St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-03-19

ton of the country, when nave peen
given CONGRESSMAN Barrett's especial
attention. in view of the fact that he Is
the only New England man on the com
mittee on rivers and harbors
Port Judith X. l., for the completion
Of It's harbor of refuge, walks away with
100000.
Portland, Me-, for continuing the i'm
movement there, smiles when it sees
5000, 900 coming its way.
Rockland, Me-, for the same purpose
receives a similar amount as its sister
city, 100000
For beginning the great Improvement
at Boston, which will be Of tremendous
advantage to the whole country in time
which project Mr.. Barrett has espe-
cially had charge Of, 100000 Is appro-
priated. The law is that the secretary
of war shall not obllgate the government
on any one continuous contract for more
than $500 900. so 1t will be seen that the
Hub of the Universe gets the maximum
amount now. Similar amounts Will fol-
low right along in the regular sundry
civil and harbor appropriation bills, u
til the whole project, aggregating cost
of some $lO,00O,000, is completed.
For improving the Providence river
and Narragansett bay, S125, 600 Is lacked
on to the bill under discussion.
A senate amendment to the bill is as
follows, which will doubtless be read
with considerable amusement by the
citizens Of New Hampshire.
THAT the secretary of war be, and he
hereby is, authorized and directed 10
submit estimates Of the cost of removing
the ledge at Pulling point, in Portsmouth
harbor. New Hampshire, so far as the
same Is an obstruction to navigation OF
large vessels going to the navy yard"
The joke is in the fact that Pulling
point" has always been known as "Pul'-
and-be- Damned Point" Congressman
Henry NJ. Baker of Bow introduced
bill in the house to make this needed i'm
provement, and he plainly specified
pull and be- Damned Point" but when
the senate amendment was placed on
the sundry civil bill, Senator Chandler
had the name changed to Pulling
Point" which Is causing a good deal Of
merrlment here among New Hampshire
waters in the vicinity of what Senator
Chandler desires to be called "PulliI
Point" viii always be known by their
former designation Of "Pul-and-
Damned Point" despite the genial sem
ators wishes to stamp out profanity as
much as possible in the premises.
Under the appropriations for the main
tenance of soldiers homes in this bill,
Togus, Me. comes In for a good sum.
For current expenses including the same
/ objects specified under this head for the
support Of other homes in the country,
S9S 600 is set apart. For subsistence,
/ $117 900 is appropriated; for household
SCI, 900; for hospital, $25, 800; for trans
portation, $500; for repairs, $1S5O for
new mess hall and refrigerator, SIS, 900;
for reimbursement for amount advanced
for rebuilding coal shed and wharf
$4,000 for farm, $4,000; In all $265 800.
This completes the list of New England
items, aggregating $1,g59,72O OF course
as matters stand now, none of the APP
preparations have been made as the bill
failed to become a law The eXpecta.
ton is, however, that the coming extra
session Of congress will pass the bills
which failed in about the same form as
they now stand. in which New England
and the other portions of the country
interested viii get the appropriations
set apart for their particular benefit.
good deal has of late been said about
the so-called Alabama claims, mem
her of the British parliament having sale
that there is some $50 900, 900 of the Ala
bama fund now intact.
The treaty of Washington of May
1871 az statues at large, page S63), be
tween Great Britain and the United
States, authorized a tribunal of arbitra
tion, to which should be referred all tn
claims growing out of the acts com
mitted by the Confederate cruisers Ala
bama and Florida and known by tn
generic term of Alabama claims"
BY the treaty Of Washington it was pro
vded that the claims growing out of tn
! depredations by the Alabama and othe
vessels from British ports should be re
ferred to a tribunal of arbitration, VIII
were TO be governed by certain rules con
, tanned in the treaty and whose awar
J was to be final.
This tribunal met at Geneva, and upo
June 10, 1872, declared that the claim
! OF the United States for losses % by tn
! transfer of the United States CONNER
cial marine to the British flag; (2) b
| war premiums, or enhanced payment
Of insurance; and go by the prolongt
. ton and increased cost of the war cor
stituted no good foundation for a reco'
u cry, and these claims were thencefo
- ward to be wholly excluded from col
g sideratlon by the tribunal"
The government, after paying the Hal
fax award, proceeded to distribute VIII
II had left Of the Alabama fund. A
. vessels belonging to loyal American
that had suffered from Confedera
e cruisers on the high seas were permit,
" TO come In and prove damages VIII
., was left after their claims were settl
II was distributed on ratio of 80 cents
e the dollar among those American sh
. owners who had paid what were call
+, war premiums" or enhanced rates
u insurance caused by the depredatlo
OF the Alabama and other vessels. The
was a balance of s1.S5 standing to {
> credit Of the Alabama fund on the boo
Of the treasury, which has long sin
- been exhausted In paying postage
= letters OF inquiry as to the status of [
u Alabama fund itself.
j.
The first important nominations 81
. to congress by President Mckinley
IA cluded the following: John Hay
~ l. 4.