STATUE.
The statue OF Lewis Cass, presented to
the people of the United States by Michi
gan for O. place in the statuary hall at the
capitol, was unveiled Monday. There were
no formal exercises in the hall.
DECISION IN THE MERRILL INDIAN CASE.
The Secretary OF the Interior, to-day
rendered a decision in the case OF JOS. W.
Allen ct AL. of Glendive, Montana, against
Lewis Merrill ct al. Involving theimportant
question OF the validity OF locations Of the
Sioux Indian half. breeds scrip. Defendants
in this case located Sioux scrip upon
unsurveyed land, as attorneys in TACT
for the Indians, and under the same pow
ers of attorney, made the improvements
required by the law.
The protestants maintained that the 10.
catious so made were invalid and illegal,
on the ground that it was not shown that
the improvements were made for the bene-
fit OF the Indians, as required by law.
The secretary sustained the professionals,
and holds that the locations as made were
in fact the result of self-sale and transfer
of script which is in direct violation OF law.
1t is said at the Interior department that
the decision will affect the titles to large
quantities of land Immediately adjacent to
towns or the Northern Pacific Railway in
Montana, Minnesota and Dakota, upon
which scrip of the character described has
been located aud the lands sold as town
lots. A large number OF cases are now
pending in the general land Office which will
also be affected by these decisions.
JUDGMENTS RENDERED.
The Court OF Claims has given judgment
for STOP, SIT in favor OF the Central Pa
cifc Railway Co., in its suit against the
United States for withholding dividends.
Judgment has also been awarded to
Chas. A.. Perry and J. G.. Erwin u Co., for
5000 and $9,735 respectively, on claims
arising out OF the expedition to Utah In
der command of Gen. Albert S. Johnston.
AN TINE
A full meeting OF the Senate conn ittee
on public buildings and grounds was held,
to-day, to consider the case of the witness,
Thomas Fisher, chief clerk of the supper
vising architects office Of the Treasury
Department, who, last week, refused to
answer certain questions regarding the col
lection or receipt for political contribution
from employees in office, when asked by the
subcommittee. At the meeting, to-day,
the witness was given another opportunity
to answer the question, but again refused
Il committee %thereupon went into a Sc
cret session, but just what has been deter
mined upon has not yet developed. 1t ID
reported the matter will be settled in the
Senate, and it is the impression Fisher will
be arrested and brought before the bar ol
the Senate for contempt.
A LETTER FROM John A. DIX.
There was presented to the committee to-
day n letter of John A. Dix, Secretary o.
the Treasury in 1851, to Speaker Penning
ton, one OF the enclosures of which was the
famous order containing the words: II
any man hauls down the American flag
shoot him on the spot"
Another enclosure of the same letter re
ferred to the voluntary surrender OF TIT
revenue cutter Robert Mcclellan by thu
then refractory witness, Thomas ID. Fisher
to the state of Louisiana, for which act ht
was dismissed from the service. He served
with the C~onfedcracy throughout the war
although u native OF Pennsylvania.
DEATH OF COL. JOHN e. YARD.
Inc AOluJanU Gen6Thl Vi Guo army 10 u
formed of the death, at Fort Hays, kas.
Monday morning, of Colonel John K. Yare
of the Eighteenth Infantry. His.death will
cause the promotion o! Lieutenant Colo
mel Henry M. Lazelle, of the Twenty-Five
Infantry, and Major H. 8. Hawkins, OF thu
Tenth Infantry.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The requisite number OF signatures fol
the Democratic House caucus, tonight
has been secured. Ii is believed that, un
less it il decided to work the reduction O
the repeal Of the tobacco tax, some of tn
representatives of the tobacco states will
refuse to abide by the caucus decision.
The President has approved the act il
relation to deud and fallen timbers on In
hiHu lands.
The Senate Committee on the PRESIDENT
mersage relating to the Union and Contra
I'.ciic railroads, had II meeting to-day
al decided to ask that the Union Pacifi
i~nTdlinG bill, which had been on the Senat
ci!"Gdar all this session as a special order
bc r"-c"mtnltted To the committee. Thi
action precIudes the possibility OF accom-
plishing any legislation on the subject a
this session.
The House committee on military affair
decided to recommend the appointment c
w. H. Markham, of Pasadena, CAL, a
manager of the Pacific coast home for vo
unteer soldiers.