The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-14

levying and collecting political assess
ments and bribery. The charges are
made by the Central Republican
League Of Richmond The acts are al
legged to have been committed while
delegates were being elected to the con-
gressional convention which met at
n court house September 7th.
SUBJECT TO TAXATION.
The commissioner of internal revenue
has held that where cotton Is received
for storage and a storage charge is
made, whether for a month or any
other time, the paper ~evidencing this is
subject to taxation, If, however, the
receipt is given for weighing, sampling
and drayage, it is not subject to taxa
ton.
APPEAL FROM THE YELLOW TE-
YER DISTRICTS.
The appeal made to President Nc
Kinley by the state board of health
authorities at Jackson, Miss. for aid
in the way OF subsistence and medical
help to meet the conditions arising
from the yellow fever epidemic has
been referred to the marine hospital
service. DR.. Wyman, the surgeon gen.
eral, and his assistants took the mat
ter up promptly today, but have not
as yet determined what recommended
tiOn to make. Surgeon Wyman feels
that the situation is not at all alarm
ing, and, while the fever may spread
slightly, it is only a question OF time
when, with the appearance of cold
weather, it will be checked.
CHANGES IN CORPS COMMAND
ERS.
The order designating the general Of
ficers to be mustered out of the SER
vice dated October 7th, was published
officially today and at the head of bhe
list was Major General Joseph c..
breckenridge, whose name was not in
the first publication. General Breck-
enridge will return to duty on NOvem-
Der Goth as inspector general of the ar
my. On the day the order discharginS
the general officers was given to the
public, another order was issued desig-
mating camps in the south, organizing
the volunteer army into three corps
and naming the three corps command
ers. General Breckenridge was to
command the First corps. 1t was stat
ed at the department that this order
had been revoked and that Major Cen
eral James H. Wilson, who was ap-
pointed from Delaware at the begin
ming of the war, had been selected to
command the First corps. 1t is also
understood hat there will be other
changes in the commands of the army
corps stationed in the south. General
Wheeler, who will command the
Fourth corps, stated before leaving
Washington, that he expected to re-
urn to this city n resume his seat
in the house SOon after the beginning
of the session.. General Graham, who
is to command the Second corps, has
retired as a brigadier general and the
question has arisen as to whether he
shall be continued longer in the vol
unteer service. 1t is altogether likely
that the designation of officers to COM
mand the Second and Fourth corps
stationed in southern camps is tempo
rary, and that by the LIST of December,
if not before, other officers will be
named for permanent corps command
ers. 1t is said that Generals John c.
Bates and A. r. Chaffee will command
the Second and Fourth corps and Cen
eral Wilson will continue to command
the First corps.
TO INVESTIGATE THE NORFOLK
NAVY YARD.
Lieutenant Knapp has by order of
Secretary Long gon to Norfolk to
make investigation of the condition in
the navy yard there. While there are
some charges OF file against the man
agement of some of the departments
of the yard, it is said hat there are
nearly as serious as those which form
ed the basis of the investigation at
league Island.
Washington, October 1.-THE war in
vestigatiOn commission devoted it's
forenoon session today to the eXami-
nation of Secretary Ayers statement
and the papers furnished by him in re-
ply to the commissioners inquiries. The
accompanying papers include the re-
ports from the various bureaus of the
war department and also the various
letters and kilograms bearing upon the
conduct of the war. Secretary Alger
in his report replies to the various
questions propounded by the commits
sion, but he gives especial prominence
to the plan of campaign and to the
changes that were made in the original
plan.
He states that Tampa was chosen as
the base of operations because of its
proximity to Havana at which point
it was originally intended the first at
tack should be made. The determina-
ton to make a change was due to the
developments on the southern coat Of
Cuba and to Admiral Cervera's course
in locating his fleet in the bay at San
tiago. When it became quite certain
that he was securely entrapped in the
bay Admiral Sampson wired the fact
to the secretary of the navy, asking
that troops De sent Immediately. He
said that he had silenced the batteries
which were accessible from the sea
dI1u lldl lV,VOV IIICh Soulo Sdplol LIZ
town within forty-eight hours.
The text of the message is given as
is the text of the various other tele-
grams showing the cause of delay in
putting the expedition off, this cause
being, as frequently published, the re-
port that Spanish ~warships were ly-
ing in wait for the transports. Secre-
tary Alger adds that the Spaniards
were reinforced after Admiral Samp-
son had sent his message
The report shows that General Miles
advised in the beginning that the first
move should be made against Porto
Rico and that after that island should
be s~ubjugated then the American
forces should Be landed on the Dorth
coast of Cuba at some point from which
they could move conveniently either
TO the east or to the west.
Another reason for locating the
camps in the south was that the
troops might become acclimated be-
fore being sen to Cuba.
TESTIGtANY AS TO CAMP ALGER.