Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-21


reduced to 5000 up to the 10th of Decem-
ber"
AFTER hearing Walter Griffin, who has
been abroad investigating the condition of
the labor classes, the Joint committee on
immigration to-day went into secret session
and discussed the various measures intro
duced in both Houses for the suspension OF
immigration during the prevalence OF chol-
era abroad. The discussion was general,
and resulted in an agreement that a sub
committee on legislation, to consist of six
members, three from the Senate and three
from the House, should be appointed by the
Chairmen of the two committees. The. SUBJ
committee is to consider all measures now
before the committee proposing to suspend
immigration, and is to perfect some measure
for this purpose by Thursday, on which day
they are to report to the 1ull joint commit
tee. The members of the subcommittee
have not yet been selected. The committee
will doubtless agree on bill at an early
date and press it to passage in both Houses.
In the Senate, to-day, Mr.. Bate, speak
ing on his bill to repeal all statutes relating
to supervisors OF elections and special de-
puties, said these laws had been in opera
tion for over 20 years, and had not recon-
ciled the people in their harsh interference
with affairs belonging exclusively to the
States. 1t is not surprising, he added, that
the political revolutions in 1880 and 1892 had
swept from power the party which enforced
the machinery for interfering with the cleo
tions of the States. The force bill had been
potent factor in the late overwhelming de-
feat of the Republican party. The law
which Mr.. Bate proposed to have repealed
was "the germ or protoplasm of the force
bill. 1t was that bacillus which had poisoned
elections and inoculated them with fraud.
From the supervisor of elections and the
armed deputy marshal, the step to the army
at the polls was but short one. The day
had come to bring the Federal Government
back to those duties for which it had been
provided"
THE anti-option bill was taken up in the
Senate today and Mr.. Palmer, Democrat,
Illinois, addressed the Senate, explaining
and defending his objection to the bill. He
said that when he was canvassing the
State of Illinois as Candidate for the SEN
ate, he had been frequently asked whether
he would vote for such BILL and he had
said mo" The clauses against purchases of
options were, he said, less satisfactory to
his mind than the statute OF Illinois on that
subject Dealings in options were prohtb-
tied by the laws of Illinois and were pun
ished by adequate fines and penalties. He
had, therefore, said to those who asked him
that, there being careful, wellconsidered
statute in force IN Illinois, nothing more
could be done in that line by mere legisla-
tion.
HON. JOHN F. DURHAM, Minister to
Haiti, now in this country on leave of abb
sence, has been instructed by the Secretary
OF State Co return without delay to Port au
Prince and investigate the facts attending
the arrest and imprisonment OF Frederick
Mebs, a respectable American merchant'of
that city. II the circumstances are as re-
ported, the Minister will be expected to
bring the subject to the immediate attention
of the Haitian Government, with a view to
a full indemnifcation Tor the wrong done.
The Secretary OF the Navy has placed the
"Atlan ia" at the disposal of the State De-
partment, to take Minister Durhum to his
port, and he will sail from Norfolk within
few days.
GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT WHITE, of
the Railway Mail Service, arrived in Wash
ington to-day from a tour of the West and
South. During his absence, Superintendent
White arranged new time schedule be-
tween Cincinnati, Louisville, New Orleans,
Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Tampa,
FIa over the Queen and Crescent system,
by which the mails, both north and south,
between these points will be advanced
about II hours, which is really a gain OF "a
hours, as by the old schedule the mails ar
rived &C New Orleans, Jacksonville and ST.
Augustine at night, whereas they will here
after arrive IN the morning.
IT is stated at the Navy Department that
Secretary Tracy may award the contract for
one OF the two war ships, bids for which
were opened last week, to the Union Iron
Works at San Francisco. The bid of this
company was slightly higher than that OF
the Cramps, but the difference allowed for
construction between the East and Vests
per cent-would, it is said, more than wipe
but the excess of the Union Iron Works
bid.
SENATOR SHERMAN to-day Introduced q
bill, which was referred to the Foreign Re-
lations Committee, providing that whenever
the Government of the United States shall
conclude any effective international ar
rangement for the protection of fur seals in
the North Pacific Ocean by agreement with
any power, or as result of the convention
concluded last February between the United
states and Great Britain (the Bering Sea
Convention) and so long as such arrange
ment shall continue, the provisions OF the
laws so far as they may be applicable, rela-
tive TO the protection of fur seals within the
limits of Alaska or its waters, shall be ex-
tended to and over that portion of the ocean
included in such agreement.
In the talk among Democratic members
of Congress as to the probable recognition
of the border States in the distribution OF
leading offices, the name OF Hon. Joseph
\. Miller of West Virginia, whose admins
tration of tine office of Commissioner of In
ternal Revenue under Mr.. Cleveland gave
general satisfaction, is again used in connec-
tion with that commissionership.