The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-08-11

Excess of appropriations over the first session Of
the 5st Congress, Sl74765O4. In addition contracts
aggregating about SIG coo 900 were autbo rized in
the river aud harbor bill.
The permanent and annual appropriations
of this session aggregated $121, 1863, $50, and for
the corresponding session of the last Congress
preparations of the session were S507, FOL $3.50,
and of the first session Of the last Congress
1863, 39S 510 showing an increase of 81, 1922 $40
over the bills of the first session Of last Con-
gress.
The report that the British Government had
taken formal possession of Johnson's Island In
the Pacific Ocean does not Seem to excite much
interest in official circles in Washington, for
the reason that the island is of little or no
value for strategic purposes, and because Its
supply Of guano is practically exhausted. The
officials of the State Department say that the
United States has exercised jurisdictional right
over the island since 1858, when an American
guano company landed party on the island
and occupied it. Territorial jurisdiction has
never been claimed by this country over the
island, and it has never been annexed to the
United States. The Government would exert
its jurisdictional right over the island to pro-
tect the guano company in the pursuit of it's
business but they say there will be no conflict
with the territorial Jurisdiction set forward by
any other Government. If the American gu
ano company has abandoned the island, the
State Department officials say this Government
H. 1
Sc
The Treasury Department last week In
structed the Collector of Customs at San Fran
cisco, Cal, to send back to China by the steamer
Peru the "a Chinese sailors brought over by
the steamer Pekin. These Chinese sailors, it
appears, were brought over for the purpose Of
manning the Peru, but they were prohibited
from landing by the Collector, as it was vio-
lation of both the Chinese exclusion act and
the contraet-labor law. They were then Or
dered to be returned by the steamer Pekin, but
that vessel was laid up for repairs, and there
fore the Secretary of the Treasury has directed
that they be taken back to China by the Peru
as passengers. There is little suspicion that
these "a Chinese passengers will be transformed
into sailors as soon as the Peru gets to sea-
80
Henry B. Ryder United States Consul at Co.
penhagen, Denmark, has got himself into great
trouble. He is accused of frauds in the settle
ment of Estates and is now under arrest in
Copenhagen. His wife is also in jail at that
place charged with, completely in the frauds
1t is understood that the frauds perpetrated by
Ryder and his wife will amount to 200, GOO
kroner, which ID about 100000. It IL said
that the relations between Ryder and Mr.. Carr
the American Minister to Denmark, have long
been strained, and the Minister has frequently
requested tho State Department to recall
Ryder. but the latters friends have, il IL
claimed, always succeeded in averting this
action. In response to . telegram from tho
Danish Governments, the Secretary of State has
cabled tho Danish Government to proceed with
the case against Ryder and prove the allegs-
tions, and render judgment against the Consul
in accordance with the Danish law The affair
is said to be the sensation Of the day in Copen-
hagen, where the mode OF life OF Ryder and
his wife has been very extrayagant.
DECREASE IN CIRCULATION AND
CASH.