Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1894-04-26
WASHINGTON CITY NEWS.

"Ao oeeH III hIlgatlon many years.
Secretary Carlisle has appointed Ellis
Z. johnson of the State OF Washington
chief OF division OF the internal rev
enue OF the Treasury Department.
The Presidents Behring Sea proclama-
ton has been issued. After recitinp the
act OF Congress it declares that it is pro-
claimed to the end that its provisions
may be known and observed. Every
person found guilty of violation of pro-
visions Of said act will be arrested and
punished as therein provided, and all
vessels so employed, their tackle, ap-
parei, furniture and cargo will be seized
and forfeited.
The Secretary of the Interior has laid
before the Senate an elaborate report
from the Superintendent of the census,
giving list OF sugar refneries that re-
fused to furnish statistics to the census
agents, chief among which appear those
OF Harrison Frasier & Co. Of Philadel-
phia and the Havemeyers OF New York.
1t appears that legal proceedings were
directed TO be commenced, but that in
view OF the completion of the statistics
before such proceedings could be con-
Quoted to a finish the Department OF
Justice was notified not to proceed.
Pendleton OF Texas has introduced in
the House proposed amendment to the
rules providing for count of the mem
bers present and not voting when roll
call has developed the absence of a vot-
ing quorum. The rule is to be surround
ed with the necessary safeguard to pre-.
vent the counting of members from ac.
| p1hQnt nr infnnttnt, hn
ent when the question was put or came
in at some time during the pending roll
call. The rule is not applicable to mo-
tions that may be determined by vote
less than quorum.
Naval ordnance officers fired two shots
from the big thirteen-inch gun at Indian
Head proving grounds the other day,
which proved to their complete satisfac-
tion thaL the gan 10 probably unsuf-
passed for all practical purposes. The
object OF firing the great rifle was to test
the nickel steel projectiles, each weigh
ing more than half ton. The target
was a twelve-inch nickel steel plate, and
both shells went entirely through it, one
of them breaking to pieces and the other
remaining intact after it had cleared the
plate. The Carpenter shell was unhurt
by the operation of rushing its half-ton
mass through foot of solid steel, which
is exactly what the ordnance officials
have been looking for as a means OF test
ing the seventeen-inch armor for the
battle ships. These tests were therefore
only preliminary to the trials for the ac-
ceptance or condemnation of the heavi-
est armorplates yet made in this country
The Secretary of the Interior has ad-
dressed letter to the Attorney General
recommending that the contemplated
suit by the government to secure the
cancellation OF patents issued many
years ago for the San Fernando private
land grant in California be abandoned.
An examination OF the abstract OF title
to the grant reveals the fact that these
lands have passed by various means OF
conveyances into other hands than those
OF the original grantees. Whatever the
equities in this case may be, they are
stale. In regard to the policy to be pur-
sued by the government in attacking
this and other Mexican grants in Cali
fornia the Secretary says he does not be-
lieve that any general policy could be
formulated. The government will OF
necessity have to be controlled by the
facts involved in each case; besides
due regard for the sacredness of our
treaty obligations should invoke caution
before proceeding to take steps to cancel
so solemn an instrument as a patent OF
the government.
Horace Brewster, a resident OF the
United States, but whose postoffice ad-
dress is Ladner, b. c., has camped for
some time now upon the lighthouse re-
serve on Point Roberts, which bit OF
land in American waters the Canadian
government would like very much to re-
gain. Mr.. Brewster thinks this govern
ernment, having never made any use
OF the land and not evincing disposition
to do so now, ought to give him the land
on which he has squatted in return for
the Improvements and cultivation which
he has put upon it. An interview with
Hon. Daniel Lamont, Secretary OF War,
makes il possible to assure not only Mr..
Brewster, but the Canadian government
likewise, that the United States proposes
to hold this little piece of land which
juts out into the Sound from the main
land of British Columbia, regarding it
q. a .ery important strategic point and
one that might be OF great advantage in
AiihN Va Nhls III ItduIllllt tlltTt IL
no particular objection to settlers going
upon this land, so long as they do no
damage, but it might be well for all such
to remember that while on that land
they are subject to all the stringent Fed
eral laws which have been enacted to
protect property and preserve order upon
military and civic reservations of the
United States.
General Wade Hampton, Commits
sioner of Railroads, has submitted to
the House Committee having supervision
OF the matter sundry memoranda on the
various pending bills for settlement of
the debt OF the Pacific railroads to the
United States. From these memoranda
II appears that the Commissioner is op-
posed to the foreclosure of the lien on
the roads and the management thereof
by Congress, rs proposed by one bill, but
is favorably disposed to the maintenance
Of the sinking fund and the payment
into IL OF larger proportion of the net
earnings. He says that on the maturity
OF the debts of these roads these forms
OF settlement with the committee will
he presented, from which choice must
be made, viz: first, foreclosure; second,
maintain the sinking fund and require
that u larger percentage of net earnings
he paid into IL; third, refund the debt.
Discussing the question of foreclosure,
he says: "a foreclosure of the lien, it
is admitted, will not satisfy the debt,
and the sale OF the subsidized roads un.
der decree OF the court would not realize
more than enough to cancel the amount
OF the first mortgage bonds, in which
case the United States would be required
TO lose its claim or buy in the liens and
pay off the first mortgage Indebtedness.
Railway management by Congress. be-
sides being opposed to the settled policy,
would not only be n douhtfrl hut n dan