Arizona weekly citizen., 1890-04-05
WASHINGTON LETTER
From Our Regular Correspondent. WASHINGTON, D. c. March 20, 1S9(

From Our Regular Correspondent.
 WASHINGTON, D. c. March 20, 1890.
 The Vice-Presidsnt has returned from his Southern trip, and has resumed the duties of presiding officer of the Senate. He says he enjoyed his brief vacation very much and, judging from his appear ance, he has been benefited.
 Secretary Blaine is one of the Presi- dents most frequent visitors these days, and it is worrying that large class of democrats, who suffer with Blainepho- bia, no little to get up stories to account for these numerous visits. The expla- nation is very easy and simple. The two men have become warmly attached to each other and enjoy being together.
 The Silcott case was recalled this week by the arguments made before the United States Court of Claims in the suit of Representative Grain, to re- cover the amount of salary due him which Silcott ran away with. The case involves several very fine law points and is attracting much attention. If Grain wins, all the rest of the swindled Congressman will at once enter suits for their money, and if he loses that will probably be the last we shall hear of it.
 The revised Worlds Fair bill has been reported to the House. It provides that the buildings of the worlds Columbia Exposition shall be dedicated on April 30, 1892, but leaves the date of the op- ening and the closing of the exposition itself to be settled later. The impress sion is that 1893 will be adopted.
 The republican Senators held con- ference at Senator Edmunds house on Tuesday night and discussed various matters, including the Montana Sena- torial case. No vote was taken, the conference being held only for the pur- pose of exchanging views on certain pending legislation.
 The bricklayers and stone masons international unions are sending peti- tions to Congress asking that a law be passed prohibiting the employment of an alien upon any Government work.
 The new tariff bill is about completed though number of minor changes may be made in it before 1t is reported to the House. It reduces the revenues about S60O000O0 per annum, about half of which will be taken from sugar. Higher duties have been placed upon Ill agri- cultural products that come into com petition with those raised by our own farmers. The internal revenue features abolish the license tax, the tax on snuff and allows the farmer to dispose of leaf tobacco free of any tax or restric- tion. The tax on manufactured tobac- co is reduced from to cents per pound and the tax on cigars, cheroots and cigarettes remains as at present. 1t is estimated that the reduction in inter nal revenue will be about BPS 0OO per annum. Like every tariff bill that has ever been made up this one is meet ing with lots of opposition-it would be impossible to get up one that wouldn't but it W i'll all simmer down lorg before the time comes to take a vote on the bill, and it will be passed.
 Secretary Tracy's expressed intention of reorganiZing the Navy department and of making radical changes in the methods of transacting business, has caused rattling of dry bones that may be heard all over the city. Changes are needed bad enough.
 Representative Morrill's resolution calling on the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Interior for information as to whether the transfer of the Pen sion bureau from the Interior to the War department would save the Gov ernment any money, has been adopted by the House. A resolution offered by the same gentleman has also been adopt ed by the House asking the Secretary of the Interior for data relative to the payment of pensions, and for an esti mate of the amount which would bt required to pay arrearage if the lint is removed.
 Instead of stampeding the republi- cans by yelling eXtravagant appropria tions as the democrats hope to do, they } really did the republican leaders great favor by calling attention to many measures that were being somewh al consistently pushed by certain mem bers, although there is no legitimate demand by the public for such legs lation, and thus enabling the republi cans to easiiy turn these measures down. The country has nevsr lost any thing by trusting the republican party and it mav be stated now with absolute certainty that the majority in Congress will do nothing likely to bring reproach upon the good name of the party.