The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-09-13
WASHINGTON NOTES.
OF INTEREST TO BIDDERS.

WASHINGTON, Sept, THE attor-
ney general has given an opinion to
the navy department which is of great
interest to all persons who do business
with the government by contract The
question at issue was whether persons
who had submitted proposals to the
navy department in response to public
advertisements could legally withdraw
them before the day fixed for their
opening. 1t has been allowed hereto
fore under opinions Of previous attor-
ney generals, who have ruled
that that, such IL proposals ppitbds. m0 might at
any time prior to the hour fixed for
their opening. The practice, however,
has not worked well, as in several in
stances it was found that the bids
withdrawn in this way were really
more satisfactory than those that re-
manned. Attorney General Olney takes
issue with his predecessors in this mat
ter and holds in effect that a proposal
once submitted to the department in
response to a public advertisement is
beyond recall, and that the maker is
bound by the terms of his proposal in
the event of its acceptance by the de-
partment.
A CUSTOMS RULING.
WASHINGTON, Sept. = Secretary
Carlisle this afternoon issued an official
circular regarding the marking, ETC..
of goods under section of the new
tariff law in regard to which much
uncertainty of construction has exist
ed. After quoting the section in
eXtenso, the secretary says: THE
section differs from section of the act
of Oct /, 1890 (McKinIey law, in
requiring the statement of the guam
tity OF contents and in Withholding
delivery of goods until they shall be
duly marked, etc. In order to
afford a reasonable time FOR CONS
pliapce with the above sect ton
it will be enforced, so far as relates to
this statement of quantities only upon
merchandise shipping from abroad
after August %, 1894.
THE department holds that the in
dication OF the country of origin under
this section Ceed not necessarily be re-
stricted to the declaration of the name
of such country, but may be accepted |
under whatever form, provided the
goods contain unmistakable evidence
of their origin without misleading
marks or signs,
1T Is further held that the requires
ment in respect to quantity OF con-
tents applies only to packages and
not to separate articles.
To interpret the section otherwise
would involve the measurement of
every spool OF cotton and the gau9ing
of every bottle OF wine. 1t may be in
terred that the purpose of this enact |
ment was the protection of the con.
sumer from loss through fraudulent
overstatement Of either numbers or
quantities of article contained in any
important package offered.
Certain masses of goods are re-
pectively put in packages of recognize
ed and uniform quantities. A mere in
pection of such will suffice to deter
mine the fact of their conformity or
on.confermity, as the case may be, |
with the established practice of tn.
trade. If the former condition is man.
fest. no further indication of the
quantity of contents is needed. As for
example, ordinary bags OF coffee and
barrels of flour have regular sizes and
capacities and do not require explicit
statements in order to indicate the
quantity of contents.
1T is the purpose of the department |
to SO corstrue the section thar without !
an evasion of its provisions unneces,
sary obstruction and hardship may be
avoided. Chief officers OF the customs
are hereby authorized to decide, in
accordance with the above instruc-
tions with reference to the department
questions arising under the admniss
tration the section above specified
TREASURY BALANCE,
WASHINGTON, Sept. The cash
balance in the treasury today was
1927, 1871 Ala, of which S55, III $40 was
gold reserve.
PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS.
WASHINGTON, Sept. The presi-
dent has made the following recess
appointments: Richard McCloud,
register of the nited States land Of
flee at Durango, Col; Thomas B. Ed
wards. register of the land office at
Hugo. Col; Frank Ewing, receiver of